Short Abstract

Conservation efforts in rangelands often focus on preserving biodiversity, restoring degraded landscapes, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. While these objectives are crucial for maintaining ecosystem integrity, they can also have unintended consequences for nearby communities.

Description

Despite the implementation of conservation initiatives in the Northern and Southern Rangelands, there remains a gap in understanding the socio-ecological impact of these interventions on local communities. Specifically, there is limited empirical evidence quantifying the changes in income levels, access to natural resources, and employment opportunities among households following the implementation of conservation programs. Additionally, there is a need to investigate the perceptions, attitudes, and socio-economic dynamics of community members toward conservation efforts, as well as the ecological consequences of these initiatives on biodiversity and ecosystem services within the rangeland ecosystems. This lack of comprehensive understanding hinders the development of evidence-based conservation policies and practices tailored to promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation in rangeland ecosystems.

The Roundtable seeks to discuss

1. Evaluate the perceptions and attitudes of community members toward conservation efforts in the Northern and Southern Rangelands through structured interviews and surveys.

2. Assess the socio-economic impact of conservation initiatives on households in the target communities by quantifying changes in income levels, access to natural resources, and employment opportunities before and after the implementation of conservation programs.

3. Investigate the ecological consequences of conservation practices on the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Northern and Southern Rangelands, examining factors such as habitat quality, species diversity, and ecosystem resilience.

4. Identify key opportunities and challenges associated with integrating conservation activities into community development strategies in both regions, with a focus on promoting sustainable livelihoods, fostering social inclusion, and enhancing ecosystem resilience.