Measuring human wellbeing: A protocol for selecting local indicators

Loveridge, Robin; Sallu, Susannah M.; Pesha, Ignatus J; Marshall, Andrew R.

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2020.09.002

Cited by 53 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Integrating social https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss3/art19/ dimensions to conservation science requires considering not only the economic impacts on communities, but also efforts to elicit a broader understanding of well-being (and potential harms) from among the range of interrelated social, cultural, economic, environmental, and political values, experiences, causes, and impacts (Biedenweg andGross-Camp 2018, Gill et al 2019). Although embracing such complexity may sound unrealistically demanding, considerable progress has already been made in this direction with many frameworks, e.g., for well-being, environmental justice, social-ecological resilience, and biocultural approaches, and associated tools are now available to facilitate interdisciplinary research and its integration to conservation and development practice (Sikor et al 2014, Bennett et al 2017, Sterling et al 2017, Loveridge et al 2020. This rapid shift toward more inter-or multi-disciplinary conservation research is reflected by our sample including only a single study published prior to 2000, a shift also recorded in similar syntheses (McKinnon et al 2016).…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

Dawson¹,

Coolsaet²,

Sterling³

et al. 2021

E&S

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481

148

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Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decade's conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

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Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

Dawson¹,

Coolsaet²,

Sterling³

et al. 2021

E&S

Self Cite

481

148

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To understand differences in perceived wellbeing between the two groups, data were collected through questions based on 18 indicators. In line with the literature on multidimensional wellbeing (Loveridge et al, 2020;Mcgregor et al, 2015;Woodhouse et al, 2015) Table 2: • Significant dimensions of material wellbeing emerged as financial security, food sovereignty and security and key ecosystem services. Financial security is captured by the ability to sell produce (encompassing access to markets, transport and yields).…”

Section: Quantitative Analysismentioning

confidence: 53%

The role of agroforestry in restoring Brazil's Atlantic Forest: Opportunities and challenges for smallholder farmers

et al. 2022

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Restoring the degraded Atlantic Forest is one of the biggest conservation challenges in Brazil. In a biome with high human presence, understanding the potential for restoration approaches, such as agroforestry, to provide benefits to smallholder farmers and biodiversity is essential in developing equitable restoration strategies. Smallholder or family farmers are essential to national food security, producing most fruit and vegetables consumed in Brazil. Their farms can also provide ecological stepping stones for biodiversity. To better understand their role in Atlantic Forest restoration, this study explores the use of agroforestry by smallholder farmers from the Movimento Sem Terra (MST), the Rural Landless Workers' Movement, in Pontal do Paranapanema. We use quantitative and qualitative data to assess farmer perceptions of the measures which support agroforestry farming, barriers to implementation and its impact on indicators of wellbeing. We find agroforestry farmers report significant benefits in 8 of 18 tested indicators. Attitudes to agroforestry are varied, but common themes emerge including the high value of tree cover for shade and cooling effects, and the difficulties in selling agroforestry products. Our results show lack of policy support and initial investment needs are the biggest constraints to agroforestry, but opportunity cost is not considered a large barrier. Tailored policies and financial measures are needed to integrate thousands of smallholder farmers into the Atlantic Forest restoration agenda, helping to reach biome restoration targets while supporting rural livelihoods and national food security. Further research is required into links between additional socio‐economic and biogeographical variables and agroforestry uptake in the region.

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“…It was hypothesized that households located close to the forest will have higher wellbeing. To assess various components of overall wellbeing, namely, social wellbeing, health wellbeing, political wellbeing, workplace wellbeing, and environmental wellbeing, indicators were developed based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations and literature review (Sandhu and Sandhu, 2014; UN-SDG, (United Nations-Sustainable Development Goals), 2015; Friedman and Gostin, 2016;Hossain et al, 2016;Smale and Hilbrecht, 2016;Breslow et al, 2017;Daher-Nashif and Bawadi, 2020;Loveridge et al, 2020;Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, xbib2005) (Table 1). Other than SDGs 11, 14, and 17, all the goals were considered to develop the hypotheses (http://www.undp.org).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward SDGs: Forest, Market and Human Wellbeing Nexus in Indian Western Himalayas

et al. 2022

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The wellbeing of mountain communities is determined by the availability and accessibility of ecosystem goods and services. We assessed the relationship between forest quality and wellbeing of local communities of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in the Upper Ganga River Basin, Western Himalayas, India. We used 14 relevant Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations as indicators to assess wellbeing. Data on these indicators were collected in 22 villages that were selected based on secondary demographic information, remoteness, and the state of the forest resources, which we classified into degraded and less-degraded. Semi-structured questionnaire-based interviews were conducted in randomly selected households (n = 764). The households located close to forests scored higher on wellbeing indicators than the households located further away from forests as they have better accessibility to forest resources and freshwater, which provides alternatives to market and agricultural products. Households with access to less-degraded resources also had access to wild fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants adding to their food and health security. Our study found that the combination of climate change, declining forest resources, and the expansion of the market-based economy is leading to shifts in traditional cropping patterns and hence the nutritional status and forest use patterns of local people, making them vulnerable to diseases and hunger. Accessibility to an intact forest patch near a village contributes to the wellbeing of people and increases their resilience in the face of climate change and the changes dictated by the market forces.

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Measuring human wellbeing: A protocol for selecting local indicators

Cited by 53 publications

References 35 publications

The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

The role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in effective and equitable conservation

The role of agroforestry in restoring Brazil's Atlantic Forest: Opportunities and challenges for smallholder farmers

Toward SDGs: Forest, Market and Human Wellbeing Nexus in Indian Western Himalayas

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