标题：Participatory Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Conservation and Development Projects: A Case Study of Local Communities in Southwest Cameroon
摘要：People living in landscapes of high conservation value are trapped between their dependenceon natural resources to meet their development aspirations and the international pressure to conserve thoseresources. Although it is increasingly recognized that the conservation of some natural resources cannothappen without providing alternative livelihood solutions for local communities dependent on them, globalexperiences illustrate that the successful integration of conservation and development continues to beelusive. We adapted the approach based on "participatory vulnerability assessments" developed for climatechange research and applied it to changes occurring in a conservation and development context. As a casestudy, we focused on a biodiversity hotspot in Southwest Cameroon that was recently designated a nationalpark. We have shown that local communities believe their livelihood options will be reduced by the creationof the national park. Compensation measures such as ongoing community development plans are not yetimpacting local livelihoods. Their success will only be measurable in the long term, whereas the restrictionin access to the national park is already in effect. Meanwhile, new roads, and attractive prices for cashcrops including cocoa, have created the opportunity for alternative sources of income that could havesubstantial impacts on smallholders as well as for conservation. The aim of this work was to identify risksand opportunities associated with conservation and development as a first step in improving decisionmaking. Project activities are not implemented in isolation from the global context and are therefore notthe only drivers of adaptation for local communities. One of our main findings is that new external stimuli,such as markets, may be highly influential, potentially undermining conservation and development effortsif not addressed in a properly designed adaptive process
关键词：exposure; integrated conservation and development; participatory vulnerability assessment;risks
