Enabling alternative livelihoods for aquatic resource dependent communities of the Tonle Sap: summary note

Inland fisheries, Environmental impact, Structures, Man-induced effects, Livelihoods

Wetlands management in Vietnam: issues and perspectives

Wetlands, Resource management, Resource conservation, WorldFish Center Contrib. No. 1692, Viet Nam, Mekong Delta,

Wetlands management in Cambodia: socioeconomic, ecological, and policy perspectives

The papers in this volume were initially prepared for a workshop organized in April 2001 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, under the auspices of the project, " Legal and institutional framework and economic valuation of resources and environment in the Mekong River Region- a wetlands approach." The first three papers provide an essential survey of the importance of wetlands, trends affecting their health and propductivity, and priority actions in response. The next three papers focus on the social, institutional, and legal challenges of wetlands management in the country. The final three papers address the problems of assessing and enhancing the value of wetlands.Wetlands, Resource management, Socioeconomic aspects, Policies, Environment management, Cambodia,

Collaborating for Resilience: a practitioner’s guide

In many countries, resource conflict is a leading risk to livelihoods. For some communities, it is a matter of survival. Yet, many development interventions aiming to address these challenges fail or fall far short of their potential. Common reasons include conflicting agendas, power and politics; poor local commitment and leadership; lack of coordination; plus high costs and low sustainability, as programs often unravel when development finance ends. Overcoming these obstacles requires a shift from typical approaches to planning, implementing and evaluating rural development and natural resource management initiatives. This manual introduces one approach to achieving such breakthroughs in collective action, called Collaborating for Resilience. The manual presents a set of principles and field-tested guidance on exploring the potential for collaboration, facilitating dialogue and action, evaluating outcomes, and sustaining collaboration over time

Solomon Islands: Essential aspects of governance for Aquatic Agricultural Systems in Malaita Hub

In late 2012, a governance assessment was carried out as part of the diagnosis phase of rollout of the CGIAR Aquatic Agricultural Systems Program in Malaita Hub in Solomon Islands. The purpose of the assessment was to identify and provide a basic understanding of essential aspects of governance related to Aquatic Agricultural Systems in general, and more specifically as a case study in natural resource management. The underlying principles of the approach we have taken are drawn from an approach known as “Collaborating for Resilience” (CORE), which is based on bringing all key stakeholders into a process to ensure that multiple perspectives are represented (a listening phase), that local actors have opportunities to influence each other’s understanding (a dialogue phase), and that ultimately commitments to action are built (a choice phase) that would not be possible through an outsider’s analysis alone. This report begins to address governance from an AAS perspective, using input from AAS households and other networked stakeholders. We attempt to summarize governance issues that are found not only within the community but also, and especially, those that are beyond the local level, both of which may need to be addressed by the AAS program

Wetlands governance in the Mekong Region: country reports on the legal-institutional framework and economic valuation of aquatic resources

Wetlands are central to the livelihoods of rural communities through out the Mekong Region, providing vital functions and services that support the rural economy, ensure food security for the most vulnerable membrs of society, and underpin the prospects for national development. Proper appreciation of the importance of wetlands has been hampered by inadequate information and awareness of their uses, particularly among development planners, as well as legal and institutional frameworks that are often fragmented and poorly enforced. Wetlands are consistently undervalued and overlooked as a result, and ultimately, it is the rural poor who lose out.Wetlands-Economic aspects, Wetlands-Law and legislation, Socioeconomic aspects, Aquatic resources, WorldFish Center Contrib. No. 1754, Mekong Delta, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR,

Strengthening collective action to address resource conflict in Lake Kariba, Zambia

Where natural resources are a key component of the rural economy, the ability of the poor to realize their visions for the future depends significantly on institutional structures that govern resource access and management. This case study reports on an initiative on the shores of Lake Kariba in Zambia, where lakeshore residents face competition over fishing, tourism, and commercial aquaculture. Multistakeholder dialogue produced agreements with investors and increased accountability of state agencies and traditional leaders, enabling communities to have greater influence over their futures through improvements in aquatic resource governance. The report documents the rationale for the approach followed and steps in the capacity-building process, discusses obstacles encountered, and identifies lessons for policymakers and practitioners seeking to implement a similar approach

Innovations to strengthen aquatic resource governance on Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake

Cambodia’s recent freshwater fishery sector reform, instigated at the top level of government, is one of the country’s most significant contemporary policy developments addressing natural resources management and rural development. Implemented in two main waves, the reforms culminated in the complete removal of inland commercial fishing lots. Yet serious problems still need to be addressed, including reportedly widespread illegal fishing, difficulties in protecting critical habitats, and competition among state agencies over resource management authority. This report summarizes the context of the recent fishery reforms, analyzes challenges and opportunities for policy implementation after the reforms, and details the outcomes of local institutional innovations in Kampong Thom Province, followed by a discussion of the implications for ongoing efforts aimed at reducing resource conflict and building livelihood resilience

Proof of Concept of a New Glucose Sensing Technology: Color-Changing Hydrogels Including au Nanoparticles

This Master thesis provides a proof of concept for a novel, implantable continuous glucose sensing technology. Immobilized glucose oxidase in a poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate hydrogel is used to enzymatically convert an increase in glucose level to a local decrease in pH, which leads to a swelling of the hydrogel. Encapsulated gold nanoparticles in the gel allow an optical readout of the glucose concentration. Experimental methods include hydrogel synthesis, nanoparticle encapsulation and finally glucose sensing with the hydrogel by UV-vis measurements. Two possible readouts, absorbance change and frequency shift, are discussed and tested. While a frequency shift is not detected, results show that the absorbance of the gel is proportional to glucose level, making it a promising concept for continuous glucose monitoring

Dialogue to address the roots of resource competition: Lessons for policy and practice

Conflict management is an intrinsic element of natural resource management, and becomes increasingly important amid growing pressure on natural resources from local uses, as well as from external drivers such as climate change and international investment. If policymakers and practitioners aim to truly improve livelihood resilience and reduce vulnerabilities of poor rural households, issues of resource competition and conflict management cannot be ignored. This synthesis report summarizes outcomes and lessons from three ecoregions: Lake Victoria, with a focus on Uganda; Lake Kariba, with a focus on Zambia; and Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. Partners used a common approach to stakeholder engagement and action research that we call “Collaborating for Resilience”. In each region, partners assisted local stakeholders in developing a shared understanding of risks and opportunities, weighing alternative actions, developing action plans, and evaluating and learning from the outcomes. These experiences demonstrate that investing in capacities for conflict management is practical and can contribute to broader improvements in resource governance