THE ROLE OF NATURAL-HISTORY MUSEUMS IN PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY IN SOUTH-AFRICA

Natural history museums and their collections should be regarded as an important component of the environmental conservation network. South Africa is a signatory of the Rio Convention and has an obligation to develop strategies for the conservation of biodiversity. A survey was carried out to determine the role that South African natural history museums currently play in the conservation of biodiversity. Several important aspects were examined: mission statements and goals; the adequacy of the taxonomic work-force to meet South Africa's present and future requirements; the computerization of collections; the utilization of corrections for research; and the transfer of information through scientific publications. The biodiversity crisis offers natural history museums a unique opportunity to prove their value and draw attention to the urgent need for the establishment of a national biodiversity network. The prioritization of goals and focused education and research programmes are essential. The existing taxonomic work-force is inadequate to meet present requirements. This problem must be addressed urgently if we are to inventorize our national biodiversity over the next two decades. Coordinated data base development is an essential initial step in mobilizing collections for efficient management and conservation. Currently, zoological collections are under-utilized by the research community. Increased use of the collections must be encouraged. The publication of scientific papers that use museum collection material can help to achieve this, besides benefiting overall scientific knowledge which is the base of education. Change is inevitable and natural history museums: will have to adapt.