In different bio-diversity rich places in the world, challenges for community-based conservation diver greatly, depending on the (political, economic, cultural) context. We will present two cases: Kamoethway in Myanmar and... [ view full abstract ]
In different bio-diversity rich places in the world, challenges for community-based conservation diver greatly, depending on the (political, economic, cultural) context.
We will present two cases: Kamoethway in Myanmar and the transboundary biosphere reserve in Benin-Togo.
Challenges of conservation during democratic transition in Myanmar
Local Karen communities - known for their bond with nature. - are trapped between top-down unsustainable development and top-down conservation. Till recently their territory was a war zone but is now facing a flood of investments and development projects: logging, mono-culture plantations, mining, infrastructure etc. At the same time, international conservation organizations have arrived, identifying the same areas as high priority for conservation. Both the extractive and conservation industries have a troubled history of displacing indigenous peoples from their land.
The Karen people of the Kamoethway River Valley are asserting rights to control their resources and development, and showing that it is possible to conserve people and nature. Villages have established community-driven forest conservation based on traditional knowledge and historical practice. They have decided upon nine forest conservation categories (wildlife sanctuary, watershed forest, herbal medicine forest, cultural forest, umbilical cord forest, utilization forest, agroforestry area, fish conservation zone, cemetery) each with their own objectives and rules and local regulations.
Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve – communities at the heart of conservation
What began in the late nineties with a small community-based initiative protecting a population of threatened hippos in the Mono River on the border of Benin and Togo, has after twenty years resulted in the creation of the Mono Transboundary Biosphere Reserve.
A unique feature of this transboundary biosphere reserve is that is mainly made up of community protected areas. This poses challenges for the management of the reserve. Most of the community protected conservation areas and the core conservation areas – often sacred groves - can be considered too small to guarantee long term biodiversity conservation benefits. Connectivity between the different core areas is therefore key. How to do this in a densely populated area with nearly 2 million people that heavily depend on the area’s natural resources? Moreover, the reserve is situated between the rapidly expanding harbor cities of Lomé and Cotonou – centers of strong economic and urban growth. What lessons can be shared on how to deal with these outside pressures that not only concern additional environmental pressures but also have strong social and cultural impact.
Resources: Forest , Resources: Land , Big Issues: Biodiversity , Big Issues: Land use , Solutions: Local/Traditional knowledge
