Participatory appraisal of natural resources

Local communities as users of localized nat ural resources tend to accumulate first knowledge about status and functioning of such resources. Such ever-growing store house of knowledge, at the local level exists as powerful information banks scattered amongst local community members. The book discusses a methodology to approach local communities to learn about their rich information systems and appreciate the log ic of community involvement and participa tion, as stakeholders, in conservation and preservation of natural resources. The study brings out local communities' knowledge base, perspectives, experience, problems, pri orities, livelihood practices, managerial ex pertise and organizational capabilities in the sphere of natural resources. It explains and illustrates major participatory methods for learning from local communities about lo calized natural resources. The book also in cludes analysis of selected participatory pro cesses and reflections on community partic ipation. It describes case studies focused on relationship of local communities with nat ural resources in the areas of poverty, food insecurity, specie-selection, problem prioritisation, assessment and valuation of benefits, gender, conflict-sitution and par ticipatory management of natural resources.

The book is meant for natural resource man agers, researchers, development workers, en vironmentalists, activists, forestry profession als, planners, policy makers, donors, lobby ists and students associated with the area of community participation and natural re source management.