“What are the livelihood and equity measures in community Resource Management” (Part 2)
It is clear at the start of the 21st century that the varied fates of our planet’s inhabitants are connected. Over the past ten years, an unprecedented number of international commitments have been prompted by this insight. On many global concerns, including trade policy, biodiversity conservation, land mines, greenhouse gas emissions, peacekeeping, security, and others, nations of all political persuasions have made reform commitments. However, even if governments, people, corporations, and other organisations must make decisions on a local level to address and execute these concerns, they are increasingly recognised, described and framed as global issues. So many well-intentioned global initiatives fall short precisely because a local activity is neglected. Community-based strategies and tactics that, in general, share a concern for transferring control and responsibility over resource management from the government to the local level. CBNRM is promoted as a way to enhance sustainable resource management, the socio-economic status of the rural poor, and the power and involvement of previously disadvantaged groups.
Degradation of the environment and natural resources is widely acknowledged as a significant barrier to reducing poverty among the world’s most disadvantaged and marginalised groups, who are still primarily rural. Innovative strategies are becoming more and more necessary, according to international commitments to rural development and stopping the depletion of resources and the environment. Such strategies must place a holistic focus on various ecological and social aspects ad place a strong emphasis on the meaningful involvement of locals in their conception and execution.
Community-based natural resource management and decentralised governance
In close cooperation with the provincial government, research was conducted. In Cambodia, a decentralised planning, management, and funding policy experiment was conducted. The project aided the province in creating guidelines for collaborative land-use planning, strengthening the position of community people in negotiations with outside parties. Additionally, it assisted in enhancing municipal and provincial governments’ capabilities for decentralised natural resource management. As a result, the provincial government and communities reached agreements on the management of resources, and indigenous people’s rights and tenure over resources were recognised. This was made possible by combining field-based participatory action research with broad government collaboration, networking with NGOs, and other stakeholder groups. The province’s indigenous community participation also aided the government’s efforts to comprehend the problems encountered by indigenous people and better meet their development demands.
Poverty, community and policy impact
Even with a swift economic expansion, Asia’s level of poverty is still alarming. The need for more attention to poverty reduction from the donor community and civil society is not surprising. The eradication of extreme poverty and hunger is required under the Millennium Development Goals. Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of persons who experience hunger is to be reduced by 50%. Other objectives support the need to advance gender equality, empower women, and incorporate sustainable development concepts into programmes and policies to stop the depletion of the environment’s resources. The Millennium Development Goals focus on eradicating poverty offers a compelling case for action, which is supported by new information from research. In fact, when based on pro-poor research, methods and programmes for reducing poverty are conceived and implemented. As a result, pro-poor research has three strategic roles:
It guarantees that the problems and issues faced by the poor themselves are recognised and given attention;
It encourages circumstances in which the poor can use their own abilities and skills to escape poverty;
It gives the underprivileged the ability to control their own well-being.
Understanding the causes of poverty is a crucial first step for pro-poor research to take on the issue of reducing poverty. In addition to addressing changes in food availability and supply, poverty must also be addressed in terms of the many social and economic elements that support it. It is vital to take into account more broad concepts of poverty, such as vulnerability, insecurity, and helplessness, rather than moving forward with the usual understanding that poverty is about having too little income, not enough money to consume, or not enough food. Additionally, subjective measurements that differ from the poor’s assessments of what poverty means to them must be used in conjunction with objective measurements. From the perspective of the poor, material well-being based on private consumption, access to public resources, government-provided goods and assets, physical well-being, a sense of security and the capacity to handle emergencies, freedom of choice and action, autonomy, and dignity are all indicators of not being poor. The major issues facing the poor are corruption, war and violence, helplessness, and unstable livelihoods because there aren’t as many alternatives for employment. For those who are impoverished, safety, dignity and independence are just as vital as money.
If poverty has multiple dimensions, it demands at least the all-encompassing strategy for addressing it that was suggested by the World Bank in 2001. Promoting opportunity, supporting empowerment, and strengthening security are the three methods suggested by the plan. Since all three components work together, none is more crucial than the others.
Pro-poor interventions and research must be evaluated not only in terms of their attention to income but also in terms of their attention to assets, rights and institutions as these give the poor a framework for opportunities and lessen their vulnerability.
The opportunity for effective action to address resource degradation and poverty reduction. Numerous programmes to reduce rural poverty have unanticipated negative effects on the deterioration of natural resources. Economic policy changes that facilitated market access and increased commercial production have promoted the adoption of farming practices that worsen the resource base. Reforms to land tenure that encourage ethical labour practices and open up access to financial and input markets may further marginalise and impoverish the most vulnerable rural residents. In the past 15 years, a large portion of the profusion of writing that has hoped to combine rural poverty reduction and environmental goals has remained either wishful thinking or elaborate rationalisation. Research can result in growth and societal transformation.
In addition to the outcome of the diagnostic study of problems with community resources, there is the complexity of the historical and social web within which local action must be put. They also discuss the establishment of new institutions for resource rights, planning and governance, the greater participation of local marginalised groups in the political discourse of NRM, and the progression of research paradigms towards more interdisciplinary and holistic techniques and frameworks. Less from broad analytical findings than through testing and modelling creative development practise the insights from these CBNRM research experiences.
Conclusion
In order to prepare and obtain government permits, communities that have already developed new institutions for collective action and resource management will not require much assistance from experts or facilitation. Local organisations do, however, occasionally require outside facilitation to deal with challenging conflicts and to address new issues in dynamic ecosystems and economies. This is true even after winning government support and establishing successful processes for resource planning and management. This implies the demand for novel extension services or service suppliers. Such services are not related to projects or results that are site-specific, nor are they related to industries or technology. They might receive funding from government initiatives aimed at reducing poverty in areas where CBNRM programmes might be beneficial. It also demonstrates the value of CBNRM-enabling regulations.