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| Abstract Title:
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| Adapting in an Uncertain World: The Role of Learning in Building Capacity within Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Communities in Botswana
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| Graduate Student Presenter:
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Deborah Wojcik
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| Name of the Author(s) and Affiliation(s):
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Deborah Wojcik, School of Forest Resources and Conservation and Adaptive Management: Wise Use of Water, Wetlands and Watersheds IGERT Program, University of Florida
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Balancing the conservation of natural resources with the cultural context and economic needs of rural communities is a persistent challenge of environmental management in developing countries. A nation’s vulnerability to environmental risks and hazards is exacerbated by its development status, with poorer countries having less capacity to adapt to challenges than wealthier ones. This is particularly troublesome in semi-arid regions of southern Africa, where climate change predictions include significant environmental risks and potentially devastating impacts on agricultural, forest and freshwater resources. In light of these pressing challenges facing ecosystems and communities, it is critical to assess and build the capacity of human systems to adapt to anticipated changes and broad uncertainties.
This interdisciplinary research examines the capacity of highly vulnerable populations to adapt to environmental challenges within the context of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) in rural Botswana. This study will investigate the linkages among environmental risks and uncertainties, the flow of information between individuals related to these challenges, the learning that occurs by various actors within the system, the integration of knowledge into adaptive management frameworks, and the resulting capacity for adaptation within affected communities. As vulnerable populations face mounting risks and uncertainties, it is essential to understand how people learn about and adapt to their environment, and assess how management decisions have the capacity to promote both economic sustainability and environmental resilience.
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