Local Livelihoods
The Restoration of Forest Biodiversity and Ecological ValuesBackgroundThroughout Asia there has been significant push to restore degraded lands yet many of these initiatives lack clear objectives. This paper explores the failures that have emerged from this trend, paying close attention to restoration schemes that were politically driven and unsuccessful in yielding the economic and environmental benefits due to the lack of clarity in defining the precise restoration objectives. Available with subscription or purchase |
Strategies for empowering the local people to participate in forest restorationBackgroundThis study examined how local people’s involvement in determining and establishing appropriate reforestation techniques and practices can yield positive results. The study also examined the conditions for local people’s willingness to participate in implementing such techniques in their practices. The study was conducted in 10 villages surrounding Mabira Forest Reserve located in Central Uganda. Open access copy available |
Environmentality: Community, Intimate Government, and the Making of Environmental Subjects in Kumaon, IndiaBackgroundAgrawal writes about the relationship between government and subjectivity, particularly about the processes that create “environmental subjects” (people who care about the environment), using an example of changing interests in forest protection following the creation of community-forest management groups in Kumaon, India. Open access copy available |
Adaptive value of participatory biodiversity monitoring in community forestryBackgroundThis paper looks at using a conceptual framework (values, diversity, stakeholders) for forest monitoring, communication and conservation by villagers in Baglung District, Nepal. The goal was to assist local foresters in developing monitoring programs. Available with subscription or purchase |
Evaluation of a rural development project in Southwest Cochabamba, Bolivia, and its agroforestry activities involving Polylepis besseri and other native species – a decade of lessons learnedBackgroundThis report evaluates the results of the PROSANA project (GTZ/Department of Cochabamba) that ran for a 10-year period until the early 2000’s, and its attempts to combat food insecurity and promote conservation of relic forests and the restoration of agroecosystem function by planting mixed forests including Polylepis besseri. Well-adapted socio-ecological systems started to degrade in the region centuries ago with forced relocation of populations to higher, steep slopes and the introduction of European sheep and goats. Presently, firewood collection and grazing prevent the recovery of ecosystems. Open access copy available |
Land use transitions: Socio-ecological feedback versus socio-economic changeBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Monitoring and Evaluating Forest Restoration SuccessBackgroundThis chapter reviews the importance of monitoring and evaluation for restoration projects, in order to confirm the hypotheses that shape such projects, to fine-tune management actions, adapt restoration approach on a long-scale trajectory, and to prove results to stakeholders. The chapter presents three case studies of ecological restoration and monitoring throughout the world, including the Southwestern Alps, Vietnam, and the Mediterranean region, as three examples where monitoring and evaluation practices have been in place and are evolving over time. Open access copy available |
Watershed Management for Ecosystem Services in Human Dominated Landscapes of the NeotropicsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
The Transformation of a Frontier: State and Regional Relationships in Panama, 1972- 1990BackgroundFollowing the trend of anthropologists that examine the settlement of frontier regions, this study describes the consequences of building the Bayano Hydroelectric Complex in eastern Panama. The authors stress that governments must not looked at as monolithic entities but instead should be examine as a set of social and political relationships among various stakeholders at local, national, and international scales. Along with documenting the social, political, and ecological effects that emerged from the dam, the study also describes the internal conflicts between agencies in the Panamanian government. Available with subscription or purchase |
Artisan Non-Timber Forest Products in Darien Province in Panama: The Importance of ContextBackgroundNon-timber forest products (NTFP) have been used for centuries to obtain useful materials. There has been a recent shift in the study of NTFP use, expanding from focusing on a single species or a single community to consider more variables, such as spatial, temporal and socio-political variables of NTFP harvest, use and management. This study aims to continue this trend by examining the use of NTFP by artisans of Wounaan and Emberâ households in Panama. Open access copy available |
