Title
The SMART approach for reducing poaching, illegal trade and other forest crime: Examples of adaptive patrol management from Asia and Africa
Author(s)
Lynam, A. J.; Singh, R.; Chimuti, T.
Published
2015
Publisher
Cambodian Journal of Natural History
Abstract
Arguably the most important tools to ensure the future survival of threatened species are well-managed protected areas. Parks are increasingly being seen as the best option to preserve viable wildlife populations in the face of rapidly increasing rates of hunting, unsustainable trade, and habitat loss. Unfortunately, many parks in tropical regions lack the necessary tools for effective management. Most currently lack systems to enforce staff accountability, assess threats, or evaluate success and failure. In response to the lack of capacity in parks, a broad partnership of conservation organisations has developed a set of tools collectively called the SMART approach. SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) combines standardised patrol data collection, site-based database management and decision-making, and best practices for wildlife management. This approach empowers rangers, boosts motivation, increases efficiency, and promotes credible and transparent real-time monitoring of the effectiveness of anti-poaching efforts. Building on experience with existing law enforcement monitoring tools (e.g. Cybertracker, MIST), SMART provides park managers with the ability to quantitatively assess impacts, adjust strategies and enhance conservation success. Here we use examples from Asia and southern Africa to demonstrate how implementing the SMART approach has helped efforts to reduce poaching and illicit wildlife trade. Future efforts will seek to: (1) build essential capacity for SMART implementation and improved effectiveness of anti-poaching efforts; and (2) leverage SMART’s position as a global platform to provide standardised measures of poaching levels and enforcement efforts for combating the poaching of tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and other endangered species.
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PUB26837