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Natural resource Management

CLUSA began implementing its first community-led natural forestry project in 1985, long before such an approach became widely accepted. While other forestry programs were working with individuals or villages and implementing a traditional sector-focused strategy based on agroforestry, social forestry and the production of fast-growing primarily exotic species, CLUSA recognized and promoted a more holistic approach which included valuing local community ownership and responsibility of the natural resources, promoting or expanding markets access for indigenous species, and increasing revenues for those most likely to manage the forests in a sustainable manner. In 2004, CLUSA applied these same principles to protecting the wildlife in southern Africa, by implementing a set of livelihood improvement interventions to solidify community support of local natural resource management (NRM) community-based organizations.

The community has to take ownership in and responsibility for the resources.
The community must receive an economic value in managing the resources in a sustainable manner.
Conditions must be supported by social and legal conventions.

CLUSA addresses these conditions by:

  • Helping communities organize themselves to take full advantage of decentralization laws, often by supporting the development of community groups or group enterprises that aim to manage the natural resources for the community
  • Fostering a sense of appreciation and responsibility among community members for the communal resources available to them
  • Providing practical business and management training to help communities generate revenues from the natural resources.

What is unique to CLUSA is its ability to apply its core competencies in community mobilization, rural group business and cooperative development, value chain strengthening, and good governance processes to improve sustainable management of natural resources through an economic benefits model. Since the organization’s first project in the Guesselbodi Forest in Niger, CLUSA has successfully implemented or assisted community-managed NRM programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America and has advised USAID and the World Bank in developing their NRM policies and strategies.

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Principle Strategies
Description
Mobilizing Community Stakeholders (Nature)
 The combination of comprehensive skills training and support to communitybased structures empowers communities to take responsibility for developing and implementing NRM and conservation plans. CLUSA uses a filtering process to identify those communities that are highly motivated to use the approach and where the value of the forest can be harvested in a profitable and sustainable manner. The strategy furthermore introduces revenue generation techniques to channel financial resources into the protection of local resources. The strategy ultimately focuses on promoting the idea of sustainable management of local natural resources through a better understanding on the part of communities of their ownership and responsibilities vis-à-vis resources, the potential market opportunities for natural resources, and the decentralization laws that provide the framework for developing and implementing NRM and conservation plans.
Creating Value (Wealth)
 CLUSA is adept at creating and operating rural group businesses based on profitable economic activities related to sustainable harvesting of resources. CLUSA implements a deliberate process of transferring skills to small rural group businesses communities with an emphasis on developing and accessing new markets to increase economic activities, putting into place effective management structures, and improving the marketing of these businesses’ products and services. Simultaneously, CLUSA promotes alternative and improved livelihood activities that generate sustainable economic activities while protecting natural resources.
Strengthening Organizational/Institutional Capacities (Organization/Power)
 Training for community groups, organizations and decentralized government authorities and technicians hones in on: key organizational weaknesses that influence effective natural resource management including planning, organizational, and financial management skills; filling critical gaps in NRMrelated technical knowledge; expanding access to credit; and addressing low literacy levels. Skills building also encompasses advocacy training, privatepublic consultations techniques, NRM management plan development and other specialized skills training such as conservation or organic farming techniques. Where needed, CLUSA introduces and establishes management structures, such as community-based NRM associations and organizational Boards of Directors so as to strengthen communities’ capacity to manage their natural resources.