Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
hold its own intrinsic values for the conservation object, through recognising that
others see it as important. An example of a successful implementation of this
approach is in Box 6.4.
The
keys to success
are:
●
Making interventions
culturally appropriate
and relevant to the communities
involved. This means having a deep understanding of their needs and
Box 6.4
Building goodwill in Pipar, Nepal.
The World Pheasant Association has worked with villagers in the mountainous
region of Annapurna for over 25 years. Based on discussions with local people,
they built and have maintained schools in the valley in return for villagers pro-
tecting local forests, home to five Himalayan pheasant species (Figure 6.7). In 25
years, the populations of these pheasants have remained stable in the WPA area,
while declining elsewhere in the region, suggesting that people are holding to the
agreement. A recent review suggested that villagers who had been involved with
WPA for longest were clear about the conservation basis for WPA's involvement
in the area, but more recently contacted villages had not perceived the link and
some thought that WPA was a development organisation, suggesting that more
work was needed to reinforce the link between pheasant conservation and
community benefits. The WPA's general approach is to emphasise the cultural
significance of pheasants, and to build goodwill rather than focus too strongly on
use-based projects. This has also paid dividends in the Palas Valley, Pakistan,
where the WPA was able to respond quickly to people's needs after the Asian
earthquake in 2005, due to its long-running presence in the area, earning the
organisation the trust and respect of local people.
Source
:
www.pheasant.org.uk.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 6.7
a) Satyr tragopan Photo © Jean Howman/WPA, b) School children
Photo © Dick Potts/WPA.
