Degradation debates and data deficiencies: The Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania

The Mkomazi Game Reserve is contested by people who wish to use its resourc es and by conservationists who have argued that the reserve should be set a side for wildlife. Underpinning the conservationist case is the argument th at people are harmful to the reserve's environment. Former residents of the reserve, notably pastoralists, argue that human use of the reserve did not cause its degradation. The debate is characterised by a lack of data extra ordinary in view of the assertions made. An earlier paper set out the contr asting views and, defined the data that would be needed to test them. This paper assesses what data there are, and whether it is possible to evaluate the extent to which people caused environmental change at Mkomazi.. Using p hysical data and comments about the environment made by observers it is arg ued that no firm conclusions can be drawn about small-scale change but that there are indications of large-scale resilience. As a result of this uncer tainty the article goes on to consider the extent to which there can ever b e clarity about environmental change at Mkomazi as a philosophical contenti on or as a researchable issue.