Conservation Problems In Heritage Management If Tsodilo Hills

Natural resources plays a significant role in teaching and viewing the past to the future generation and informing them about the people who lived there many years ago as they live behind evidence such as paintings, crafts and others. These special sites has to be protected or conserved so they will last longer. The Tsodilo Hills is found in a San village in Botswana on a village called Kambukushu. It is the first site of creation by the Bushmen, including rock paintings dating from around eight hundred to thirteen thousand AD. The government together with other organizations and the communities joined forces to work together in protecting the hills as they are very important to the community.

Tourist Experience

Tsodilo Hills is one of the most beautiful and eye catching in the whole of Africa. These are four large rocks on which the Bushmen referred to as; the bigger one is the male, the smaller one is the female and the smallest one is the child and the fourth one is males first wife whom the male left for a younger one. Besides viewing the area tourist can experience and practice a lot of activities in the area. One of the activities that can be done in the area is climbing, though it’s not that simple and requires a lot of effort some people do climb it. When on top of the hills one can view the beautiful view of the area including different kinds of animals roaming in the area.

The site has rock arts or painting which are being dated twenty thousand years ago and are the main evidence of the early life of the Bushmen though some of the rock paintings are simply a hundred years old which proves that that the Bushmen have been living in the place for quite some time. There are traits in the site which leads to over three hundred and fifty artwork. There’s five hundred individual spots that presenting thousands of years human occupation. When it comes to the wild, we all want to see wild animals. Tsodilo Hills has several kinds of animals including kudu, steenbok, kuiter and many more. There are many birds in the area, and most tourist enjoy bird watching especially in the afternoon. Birds include the grey lories, and Melba finches.

Conservation

When a heritage site is not being cared for it gets destroyed/vandalized. The Tsodilo Hills is being kept secret by the members of the community as they believe that their gods and the spirits of the deceased ones live there. The government selected governments based department to look after Tsodilo Hills; few selected is the Department of National Museum together with Tsodilo’s Management Authority, its Community Trust, its community based organizations and NGO’S such as UNESCO. The government inspires the people living in the surrounding areas to defend their environment especially natural resources and wild animals living in the habitat. Community members are being given powers and responsibilities to keep the natural resources safe for the next generations. The community members are also being trained to control wild fires in case they occur. The members of the community encouraged the government to tighten the security at the site to educe and prevent illegal hunting and harvesting. In 1997, a management plan was agreed by stakeholders, the aim of the plan was to conserve the site features.

Ownership

Local tradition claim to be the rightful owners of the land including the site, their evidence are the rock paintings found at the hills which are being dated around eight hundred to thirteen thousand AD. The government tried to evict some of them from their place but they refused to leave. After a long legal fight of ten years, the Botswana High Court in 2006 found that that the government’s practices were illegal and unauthorized. Because they did not want to live, the government then declined them hunting licenses, refused them water from the bore holes and those who hunted animals without the license were arrested.

The archaeological site is currently owned and governed by the country’s government.

Financing

Ever since the site was declared UESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 it has been successfully been taken cared for by the government. The government selected few organizations which are it funds and their duty is to make sure that everything is cared for at the site including NGO’s. Local people also got a chance to open businesses near the site where they sell crafts and other art work in the site.

Improvements

In the few past years, several cases of wild fires were reported in the area. The government should further educate the communities about the dangers of fire and how to control wild fires whenever they occur. It will be best for the government to launch fire awareness campaign to boost their knowledge e.g. they must put out a fire after use. The government must also fence the area and hire security officers to guard it twenty four hours of the day. The government is supposed to deny people to hunt and kill the animals around the area for meat. In order for this to be a success, the government needs to create job opportunities for the community members so they will be able to buy food for their families. Excavation by scientist and archaeologist in the area must also be prohibited as it destroys the evidence of the early life of the Bushmen/San who live there many years ago. Mining of diamond in the area should also be prohibited, it lives holes and ruins in the area. The community should be given a chance to visit the site whenever they want to perform their rituals or certain traditional ceremonies.

Conclusion

Heritage sites should benefit local people in terms of employment, infrastructures and land development nearby the area of the site. The department of heritage and cultural tourism in Botswana must make sure that they protect the heritage of the local community members like e.g. no one besides them was supposed to enter the caves because the place is their gods and ancestors resting place and they must not be disturbed. The government must also increase the level awareness campaign about fire and hunting to the commuters so the environment will last till the next coming generations.