18 month Progress report VU-IVM
Amsterdam, 20 August 2010
Section 1: Substantive Progress Report
a. Beneficiary details
- This report is for Partner 6, Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University
Amsterdam, the Netherlands (IVM). The IVM is part of the VU University, which is
registered at the European Commission under the formal name “Vereniging voor
christelijk hoger onderwijs wetenschappelijk onderzoek en patiëntenzorg”.
- The IVM is Work Package leader for WP 6 (socio-economic vulnerability) which
works in all case study areas, and is involved in several other work packages.
- The reporting is done by Dr. Dave Huitema (substance) and by Mrs. Elles van de
Kerkhof (finances, separate file).
- They can be reached via De Boelelaan 1087, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands,
tel. +31.20.598.9555.
b. Objective of Work Package
This work package looks at (1) the connection between socio-economic vulnerability
(poverty), biodiversity and biodiversity protection, (2) the capability of local actors
and civil society to influence decision processes that affect local livelihoods,
biodiversity and biodiversity protection. These insights are important because the
relationship between socio-economic vulnerability, biodiversity and biodiversity
protection is poorly understood at the moment and actors involved in biodiversity
protection (local governments, international organizations like WWF, Conservation
International, local NGO’s etc.) would like to better understand this relationship in
order to improve the effectiveness of biodiversity protection and avoid negative
livelihood trade-offs. In addition, decision processes about biodiversity are
increasingly becoming multileveled in nature, which implies that strong international
pressures becomes visible, and decision making is no longer exclusively in the hands
of local governors. Providing them with insights in how these multilevel decision
processes unfold and can be influenced will potentially be very important from the
perspective of biodiversity and livelihood protection.
The Work Package focuses on gaining an understanding of how the vulnerability of
livelihoods can be reduced while at the same time conserving biodiversity. In so
doing, it has contributed to the following LiveDiverse objectives described in the
Description of Work: 1) To increase knowledge of the social, economic, cultural and
spiritual values of biodiversity, and of their interaction with ecological biodiversity. 2)
To contribute to the development of an integrated methodology that takes into
account bio-physical, socio-economic and cultural-spiritual aspects of biodiversity
and sustainable livelihoods. 7) To provide an analytical framework for better
understanding the role of beliefs, values, and attitudes in perceptions of biological,
socio-economic and cultural-spiritual vulnerability. 10) To analyse and evaluate the
role of formal and informal institutions in promoting biodiversity, socio-economic
sustainability and cultural-spiritual diversity, and in securing sustainable livelihoods
for people in rural areas in developing countries. 11) To examine existing valuebased strategies and to develop new strategies that take into account potential and
existing conflicts between differing values.
c. Progress summary
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The Work Package (WP) has produced an internal conceptual note on socioeconomic vulnerability in month 12 (M6.1).
Deliverable 6.1 “Socio-economic vulnerability. Conservation-development tradeoffs and agency in multi-level governance processes” was submitted to the
project coordinators in month 18 (D6.1).
The WP has developed a Household survey, a village survey and a case study
protocol for studying socio-economic vulnerability in all case study areas. These
are posted on the LiveDiverse website and have been used for empirical studies.
The WP has been involved in the LiveDiverse research trip to the case study area
in South Africa and has given input for all other trips.
The WP has sent eight students to three case study areas (In South Africa, India,
and Costa Rica) to work with the local partners on socio-economic vulnerability
assessment. The theses based on this work are being finalized at the moment of
reporting.
The WP has sent one representative (senior economist) to Vietnam for training in
the Household survey, which was subsequently conducted by NIAPP. IVM will
send a postdoc specialized in governance issues) dr. Farhad Mukhtarov) to the
same country in September and October 2010. His visit will partly overlap with
the WP 9 governance visit to Vietnam, and a set of interviews will be conduced in
collaboration.
The WP has been represented during the annual project meeting in South Africa
and the kick-off meeting in Costa Rica.
The WP has produced a summary of descriptive household survey data per case
study site and is currently in the process of statistically analyzing the household
survey and village data. Two abstracts emanating in work from WP6 were
accepted to the IASC 2011 Hydrabad conference.
Pictures taken of interviews that IVM student Monica Uribe took during her
analysis of multilevel decision making in the Costa Rica case study
d. Significant results
- The WP has produced deliverable 6.1, which guides further work under the WP
- 8 Students were trained in use of the conceptual framework and methodology
described in Deliverable 6.1 and visited Costa Rica, South Africa, and India for
their thesis work (Msc.). Their findings were presented on the 8th of July at the
IVM biodiversity day. The meeting drew an estimated 40 people, including
representatives of WWF (Netherlands office) and Conservation International
(Brussels office). All presentations have been made available for use by the
project partners through the LiveDiverse website.
- The WP has produced a technical brief on the development of the household
survey and the socio-economic vulnerability analysis.
- One of the students (mrs. Monica Uribe) has been interviewed by the regional
radio station in the Costa Rica case study area, which paid attention to the work
of the LiveDiverse team.
e. Contribution to other Work Packages
- The WP has pioneered an approach to the empirical work in LD that has been
adopted by other WPs as well (with a conceptual framework and a case study
protocol).
- The WP has supported the other WPs by including a large set of questions in the
HH survey (specifically on cultural-spiritual vulnerability) and by inventorizing the
way governance institutions work (this is especially relevant for the governance
WP). In addition, the students conducted focus group meetings and collected
relevant regional and village data.
- Recordings of all interviews and short English language summaries of all
interviews on multilevel governance will be shared with the project partners.
The Indian study villages
The Vietnamese study villages.
f. Other information
The WP has not deviated from the DOW and is in line with the original schedule. All
critical objectives and schedules have been met. Resources spending for travel and
consumables is slightly over 50% of allocated resources and is thus going according
to plan. Resource spending on personnel has started somewhat slowly in the first six
months, but has caught up since then. A new postdoc has been hired (dr. Farhad
Mukhtarov, specialized in multilevel decision processes) and we will most likely also
attract a new economist in the analysis of the data and publishing of reports based
on the data from the Household survey.
g. Any diagrams or photos which illustrate the work. (please insert title/caption to
highlight what they are)
Household survey and focus groups in Vietnam
Household survey and focus groups in India
Household survey and focus groups in South Africa
Section 2: Finance and person-month report
Please use separate excel sheet for finance and HR report.
Section 3: Deliverables and Milestone Table
Please fill in below information related to your work package.
Deliverables
Delivera Deliverable WP
ble
name
num
ber
D 6.1
A
multidiscipli
nary,
analytical
framework
to integrate
livelihood
and
biodiversity
analysis
across
multiple
scales.
Particular
attention
will be paid
to the
interplay
between
the various
levels that
influence
adaptive
capacity to
environmen
tal change.
6
Natur
e
Scient
ific
report
Dissemina Deliv
tion level ery
date
from
DOW
Public
Delive
red
Yes/N
o
Actual/For
ecast
delivery
date
Comme
nts
Yes
M 18/M 18
NA
Milestone
Mileston
e No
Mileston
e Name
WP
Lead
numbe beneficiar
r
y
Deliver
y date
from
DOW
Achieve
d
Yes/No
Actual/Foreca
st
achievement
date
Comment
s
M 6.1
M6.1:
Refineme
nt of
theory
and
method.
6
Conceptu
al
framewor
k
M9
Yes
M12
NA