Rural communities around the world, especially smallholders, indigenous people and land-poor living in and around forests draw their livelihoods in a variety of ways. Understanding the diverse ways in which forests support local livelihoods help improve the livelihoods and minimise trade-offs with long term sustainability of the forests through better management. This topic defines forest-based livelihoods and presents different categories of forest-based livelihoods based on forest products and services but also mode of use.
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
Explain the element of livelihoods framework.
Define and classify types forest-based community livelihoods.
Explain extractive and not-extractive livelihoods types.
Topic Readings
The required readings will be drawn from open books, which can be freely downloaded by students without having to worry about copyright issues. There will be optional readings that students might want to purchase for digging deeper into the topic; essential information from all readings will be encapsulated in the courses’ Module Notebook.
Fisher, J.A., Patenaude, G., Giri, K., Lewis, K., Meir, P., Pinho, P., Rounsevell, M.D.A., Williams, M., 2014. Understanding the relationships between ecosystem services and poverty alleviation: A conceptual framework. Ecosystem Services 7, 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2013.08.002Links to an external site.
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Online Discussions
Online Forum 3.1 – Community forestry and types of community-based livelihoods
(Provide the students with articles/book chapters about community-based livelihoods that support by the community forestry in developing countries: a case from Nepal.)
Instructions:
Following the requirements of assignment 2, post two candidate tropical forests that you are planning to feature. Below each forest’s name, indicate the city/province/state and country where it is located and a short description of the tropical forest. Also, indicate why you chose this forest. You may add a photo of the forest. (150 words for each forest)
As preparation to your situational analysis, in one or two paragraphs (80 – 100 words), please identify the different types of livelihoods that are present in the identified forests using the prescribed typology in the three typologies presented in this topic. Add this to your post.
This topic introduced the concept of livelihoods, especially the forest-based community livelihoods. It also enumerated the different types of forest-based community livelihoods, especially in the context of tropical developing countries where millions of people heavily rely on forests for their livelihoods.
Topic Self-review (Optional)
Use the following self-reflection questions as a study guide to conducting your self-review for the topic.
What are the key types of forest-based community livelihoods that you can observe in and around your community?
What are extractive and non-extractive types forest-based community livelihoods that your nearby forest provides?
Are these livelihoods activities used for subsistence or used to sell in the market to earn money?