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Are Alternative Livelihood Projects Effective at Reducing Local Threats to Specified Elements of Biodiversity and/or Improving or Maintaining the Conservation Status of Those Elements?

Are Alternative Livelihood Projects Effective at Reducing Local Threats to Specified Elements of Biodiversity and/or Improving or Maintaining the Conservation Status of Those Elements?

Author(s): Dilys Roe, Francesca Booker, Mike Day, Wen Zhou, Sophie Allebone‑Webb, Nicholas A. O. Hill, Noelle Kumpel, Gillian Petrokofsky, Kent Redford, Diane Russell, Gill Shepherd, Juliet Wright,, Terry C. H. Sunderland

Publication Date: 2015

Location: Africa, Latin America, Asia, Oceania, Europe

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Key points in document

  • This systematic map and review of alternative livelihood projects aims to assess the impacts these projects have on biodiversity conservation and identify what determines their success or failure.
  • Studies were included in the review if they assessed evidence for a change in: 1) attitudes to conservation; 2) the behavior of the people posing a conservation threat; or 3) the status of the biodiversity focal interest. Twenty-one projects met these criteria.
  • The 21 projects varied between positive, neutral, and negative conservation outcomes. For each outcome type, the review assesses how the project(s) in the study affect(s) attitudes, behaviors, and conservation.
  • The review finds that the wide variation in livelihood projects, lack of data captured on the outcomes of these projects, and lack of post-project monitoring, makes it hard to evaluate success.
  • The paper recommends developing a theory of change and a risk assessment for any livelihoods initiative before initiating the project.
  • Evidence is lacking on whether livelihood projects effectively achieve their objectives. The paper encourages reporting on both positive and negative experiences with livelihoods initiatives to foster a learning environment.

Information relevant to Learning Questions:

Are enabling conditions in place to support a sustainable enterprise?

  • Participants’ Livelihood Needs are Met: stakeholder alignment, diversification
  • Market demand, profit potential, access to credit/capital
  • Ownership, governance
  • Government requirements, policies for enterprises, business alliances
  • Financial management capacity, technical capacity
  • Inputs, equipment, infrastructure
  • Benefit sharing, targeted participants, combined strategic approaches, biodiversity linkage, policies for and enforcement of resource use, planning for external disturbance

Does the enterprise lead to benefits to stakeholders?

  • Increased income for participants
  • Non-cash benefits

Do the benefits lead to positive changes in attitudes and behavior?

  • Attitudes regarding sustainable use of resources
  • Behaviors regarding sustainable use of resources

Does a change in stakeholders’ behaviors lead to a reduction to threats to biodiversity (or restoration)?

  • Residential and commercial development
  • Agriculture and aquaculture
  • Energy production and mining
  • Transportation and service corridors
  • Biological resource use
  • Human intrusions and disturbance
  • Natural system modifications
  • Invasive and other problematic species and genes
  • Pollution
  • Geological events
  • Climate change and severe weather

Does a reduction in threats (or restoration) lead to conservation?

  • Forest ecosystems
  • Freshwater ecosystems
  • Grassland ecosystems
  • Marine ecosystems
  • Species
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