ABSTRACT

Savannahs may be taken to include grasslands of various forms in tropical and subtropical zones. Some savannahs are characterized as tall-grass woodlands, some as grassy plains with scattered wooded patches, some as short-grass steppes, some as dry-scrub or bush country, and some as floodplain savannahs. In Asia, savannahs proper are confined chiefly to subtropical parts of India and China, while semiarid steppe extends across parts of Afghanistan and Iran. Many of Africa’s grasslands are being changed, with progressive impact. The most pronounced form of environmental degradation, as perceived by the citizens of emergent Africa, is impoverishment of the socioeconomic environment. The chapter focuses on the “common heritage” aspect of wildlife conservation. A few institutional initiatives have been devised, notably the World Heritage Trust, the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wildlife and Wildlife Products, among others.