Good, bad or ‘necessary evil’? Reinterpreting the colonial burning experiments in the savanna landscapes of West Africa

Abstract

A simple ecological model underlies contemporary fire policy in many West African countries. The model holds that the timing (or seasonality) of annual savanna fires is a principal determinant of vegetation cover. The model's origin can be traced to the ideas held by influential colonial scientists who viewed anthropogenic fire as a prime force of regional environmental degradation. The main evidence in support of the model derives from the results of a series of long‐term burning experiments carried out during last century. The experimental results have been repeatedly mapped onto fire policy often taking the form of a three‐tiered model in which fire exclusion is considered the ultimate management objective, late dry‐season fire is discouraged and early dry‐season fire is allowed but only under specific, often state‐controlled circumstances. This paper provides a critique of contemporary fire policy in the region and the fire ecology model on which it is based. Through an analysis of burn scars for the 2002–3 fire season generated from ETM+ imagery, the study documents the spatiotemporal pattern of burning for an area in southern Mali. It argues that current policy, which is informed by an a‐spatial model, cannot adequately account for the critical pattern of burning that is characteristic of the region. A reinterpretation of the burning experiments is presented in light of four factors: empirical data; recent developments in patch‐mosaic theory; historical evidence on the effects of fire suppression; and data on indigenous burning strategies, all of which suggest a need to reconsider current fire policy.

Causes of wildland fires, associated socio-economic impacts and challenges with policing, in Chakari resettlement area, Kadoma, Zimbabwe

“…Burrows et al (1979) suggested that in reality for police to be effective, they need the support of the community, because for the police make any arrest, they will do so using information obtained from the public rather than catching the offender red-handed. Policing normally target to punish illegitimate use of fires, minimise errors and negligence as preventive measures (Laris and Wardell 2006). However, this has an effect of isolating the society by treating them as agents that causes wildland fires, than those that can prevent.…”

Integrating Land Change Science and Savanna Fire Models in West Africa

“…For example, in some areas burning begins very early in the dry season and produces a fine-scale mosaic over time, while in others burning begins later and produces a pattern of later, larger and more contiguous fires (see Figure 5) [23]. Mali has experienced several shifts in fire policy over the past few decades [33,35] as well as a major and prolonged drought making it ideal for a case study.…”

“…Anti-fire policy has a long history in the region [35,43]. During the mid-1980s, a universal ban on burning was implemented in Mali that made all savanna fires illegal.…”

Evolving hunting practices in Gabon: lessons for community-based conservation interventions

“…The hunting governance as practiced today is a product of this history, being influenced by both the precolonial customary governance and the changes that the hunting systems have undergone since colonial rule and independence. Similarly drastic governance changes in response to colonial rule have been documented in other parts of Africa (Laris and Wardell 2006), where many of the past systems were present only a few decades ago, and much of the traditional practices have been further eroded in the face of market forces and modern practices (Marks 1979, Forbes et al 2014). …”