It has long been claimed that addressing biodiversity loss and other environmental problems demands a better understanding of the social dimensions of conservation; nevertheless, the active participation of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in conservation initiatives is still a challenging and somehow controversial issue. In this context, this book hopes to give voice to other perspectives related to biodiversity conservation beyond the “fortress conservation” model and emphasize one of the pillars of democracy – popular participation. It covers a wide range of environments and issues of special significance to the topic, such as the expansion of culturally constructed niches, protected areas and food security, community-based management, participatory agroforestry, productive restoration and biocultural conservation. The contents also explore the limitations and shortcomings of participatory practices in protected areas, the relationship between the global crisis of democracy and the decline of biocultural diversity, as well as present current discussions on policy frameworks and governance systems for effective participatory biodiversity conservation. In sum, this book provides a comprehensive and realistic perspective on the social dimensions of conservation based on a series of interrelated themes in participatory biodiversity conservation. The connections between biocultural conservation and the current political and economic environment are highlighted through the chapters and the book closes with a debate on ways to reconcile human welfare, environmental justice and biodiversity conservation.

It is vital that we adopt interdisciplinary approaches such as ecological economics to gain an understanding of the values that determine human interaction with, and use and abuse of, the environment. This book is a model of applied ecological economics. It presents an accessible introduction to the subject while at the same time broadening its theoretical basis by introducing a post-positivist, participatory method. The theoretical framework is applied to case studies in biodiversity conservation, drawn from around the world and a range of different ecosystems. The book is a suitable textbook for students of ecological economics and an ideal introduction for scientists and environmentalists needing to understand the role of economics in ecology and conservation.

Master's Thesis from the year 2007 in the subject Forestry / Forestry Economics, grade: 1.7, University of Göttingen (Institut für Forstpolitik und Naturschutz ), language: English, abstract: Community-Based Conservation (CBC) refers to wildlife conservation efforts that involve rural people as an integral part of a wildlife conservation policy. In Africa and specifically in Cameroon, there have been changes in state policies towards natural resources management particularly forest resources. This study deals basically on Cameroon, with national forest cover of over 42% which constitutes one of its major economic resources. Since 1995, a new forest policy act was enacted (proclaimed in 1994) to accommodate two approaches, that is, Community Forestry and sustainable forest management. Conserving and enhancing biodiversity through rural peoples’ involvement was one of the components of the new forest policy act of 1995. The study analyses the conditions under which the CBC policies can be successfully implemented in Cameroon, with the case of the Korup National Park (KNP) and its support zone and the former Korup Project (KP). It also investigates the interest and the relationship of the different stakeholders concerned, especially the local community. The thesis uses three hypotheses (which are limited to CBC), semi-structured questionnaires and secondary data to test or investigate successful policy implementation in the KNP by analysing, (i) the role the local communities, (ii) the international environmental NGOs and groups played in the former Korup Project (1988-2003) and (iii) the level of biodiversity conservation and rural development in the Korup Project Area (KPA). The study was carried out in the southern sector of the KNP with a simple-random sampling of 78 respondents out of 11 villages of the 32 villages in and around the National Park. The results indicate: (i) low participation of the local communities in the Integrated Conservation and Development Project (ICDP) and later joint participatory biodiversity conservation and rural development approach of the KP, (ii) a difficult relationship between the international stakeholders and the local communities, and (iii) a temporary success in biodiversity conservation and a failure in rural development.

How to use this review; Methods; Concepts; Lessons learned; Impacts of participatory monitoring; Conclusions: looking back, looking ahead; Matrix table of case studies, methods and tools.