Title
Rural Sustainability through Production-Conservation corridors with Colombian dry-forest Campesino communities
Abstract
Colombia’s usual approach to conservation establishes people only as a driver of ecosystem degradation and proposes the constitution of restricted-use isolated areas possessing exceptional natural values, but leaves aside the social aspects and cultural values guiding the relationship between people and the natural resources in a territory. For instance, the tropical dry forest (TDF), an ecosystem facing extinction, only has a 6.4% representation within the National System of Protected Areas. Additionally, the restrictive conservation status given to these areas have not completely benefited endangered ecosystems; instead, protected areas have caused estrangement between communities and their territory. This breach has inevitably resulted in additional pressure on biodiversity assets, the increase of illegality in the procurement of key natural resources and the displacement of vulnerable communities. It is known that biodiversity contributes to ecosystem goods and services which support human well-being. The long term perspective, has to take into account those cultural and social values affecting nature and human opportunities in a negative or positive way, to enhance benefits and minimize impacts through conscious actions applied as everyday practice. The Conservation Landscapes Program was designed to improve conservation and livelihoods, while strengthening social capital and participation. This paper will focus on how the local values and perceptions of nature and production, as well as the social capital were important to motivate actions ensuring the sustainable management of their territories. Also, it will explain how innovation, through external ideas and practices, entered into this dialogue to achieve the program’s objectives, that is, aligning the means and the ends. Other topics emerged, such as the situation and agency of women in conflict and displacement situations, in relation with conservation activities, food security and sovereignty. The project shows that conservation can be aligned with other societal goals, minimizing tradeoffs, and creating “win–wins” for communities and nature, while promoting better institutions at different levels. For the pilot phase Patrimonio Natural (NGO) introduced the conservation-production corridors as the strategic approach to plan and conserve the TDF with 300 Campesino families in 7 Nodes in the Colombian Caribbean region. The team used human centered design methods and mapping tools such as participatory territorial planning, action-based Conservation agreements and the application of landscape management tools to work along Campesino families in reframing their relationship with the forest. This approach allowed rural communities to decide over their territory with key information at hand and to generate a valuable relationship. This new relationship enhanced productivity and biodiversity recovery bringing new products to the market and securing basic needs. Also, the recovery of techniques and the introduction of technology, gave Campesinos the necessary tools to improve their health and well-being. Ninety kilometers of production-conservation corridors where created, in collaboration with Campesino communities, improving their quality of life and income and protecting biodiversity. Economic, social and environmental sustainability are starting to be achieved on a small scale, but escalating calls for the involvement of all stakeholders including policy makers.
0b Indigenous, afro, and rural communities involvement with sustainability
