Peripheral development: position paper for the Directorate of the South African National Parks

Abstract

The principle of peripheral development and its relevance to South African National Parks has been a recurring subject for debate. One viewpoint is that the principle should be applied as a general rule, and that in future all major developments of infrastructure should be on the periphery rather than the interior of national parks. The Scientific Services units of South African National Parks were asked to provide their views, and this note is the result. The consensus was that, although there is much to be said in general for the principle, there are circumstances in which developments on the periphery of a park could be deleterious. Hence, the principle does not merit the status of a rule.