RESEARCH UTILIZATION


Socio-economic evaluation of vampire bat control in Latin America

From a technological point of view, the vampire bat project is one of
the most successful programs ever undertaken by the DWRC. In a rela-
tively brief period, a team of scientists, starting with only the most
basic information, developed a solution to a problem that has plagued
man for centuries. The technology that resulted from this effort is
safe, selective, economical, and practical. It is simple and can be
applied by people with limited education and training. It is attrac-
tive in that results are visible in a short time. Finally, it has
been successfully implemented in the field, not as a demonstration,
but in large-scale operational programs, designed, funded, and carried
out by developing countries. However, the socio-economic impacts of
this technology and associated operational programs had not previously
been investigated. Such an evaluation was initiated in January 1978
under a special contract with AID. Dr. Daniel Badger, Resource Econo-
mist, Oklahoma State University, is directing the evaluation with the
assistance of Mr. Karl Schmidt, Research Associate, Oklahoma State
University. Their analysis of vampire bat control programs, based on
technology developed by the DWRC, is scheduled for completion in mid-
1979. Progress and findings to date are summarized here.

Currently, sixteen of the affected countries have vampire control pro-
grams. Of these, the broadest and most effective is that of the
Nicaraguan Ministry of Agriculture. Hence, the Nicaraguan program is
the focal point of this evaluation. In addition, four other countries
were selected as sources of additional information for comparative
evaluation.

In Nicaragua, surveys of cattle owners, rural civic leaders, and medi-
cal facility personnel were conducted from March through July to
obtain primary data on the impact of the vampire bat control program.
Results of these surveys are currently being compiled and analyzed.
Other objectives completed in 1978 were: (1) secondary data were
obtained to analyze the costs of the USAID-sponsored research and
development of vampire control technology; (2) government agencies in
Colombia, Panama, Trinidad, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were visited to
obtain data for the determination of implementation costs of their
control programs; (3) economic benefits of the Nicaraguan program were
calculated for the agricultural and related sectors of the economy. A
determination of the distribution of program benefits among rural and
urban sectors, poor and wealthy classes, and participant and nonpar-
ticipant cattle owners was made; (4) the impacts of vampire bat con-
trol on social well-being and the environment were analyzed and
quantified where possible.