Resistance to ‘development’ amongst the Kogui of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Peer reviewe

How Participatory is Corporate Environmental Performance Rating? : An Assessment of Indonesia’s PROPER Programme

Before, Indonesia used the common 'command-and-control' policy approach to regulate business activities in relation to environmental protection. Indonesia's PROPER program is the first developed incentive-based monitoring system of companies' environmental performance through public disclosure of companies' performance rating at the national level. Already adopted in many other developing countries, one of its keys to supposed effectiveness is that it incorporates stakeholder participation into the mechanism. However, to date, no study has been undertaken to evaluate the participatory process. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing the implementation of stakeholder participation in the PROPER program and investigating stakeholders' perceptions towards the program. The study identifies current levels of stakeholder participation and shortcomings in the process, and suggests ways to improve the PROPER program through the reinforcement of stakeholder participation.Peer reviewe

Changing food preferences among a former hunter-gatherer group in Namibia

The purpose of this study was to identify, describe and conceptualize the present drivers of food choices and preferences of the Khwe San indigenous peoples by considering influences of their historical and cultural contexts. Data were collected in Eastern Bwabwata National Park in Namibia using a range of qualitative methods: semi-structured and structured interviews and free listing. The various drivers of food choices have been clustered into four levels of the ecological conceptual framework. Key factors, found to be driving participants' food choices, were the following: taste, hunger, health, familiarity and body satisfaction at the individual level; culture and food taboos at the social level; access to food and food storage at the physical level, and; cost and seasonality at the macro level. Many of these factors are directly related to food insecurity and previous experiences of hunger. Current preferences towards traditional foods existed but were not prevailing among all the participants. Interviews with the elderly revealed the historical context of the increasing exposure to modern foods and a contested access to traditional foods and traditional knowledge transmission. Our findings exposed some substantial gaps in the nutritional knowledge of the Khwe that need consideration by future health promotion strategies along with the current perceptions of local food choices. Ensuring access and promoting sustainable management of traditional foods would not only contribute to the health of the Khwe people but also help to maintain a nutritional safety net in their current situation of extreme poverty.Peer reviewe

Local community perceptions of conservation policy: rights, recognition and reactions

Biodiversity conservation in post-colonial contexts typically takes the form of state-imposed protected areas. Such conservation strategies, especially when failing to involve local communities, have resulted in conflicts between protected area managers and local communities, thereby diminishing conservation effectiveness. This research examines local community institutions, perceptions, and involvement with regard to the management of Ranomafana National Park, South-Eastern Madagascar. Data was collected at the end of 2014 in five case study villages around the park. Our findings indicate that imposed protected area regulations have provoked a wide range of mostly negative reactions amongst local villagers, largely due to lack of communication and negotiation on the part of protected area managers. What few attempts have been made to involve local communities in conservation and development activities have been met with local skepticism and have only served to reinforce existing power asymmetries within local communities. We argue that increasing local autonomy would help to boost local villagers’ self-esteem, and enable local communities to have a more equal playing field for future negotiations with conservation authorities. Furthermore, this would also likely trigger more local interest, initiative, and ownership with regards to conservation. Although the Ranomafana National Park area is currently regarded by many local villagers as illegitimate, there is widespread willingness across all five communities to collaborate with conservation authorities, presenting enormous potential for more successful conservation; potential that – at least to date – remains untapped.RÉSUMÉConserver la biodiversité dans un contexte postcolonial se matérialise généralement sous forme de zones protégées établies par l’État. Cependant, ces stratégies de conservation mènent souvent à des conflits entre gestionnaires et communautés locales, affectant en retour leur soutien à la mise en place de zones protégées. Les conservationnistes reconnaissent donc de plus en plus l’importance de considérer l’engagement des communautés locales dans la prise de décisions et la mise en oeuvre d’actions de conservation, afin notamment que ces actions soient efficaces. Cette étude se focalise sur les institutions des communautés locales, leurs perceptions et leur engagement concernant la gestion du Parc National Ranomafana, au Sud-Est de Madagascar. Les données furent collectées à la fin de l’année 2014 dans cinq villages situés autour du parc. Nos résultats indiquent que les réglementations imposées par le parc ont provoqué un large éventail de réactions, principalement négatives, de la part des villageois, dû à un manque de communication et de négociations de la part des gestionnaires du parc. Les quelques tentatives d’inclusion des communautés locales dans les patrouilles de surveillance du parc n’ont servi qu’à renforcer les asymétries de pouvoir pré-existantes. De même, seulement une petite partie des résidents locaux peuvent bénéficier de la gestion du parc. Les familles les plus vulnérables économiquement continuent à dépendre étroitement de ressources forestières dont l’exploitation est interdite, risquant des sanctionsde la part des gestionnaires du parc qui perturbent encore plus la cohésion sociale à l’échelle locale. Les autorités sont en retour réticentes à accorder leur confiance aux villageois. Même si l’on ne peut pas s’attendre à ce que ce cycle de méfiance disparaisse soudainement, les tensions actuelles entre communautés localeset gestionnaires du parc doivent s’estomper si le but est d’obtenir une gestion durable du parc à long-terme. Nous nous prononçons en faveur d’une plus grande autonomie locale qui permettrait non seulement de développer l’estime de soi des membres de la communauté, mais susciterait également plus d’intérêt et d’appropriation envers les actions de conservation, permettant ainsi aux communautés locales d’être sur un pied d’égalité lors de futures négociations avec les autorités du parc. En conclusion, alors que la zone protégée est majoritairement perçue comme illégitime, il existe une volonté réelle de la part des cinq communautés de collaborer avec les autorités chargées de la conservation, présentant un potentiel énorme - qui reste pour l’instant inexploité - en terme d’amélioration des actions de conservation

Luonnonsuojelu luonnonlain mukaiseksi : mitä voimme oppia Kolumbian kogeilta?

