| “There are by far more examples in the literature where the introduction of alternative livelihoods have failed to deliver the impact that was intended, than there are examples of where alternative livelihoods have brought about the desired change” (Ireland et al. 2004: 20).
Historically there have always been tensions between rural livelihoods and environmental protection and conservation. Unfortunately, after decades of trialling sustainable livelihood approaches, the above quote from Ireland et al. (2004), still remains true. This presentation delves into the tensions between biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods using examples from projects TLLG (The Landscapes and Livelihoods Group) have worked on. It provides a brief historical background on how livelihoods came to be a key consideration in conservation work, how livelihoods are conceptualised in the literature and practice, and summarises some key challenges faced in developing conservation initiatives that account for and build on sustainable rural livelihoods. In the second half of the presentation, Dr. Wosu will present on how she and her colleagues from TLLG are approaching the challenge of conservation and livelihoods using project examples and some of the changes we are working to make in the conservation sector in order to put rural livelihoods at the centre of achieving environmental outcomes. |
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