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Natural resource management by rural citizens in developing countries: innovations still required

Biodiversity and Conservation volume 18, pages 2537–2550 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

We summarise the main issues related to Community-Based Natural Resource Management which were discussed at an International Workshop organized in Niamey, Niger, in March 2008. The objective of the workshop was to compare and contrast different development-oriented biodiversity conservation and natural resource management approaches as they exist across Africa. These approaches were explored following (1) the fundamentals of natural resource management in relation to local development and livelihoods and (2) the multi-functional nature of land use. The major topics subject to debate were the dichotomy between strictly protected areas and conservation areas including human activities; the importance of legitimate, people-centred conservation, as opposed to legal (drawn from the law) conservation; the key role of market instruments, participatory approaches, interdisciplinarity and local governance; and finally the strong relationships between agriculture and biodiversity conservation, especially at landscape level. We then provide a short summary of the 12 papers addressing the above topics and selected for the Special Issue of Biodiversity and Conservation on “Natural Resource Management and Local Development” (Vol xx, No xx, 2009).

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Abbreviations

BIOHUB:

A regional platform on natural resource management by and for local communities (Harare, Zimbabwe: www.biohub-africa.org)

CAMPFIRE:

Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources

CBNRM:

Community-Based natural Resource Management

CIRAD:

Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development)

CITES:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

FFEM:

Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (French Global Environmental Facility)

ICDP:

Integrated Conservation and Development Project

IUCN:

International Union for Conservation of Nature

MAB:

Man and the Biosphere

MEA:

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

PES:

Payment for Ecosystem Services

REDD:

Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation

TFCA:

TransFrontier Conservation Area

UN:

United Nations

UNCBD:

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

UNCCC:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNCCD:

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

W/ECOPAS:

Programme Régional Parc W/Ecosystèmes Protégés en Afrique Soudano-Sahélienne

WWF:

World Wide Fund for Nature

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Author notes

  1. Russell D. Taylor

    Present address: , 3 Arcturus Road, Highlands, Harare, Zimbabwe

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIRAD, UR 36, 34398, Montpellier, France

    Emmanuel Torquebiau

  2. Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Emmanuel Torquebiau

  3. WWF Southern Africa Regional Programme Office, 10 Lanark Road Belgravia, Harare, Zimbabwe

    Russell D. Taylor

Authors
  1. Emmanuel Torquebiau
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  2. Russell D. Taylor
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Correspondence to Emmanuel Torquebiau.

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Torquebiau, E., Taylor, R.D. Natural resource management by rural citizens in developing countries: innovations still required. Biodivers Conserv 18, 2537–2550 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9706-3

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Keywords

  • CBNRM
  • Community conservation
  • Conservation agriculture
  • Landscape
  • Legitimacy of conservation
  • Livelihoods
  • Local governance
  • Niger
  • Protected areas
  • Rural development
  • W Regional Park
  • Zimbabwe