Marisa Chock
Senior ES Concentrator
Fall 2009
Senior Thesis Proposal

Working Title

Connecting Science and Culture: Optimizing Community-Based Natural Resource Management Projects in Pacific Island Countries


Motivation

My general topic is community-based natural resource management in Pacific Island countries. Ultimately, I seek to form a sustainable and effective model given the challenges of communally governed cultures common in the Pacific region. Environmental and aid agencies that operate in Pacific Island countries are often based in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and other developed countries. They typically approach local environmental projects with a pragmatic, science-based mentality to solve pressing issues that is misunderstood by local communities that are group-governed and rely on demonstrated interpersonal relations as a source of authority. Given these cultural discrepancies and growing environmental issues in Pacific Islands, it is imperative that successful community-based projects in Samoa, Tokelau and other Pacific Island countries be evaluated for methods and local involvement. By forming a set of recommendations based on existing and completed projects, I hope to improve in similar projects for the future.


Research Question

    Based on existing specific community based natural resource management projects with long-term, self-sustained monitoring, what are the necessary components and institutional procedures for building a successful community-based model of natural resource management in Pacific Island countries with respect to the following indicators:
-    Increased knowledge and behavioral changes
-    Community involvement across subgroups in planning and implementation
-    Communication and cultural relevance to the community
-    Incorporation of traditional and/or local values and knowledge
-    Project scope in addressing short- and long-term environmental issues
-    Long-term monitoring of projects post-completion


Methodology

    I plan on using evaluative data collected from completed community-based initiatives conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and national government ministries, pending permission and authorization from these institutions. These evaluative samples will provide quantitative data to measure the outcome and efficacy of respective projects.
    I also plan on gathering data from current research being conducted through the Tokelau Science Project under the direction of Dr, David Addison, professor of archaeology at American Samoa Community College. Their on-site research includes documentation and analysis of traditional methods of natural resource management, such as forestry and fishery conservation following floods and other significant climatic events.
    Other aid-based agencies and databases I will consult include the Global Environmental Fund (World Bank), AusAID, NZAID and USAID. Under the direction of Professor Roberts and his colleague Dan Miller, I will also be using their database, Project Level A Data (PLAD) to look for 2-3 successful case studies to be closely examined and evaluated in my review.


Purpose

    My ultimate goal in conducting this research is to create a sustainable, culturally appropriate model for community-based resource management projects conducted in Pacific Island countries. If successful, my final product will describe my research process and provide guidelines and recommendations for community-based initiatives in areas related to natural resource management in small, Pacific Island countries. This material will be useful for the communities themselves and agencies conducting community-based initiatives, such as SPREP and UNDP, as well as informative for countries and private institutions providing aid for effective management and adaptation programs in the Pacific.



Sources

Agrawal, Arun and Clark C. Gibson. “Enchantment and Disenchantment: The Role of Community in Natural Resource Conservation.” World Development 27, no. 4 (1999) 629-649.

Berkes, Fikret. “Rethinking Community-Based Conservation.” Conservation Biology 18, no. 3 (2004) 621-630.

Berkes, Fikret. Sacred Ecology: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Resource Management. Philadelphia: Taylor & Francis, 1999.

Berkes, Fikret, Johan Colding and Carl Folke. “Rediscovery of traditional Ecological Knowldege as Adaptive Management.” Ecological Applications 10, no. 5 (2000) 1251-1262.

Chock, Marisa. “The Efficacy of Climate Change Projects in Samoa: Evaluating Community-Based Adaptation Initiatives.” SIT Samoa, 2009.

Colding, Johan and Carl Folke. “Social Taboos: ‘Invisible’ Systems of Local Resource Management and Biological Conservation.” Ecological Applications, 11, no. 2 (2001) 584-600.

Johannes, R. E. “The Renaissance of Community-Based Marine Resource Management in Oceania.” Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 33 (2002) 317-340.

King, Michael and U. Faasili. “Community-Based Management of Subsistence Fisheries in Samoa.” Fisheries Management and Ecology 6, no. 2 (2001) 133-144.

Leach, Melissa, Robin Mearns and Ian Scoones. “Environmental Entitlements: Dynamics and Institutions in Community-Based Natural Resource Management.” World Development 27, no. 2 (1999) 225-247.

Zerner, Charles. People, Plants, and Justice: The Politics of Nature Conservation. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000.