Can't park a problem

The Big Read: Last week the country was shocked by news of a further 18 rhinos killed by poachers at Letaba Ranch, one of the parks managed by the Limpopo province.

The 18 rhinos are in addition to the 261 poached to date this year, a dramatic increase on the total of 122 killed last year, and 83 the year before. Poaching appears to be escalating out of control, driven by criminal syndicates in South Africa and the far East.

But there is another side to this story.

Rhinos are a good indicator of conservation management, and their successful conservation in South Africa has for many years been used as evidence of our excellent conservation standards - we manage approximately 90% of Africa's remaining rhinos.

But this latest revelation points to a worrying reversal, which will undermine our global reputation. Importantly, the carcasses that were found were not recent. Reports vary, but it appears that most of the rhinos had been killed over the last few years, and for a protracted period the killings went undetected. This indicates that, on the ground, conservation monitoring at Letaba is not taking place.

Large animals need dedicated, regular monitoring. This usually involves inspections, remote tracking and occasional aerial surveys.

The Department of Environmental Affairs cites monitoring through foot patrols as the foundation of the government's strategy for cracking down on poaching. This is in addition to working with local communities, dealing with criminal syndicates in cities, SADC regional co-operation and working through Interpol to track cross-border crime and illegal goods.

What is clear from a number of reports is that bread and butter conservation management functions are not being performed at Letaba Ranch. There are too few staff, who are poorly motivated, with inadequate budgets and declining capital infrastructure. There is no management plan for Letaba. Highly placed conservation officials have admitted "there is no conservation management at Letaba".

This is symptomatic of the broader collapse of conservation management across all of the 35 reserves managed by Limpopo.

Last year the management of Limpopo's parks was removed from the Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board because of mismanagement. The parks now sit with the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, which is itself under-resourced and under-staffed.

Conservation has been seriously under-funded in the province for many years, with funds going to politically more important departments such as health, welfare and education. This is compounded by financial mismanagement in the department, with R450 000 of unauthorised and wasteful expenditure in the previous financial year.

There are also staffing problems. The department has a 48% vacancy rate in its environmental division, and an attrition rate of 30% of filled posts. At the same time staff expenditure makes up 82% of their budget.

There is little funding left for maintaining fences, vehicles or park facilities - all crucial for well-run parks. The department can provide little information about the status of protected areas and their management plans, which is indicative of poor monitoring and conservation planning.

Conservation experts point to a steady erosion of performance and collapse of critical conservation functions. In a recent review of conservation effectiveness across all of South Africa's parks, Limpopo scored the lowest for HR capacity, generation of own income and law enforcement. Clearly there is something seriously amiss .

The Limpopo parks are a valuable part of the overall conservation estate in South Africa. The northern Drakensberg escarpment contains unique grasslands and indigenous forests, with rare plant and animal species found nowhere else.

It is a strategically important water catchment area which feeds farms and ecosystems of the lowveld, and is important for climate change adaptation. The parks are unique wilderness areas that support the province's tourism industry. They include 29 different ecosystems, many identified as vulnerable and threatened.

As a country we cannot afford to lose such an important part of our conservation estate. There is a clear case for national intervention to save these reserves and protect what biodiversity is left.

Part of the problem is that we have too complex a conservation system. Today we have 15 different conservation management agencies operating in South Africa. A recent management review found that four of these management authorities are seriously under- performing, and four are showing signs of severe distress.

The lack of effective conservation in these areas means we are at risk of losing the reserves managed by them. Only five management authorities are performing adequately to well, and even these are showing signs of distress.

The problems of Letaba Ranch are symptomatic of the broader state conservation sector (despite excellent, examples such as SanParks, Cape Nature and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife).

This poses serious questions and challenges to our environmental authorities. How do we fix such a pervasive set of management and financial problems? And what can be done to limit the potential loss?

One answer seems obvious. The country cannot afford the existing number of conservation agencies - both in terms of their financial overheads, and the demands of separate management systems.

Under-performing provinces and departments are particularly ill-suited to conservation functions. Government should rationalise these into fewer agencies, with the attendant economies of scale, less fragmented biodiversity management and increased presence and influence. There are also remedies that can make a difference - for instance, allow parks agencies to retain the revenue they earn, creating an incentive to decrease their reliance on the state.

We must also recognise the value of properly funding conservation. Without adequate management and funding we reduce the immediate benefits of clean air, water and species diversity that parks provide. And we will have little to pass on to future generations, whose natural world is already threatened by climate change. The time for decisive action is now.

• Olver is director of Linkd Environmental Services, and recently completed a review of the effectiveness of the conservation system for the government