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ReNED Conference: Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity
in Developing Countries
Regional examples
There are many examples of how ecosystems benefit poor people in developing
countries, how pressure on ecosystems may alter the livelihoods and health these
people, and also how these problems are addressed in various development efforts
often supported by international donors. Two examples of how altered ecosystems
have led to changed services are (1) in Maoxian county in Nepal where bees have
gone extinct, forcing people to pollinate apple trees by hand. It takes 20 –
25 people to perform the work of 2 bee colonies; and (2) in lake Malawi where,
due to over fishing, the fish population was heavily reduced causing an increase
in the number of snail species acting as intermediate hosts for the parasitic
disease, schistosomiasis. This increased the disease burden among local people
significantly and nearly ruined the tourist industry at the Lake. Twelve case
studies on sustainable finance of natural resource management are given in Gutman
(2003) , many of which are related to biodiversity.
Among these case studies is the Danida funded MEMA project (1999-2003) in Tanzania
located in woodland areas and montane forests in the Udzungwa Mountains which
are part of an internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot the Eastern Arc
and Coastal Forests of Kenya and Tanzania. This is an example of an ecosystem
which provides a wide selection of services including medicinal plants, constant
water supply, protection against erosion and silting of hydropower plants, eco-tourism,
etc. The Participatory Forest Management (PFM) system developed in this area
allow resource access and locally generated natural resource revenue to provide
incentives for local people to manage and protect their natural forests. Biodiversity
and water catchment values in montane forests result in restrictions on resource
use that greatly limit the possibilities for economic compensation of local
forest managers. Villagers therefore end up managing ecosystem services benefiting
people living far from the forest (e.g. water for electricity and agricultural
production, biodiversity).The monitoring system established is simple and accounts
for low educational level of local forest managers, provide easily analyzable
data, and focuses on resources and services considered important in the local
community. In terms of developing and maintaining institutional capacity and
good governance, village level managers are elected and the risk of corruption
and elite capture is thus far lower if villagers know and show their rights.
This and other case studies from various parts of the World will be the basis
for discussions of specific topics in the working groups. ReNED will fund a
consultant, who prior to the conference will provide an overview of existing
research in this field, including a number of relevant case studies.
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