process mechanism of governance at local level not only help to integrate conservation and livelihood around PAs, but also shows that local/tribal communities and
PAs can exist in a progressive society, while, ensuring mutual benefits toward
ecosystem services and contributing toward mitigating climate change.
Keywords Protected areas Á Sustainable livelihoods Á Participatory technology
appropriation and transfer Á Ecosystem services
1 Introduction
India has a rapidly developing economy and looking for ways to address the
interface of poverty, development, and conservation. It is home to over a billion
people accounting for about a third of the worlds poor. About 300 million of these
poor people are estimated to be dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods.
The resources on which the poor depend for their livelihoods are being increasingly
eroded due to a complex set of factors including lack of tenurial security, rapidly
changing aspirations, external threats and pressures, and breakdown of traditional
management systems. This leads to environmental degradation and climate change
impact which deepens vulnerability of the poor leading to overexploitation of
resources and rural poverty.
In such a scenario, need is being felt to facilitate and accelerate proactively
action research in tackling climate change and its impact, and evolving practical
strategies for contributing to a low-carbon global economy and addressing associated social dimensions of climate change including its connections with growth
and sustainability. Besides, emphasis is being given to support adaptation to climate
change by rural and urban people, particularly the most vulnerable, through action
research supported with good quality science-based knowledge including the
institutional arrangements for managing the same locally (Huq et al. 2003; Klein
et al. 2007; APHDR 2012). This requires both systems approach and effective
governance of innovation systems and technology delivery through localized
strategies to ensure that efforts made in evolving required technological solutions
meet the needs of the vulnerable population living in complex, diverse and difficult
settings like Protected Areas (PA).
2 Emerging Need: Protected Areas and Effective
Governance
The Protected Area network in India covers around 4.9 % of India’s total geographical area. The primary objective of a PA is biodiversity conservation.
Currently, few direct benefits of PAs accrue to the local communities. However, the
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S.K. Agarwal
PAs can exist in a progressive society, while, ensuring mutual benefits toward
ecosystem services and contributing toward mitigating climate change.
Keywords Protected areas Á Sustainable livelihoods Á Participatory technology
appropriation and transfer Á Ecosystem services
1 Introduction
India has a rapidly developing economy and looking for ways to address the
interface of poverty, development, and conservation. It is home to over a billion
people accounting for about a third of the worlds poor. About 300 million of these
poor people are estimated to be dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods.
The resources on which the poor depend for their livelihoods are being increasingly
eroded due to a complex set of factors including lack of tenurial security, rapidly
changing aspirations, external threats and pressures, and breakdown of traditional
management systems. This leads to environmental degradation and climate change
impact which deepens vulnerability of the poor leading to overexploitation of
resources and rural poverty.
In such a scenario, need is being felt to facilitate and accelerate proactively
action research in tackling climate change and its impact, and evolving practical
strategies for contributing to a low-carbon global economy and addressing associated social dimensions of climate change including its connections with growth
and sustainability. Besides, emphasis is being given to support adaptation to climate
change by rural and urban people, particularly the most vulnerable, through action
research supported with good quality science-based knowledge including the
institutional arrangements for managing the same locally (Huq et al. 2003; Klein
et al. 2007; APHDR 2012). This requires both systems approach and effective
governance of innovation systems and technology delivery through localized
strategies to ensure that efforts made in evolving required technological solutions
meet the needs of the vulnerable population living in complex, diverse and difficult
settings like Protected Areas (PA).
2 Emerging Need: Protected Areas and Effective
Governance
The Protected Area network in India covers around 4.9 % of India’s total geographical area. The primary objective of a PA is biodiversity conservation.
Currently, few direct benefits of PAs accrue to the local communities. However, the
582
S.K. Agarwal