Scratches on our sovereignty?

English Abstract: The article critically examines the conservation politics in a transboundary protected area (TBPA) in South Asia, the Sundarbans mangrove forests in Bangladesh and India. It explores the reasons why, despite collaborative measures by the two states, conservation has largely tended to conform to sovereignty practices, making it top-down and exclusionary. This makes the very demarcation of territory for protected areas an intensely political act with significant implications for social equity. The article examines the cultural politics of conservation since contestations to state power have often entailed the articulation of popular sovereignty in the Sundarbans. It argues that the social sustainability of conservation will critically hinge on how issues of resource access and governance are framed, negotiated, and addressed.Spanish Abstract: El artículo examina críticamente la política de conservación en el Área Protegida Transfronteriza (APT): los Sundarbans en Bangladesh e India. Explora por qué, a pesar de la colaboración bilateral, la conservación ha tendido en gran medida a ajustarse a prácticas de soberanía vertical y excluyente. La sola demarcación territorial de las APT, se convierte en un fuerte acto político con implicaciones signifi cativas en la equidad social. El artículo examina la política cultural de la conservación, ya que las protestas al poder del Estado a menudo tienen implicaciones en la articulación de la soberanía popular en los Sundarbans. Argumenta que la sostenibilidad social de la conservación dependerá fundamentalmente de cómo se enmarquen, negocien y aborden las cuestiones de acceso a los recursos y su gobernanza.French Abstract: L’article analyse de manière critique la politique de conservation dans une aire protégée transfrontalière (APT) en Asie du sud, la forêt des mangroves des Sundarbans au Bangladesh et en Inde. Il explore les raisons pour lesquelles, malgré les instruments de coopération entre les deux États, la conservation a adopté des pratiques de souveraineté étatique qui l’ont rendue erticale et exclusive. La démarcation du territoire des aires protégées est un acte profondément politique qui a des implications en matière d´égalité sociale. L’article examine la politique de conservation à travers des actes contestaires vis-à-vis du pouvoir étatique qui ont souvent favorisé une articulation de la souveraineté populaire dans les Sundarbans. Il met en évidence que la durabilité sociale de la conservation dépend de l’encadrement, de la négociation et de la promotion des thèmes d’accès aux ressources et de la gouvernance.

Small mammals of a West African hotspot, the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi transfrontier forest landscape

The Upper Guinea rainforest zone in West Africa is considered a biodiversity hotspot and contains important habitats for threatened and endemic mammals, yet this region remains poorly known particularly for small mammals. The aim of this study was to survey small mammals in a Liberian and Guinean cross-border conservation area, the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi landscape. We recorded a total of 52 small mammal species, including 26 bats, 15 rodents, 10 shrews, one otter-shrew, of which one rodent species was new to science (Colomys sp. nov.). We also documented the first country records of the bats Chaerephon aloysiisabaudiae, Pseudoromicia brunnea and Pipistrellus inexspectatus from Guinea, and the shrews Crocidura douceti and Crocidura grandiceps from Liberia. Furthermore, we recorded the recently described bat Nycticeinops happoldorum from Wologizi and Ziama, and we documented the presence of Micropotamogale lamottei at Wologizi, which represents the fourth known locality for this globally threatened species. Finally, the forests of Wologizi and Ziama support numerous threatened species. The results of our survey demonstrate the importance of this region for small mammals and support the creation of a transboundary protected area that will encompass the entire forest landscape.

Community Participation in Wildlife Tourism in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

This study examined the nature of community participation in wildlife tourism in the KgalagadiTransfrontier Park - a transboundary protected area shared by Botswana and South Africa. Sincethe opening of the park, much attention has been directed towards stimulating communityparticipation in wildlife tourism and conservation within the protected area in order to reducepoverty and contribute to local development in adjacent communities. Following a qualitativemethodology, the study conducted a documentary analysis in which historical documents andpolicies pertaining to the protected area were examined. Further, the study interviewed 17 keyinformants and conducted two focus groups with members of the two communities locatedadjacent to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The study found that although policies had a positiveeffect on the community participation in wildlife tourism within the park, in Askham the twocommunities (Khomani San and Mier) had acted autonomously in the involvement in wildlifetourism. Additionally, the study found wildlife tourism in Tsabong to be in its early stages ofdevelopment and therefore found limited, and hesitant, participation in the sector. Lack ofawareness and limited funds were found comprised as the major limitations to communityparticipation in both Tsabong and Askham. The study concludes that community participation iscentral to obtaining the benefits conceptualised by wildlife tourism in the Kgalagadi TransfrontierPark.

Hacia una geografía histórica del Gerês/Xurés: la conformación de una región transfronteriza = Towards a historical geography of Gerês / Xurés: the making of a cross-border region

Resumen: En el espacio central de la raya entre Galicia y el Norte de Portugal se extiende el Gerês/Xurés. Este ámbito territorial está conformado por dos Parques, uno Nacional en Portugal y otro Natural en Galicia. El presente artículo aporta los mimbres para una geografía histórica de este ámbito, en clave de región transfronteriza. La metodología aúna trabajo de campo (entrevistas semiestructuradas) y análisis de diversas fuentes de información: libros, documentos oficiales, artículos, páginas web y documentación de archivo.Palabras clave: Geografía histórica, territorio, frontera, región transfronteriza, espacio natural protegido transfronterizo,Galicia/Portugal.Abstract: The Gerês/Xurés region is located in the central area of the Galician-North Portuguese borderlands. The territory encompasses two parks: a national park in Portugal, and a natural park in Galicia. In this article, a historical geography of the area, under the theoretical framework of cross-border region. The methods combine fieldwork (semi-structured interviews) and analysis of different sources: books, official documents, articles, web pages and archives.Key words: Historical geography, territory, boundary, crossborder región, Transboundary Protected Area (TBPA), Galicia/Portugal.