Peer reviewe

Linking Biodiversity Conservation and Education: an exploratory research of Education Programmes implemented around Protected Areas in Madagascar

Peer reviewe

Linking biodiversity conservation and education: perspectives from education programmes in Madagascar

Education is used to foster supportive behaviour for conservation. This paper examines how environmental education is implemented in Madagascar, and its potential for conservation. These reflections are based on literature insights and in-depth experiences from the field.. We found that environmental education is only marginally integrated in the national curriculum and NGOs are the primary promoters. Evaluation methods focus on quantifying short-term changes in knowledge and attitudes, and interventions fail to integrate local knowledge, values and needs. We call for researchers to examine the long-term impacts, on governmental commitment and support, and for future interventions to be inclusive and locally meaningful.RésuméL'éducation est un moyen utilisé pour encourager les comportements favorables à la conservation, en particulier dans les communautés locales vivant autour des aires protégées. À partir de la littérature et d’expériences sur le terrain, cette contribution examine les manières dont l'éducation environnementale est mise en œuvre à Madagascar, et son potentiel dans la conservation. Il a été constaté que, dans le cadre des écoles primaires, l'éducation environnementale n’est intégrée que de façon marginale dans le curriculum, et les ONG sont les principaux acteurs qui promeuvent l'éducation environnementale. Le principal cible les élèves pour conduire des activités dans le cadre strictement scolaire avec peu de visites dans les aires protégées. Les méthodes d'évaluation se concentrent sur la quantification des changements à court terme dans les connaissances et les attitudes, et non dans les comportements. Les interventions ne parviennent pas à intégrer les connaissances, les valeurs et les besoins locaux. L'influence de l'éducation sur le succès de la conservation reste floue, de sorte qu’il est proposé que la recherche examine également les impacts qualitatifs et comportementaux à long terme des interventions éducatives, l’engagement et le soutien du gouvernement national, et que les futures interventions soient inclusives et significatives au niveau local

Managers’ perceptions of protected area outcomes in Madagascar highlight the need for species monitoring and knowledge transfer

NB! https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.6 (right) Wrong doi reported in PDFConsiderable effort has gone into assessing the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in preventing biodiversity loss, and PA impacts on local communities. However, little is known about how pressures are being perceived and dealt with by local PA managers and what perceptions managers have of biodiversity trends and human‐induced pressures in the PAs they manage. We surveyed and convened a workshop with PA managers in Madagascar asking about the impacts of PA establishment. The managers reported that PAs have been successful in reducing threats. However, managers lacked specific knowledge of trends in species abundance, reporting the need for more species monitoring and knowledge transfer from scientific researchers. We argue that greater collaboration and exchange of knowledge between researchers, managers, and local communities is necessary to ensure that PA effectiveness research is of practical value and contributes to improved PA outcomes.Considerable effort has gone into assessing the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in preventing biodiversity loss, and PA impacts on local communities. However, little is known about how pressures are being perceived and dealt with by local PA managers and what perceptions managers have of biodiversity trends and human‐induced pressures in the PAs they manage. We surveyed and convened a workshop with PA managers in Madagascar asking about the impacts of PA establishment. The managers reported that PAs have been successful in reducing threats. However, managers lacked specific knowledge of trends in species abundance, reporting the need for more species monitoring and knowledge transfer from scientific researchers. We argue that greater collaboration and exchange of knowledge between researchers, managers, and local communities is necessary to ensure that PA effectiveness research is of practical value and contributes to improved PA outcomes.Considerable effort has gone into assessing the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) in preventing biodiversity loss, and PA impacts on local communities. However, little is known about how pressures are being perceived and dealt with by local PA managers and what perceptions managers have of biodiversity trends and human‐induced pressures in the PAs they manage. We surveyed and convened a workshop with PA managers in Madagascar asking about the impacts of PA establishment. The managers reported that PAs have been successful in reducing threats. However, managers lacked specific knowledge of trends in species abundance, reporting the need for more species monitoring and knowledge transfer from scientific researchers. We argue that greater collaboration and exchange of knowledge between researchers, managers, and local communities is necessary to ensure that PA effectiveness research is of practical value and contributes to improved PA outcomes.Peer reviewe

Governance and Power Dynamics in a Small-Scale Hilsa Shad (Tenualosa ilisha) Fishery : A Case Study from Bangladesh

This paper considers the hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) fishery of southern Bangladesh as a case study regarding governance and power dynamics at play in a small-scale fishery, and the relevance of these for the sustainable management of coastal fisheries. Qualitative methods, involving in-depth individual interviews (n = 128) and focus group discussions (n = 8) with key stakeholders in the hilsa fishery, were used to capture multiple perspectives on governance from those in different positions in the relative power structures studied, while facilitating insightful discussions and reflections. The analysis here is based on a power cube framework along three power dimensions (levels, spaces, and forms) in Bangladesh's hilsa fishery. The study displays an imbalance in the present hilsa governance structure, with some stakeholders exercising more power than others, sidelining small-scale fishers, and encouraging increasing illegal fishing levels that ultimately harm both the fisheries and those dependent on them. To overcome this, we propose a co-management system that can play a vital role in equalizing power asymmetry among hilsa fishery stakeholders and ensure effective hilsa fishery governance. Our results suggest that recognizing analyzed power dynamics has substantial implications for the planning and implementation of such co-management and the long-term sustainability of the hilsa fishery.Peer reviewe