Research projects

AfroMaison

Africa at meso-scale: Adaptive and integrated tools and strategies on natural resources management

Natural resources are especially in Africa essential for maintaining or improving peoples livelihood. Despite the availability of many tools, expertise, local practices and indigenous knowledge, the concept of Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM) has hardly been brought into practice. Given the similarity with Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), we will learn from the large effort in Europe and Africa that has been invested in the last decade to improve integration of the expertise and the many existing tools.

AFROMAISON will make use of what is available regarding INRM and will contribute to a better integration and fitting of the following key components of INRM at a meso-scale level:

  • Landscape functioning (regarding the delivery, use and access to goods and services provided)
  • Livelihood & socio-economic development (incl. vulnerability to global change)
  • Indigenous knowledge and practices (to take local traditions, cultural norms, specific acceptance structures into account)
  • Institutional strengthening and improved interaction between sectors, scales and communities.

The challenge of AFROMAISON is to provide a holistic toolbox and operational framework for INRM that can be applied in a variety of environmental and socio-economic conditions in Africa. At the same time, following a participatory analysis of opportunities and challenges, it provides participatory management options for operational INRM, which are embedded in local traditions and culture, and are scientifically sound.

www.afromaison.net