102
how they utilize, maintain, and transfer the knowledge to the next generation.
They also considered how they can innovatively use new knowledge integrated
with traditional knowledge within their SEPLS. For instance, in a rainforest
community in Makira Natural Park in northeastern Madagascar under the project conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society-Madagascar, people found that
they are active in innovation in agriculture and conservation practices such as
changes in intensive and improved rice cultivation systems using a “system of
rice intensification” and “improved rice system”; establishment of permaculture
and agroforestry; and reactivation of clove and cacao plantations to help against
erosion. At the same time, they found that transmission of local knowledge still
exists verbally, with elders having the impression that younger generations do
not show much interest in learning about medicinal plants but rather prefer modern medicines. As a result of the resilience assessment workshop, local communities agreed to collect documents that provide knowledge about biodiversity,
and to build a database to be used by school programs and for distribution of
information.
• Similarly, most of the communities under the GEF-Satoyama Project were
reminded of their indigenous, local, and women’s knowledge through the assessment workshop and recognized that this knowledge was not being appropriately
transferred to the next generation. Thus, many of them came up with some means
for local documentation or improvement of communication among community
members.
• Strengthening local governance and social equity
• The micro-watershed of the Las Cruces stream in the central Santander District
in northwest Colombia is an area that was “opened” for use after the military
conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the
National Liberation Army (ELN) ended. The management of natural resources
occurs mainly at the agroforestry farm level, and there are no formal efforts to
manage natural resources. The project proponent, Universidad Industrial de
Santander, used three indicators related to regulation and local protection practices: “ecosystem protection”; “maintenance and use of local crop varieties and
animal breeds”; and “sustainable management of common resources.” The use of
these indicators helped community members to evaluate and begin to improve
local management systems and issues related to equity, which is of importance to
re-inhabited post-conflict areas. Since the state entity in charge of environmental
issues in the region (the Regional Autonomous Corporation) restricts the extraction of native timber species from farms where people take care of them, resilience assessment workshop participants felt that they should have greater
autonomy in this regard. They showed a growing interest in environmental issues
for conservation and to influence communal well-being. The participants also
identified serious weaknesses related to cooperation between farmers as well as
with other organizations. As a result, they agreed that trust and social capital
within the community needed to be strengthened to make real transformation in
the landscape.
W. Dunbar et al.
how they utilize, maintain, and transfer the knowledge to the next generation.
They also considered how they can innovatively use new knowledge integrated
with traditional knowledge within their SEPLS. For instance, in a rainforest
community in Makira Natural Park in northeastern Madagascar under the project conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society-Madagascar, people found that
they are active in innovation in agriculture and conservation practices such as
changes in intensive and improved rice cultivation systems using a “system of
rice intensification” and “improved rice system”; establishment of permaculture
and agroforestry; and reactivation of clove and cacao plantations to help against
erosion. At the same time, they found that transmission of local knowledge still
exists verbally, with elders having the impression that younger generations do
not show much interest in learning about medicinal plants but rather prefer modern medicines. As a result of the resilience assessment workshop, local communities agreed to collect documents that provide knowledge about biodiversity,
and to build a database to be used by school programs and for distribution of
information.
• Similarly, most of the communities under the GEF-Satoyama Project were
reminded of their indigenous, local, and women’s knowledge through the assessment workshop and recognized that this knowledge was not being appropriately
transferred to the next generation. Thus, many of them came up with some means
for local documentation or improvement of communication among community
members.
• Strengthening local governance and social equity
• The micro-watershed of the Las Cruces stream in the central Santander District
in northwest Colombia is an area that was “opened” for use after the military
conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the
National Liberation Army (ELN) ended. The management of natural resources
occurs mainly at the agroforestry farm level, and there are no formal efforts to
manage natural resources. The project proponent, Universidad Industrial de
Santander, used three indicators related to regulation and local protection practices: “ecosystem protection”; “maintenance and use of local crop varieties and
animal breeds”; and “sustainable management of common resources.” The use of
these indicators helped community members to evaluate and begin to improve
local management systems and issues related to equity, which is of importance to
re-inhabited post-conflict areas. Since the state entity in charge of environmental
issues in the region (the Regional Autonomous Corporation) restricts the extraction of native timber species from farms where people take care of them, resilience assessment workshop participants felt that they should have greater
autonomy in this regard. They showed a growing interest in environmental issues
for conservation and to influence communal well-being. The participants also
identified serious weaknesses related to cooperation between farmers as well as
with other organizations. As a result, they agreed that trust and social capital
within the community needed to be strengthened to make real transformation in
the landscape.
W. Dunbar et al.