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Project
Can biodiversity be protected without protecting cultural diversity? (OZR2311)
This project's main research goal is to analyze the potential of a cultural diversity concept for implementing sustainable development (SD) on a local level, in respect of creating resilience-based socio-ecological systems. The overall research question is 'How can cultural diversity and integration of comparative cultural insights contribute to SD, sustainability assessment and biodiversity protection?' The project focuses on the following three sub-questions.
1] Is the degradation or transformation of biodiversity and cultural diversity interconnected on a local level? This question will be addressed using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methodologies, starting from three case studies. Based on these local level cases, policy and management advices will be proposed in the format of decision-guiding strategies to support local action-generating policy measures.
2] Based on these cases, current SD-tools and the way they incorporate cultural diversity will be evaluated. After answering the second major question - How does SD integrate cultural aspects and diversity in its implementation and assessment tools? - recommendations will be formulated to upgrade SD tools from a local (bio)cultural perspective. Also potential indicators for (bio)cultural diversity will be created, resulting in a community-based practical toolbox.
3] Question three - Does cultural diversity function as one of the basic constitutive elements of sustainable development? - aims at analyzing recent trends in cultural approaches of SD in a more general academic perspective. Thereby identifying any potential links between cultural and biological diversity as constitutive or complementary elements of SD and reflecting on the desirability of amalgamating local traditional and scientific knowledge in SD management and policy. This will result in more general conclusions on the proposed concept of cultural diversity in the scope of sustainable development and resilient socio-ecological systems.
The overall aim of the research is to generate policy and management advices that are carried by local communities and can be used for local SD action-generating policies.
1] Is the degradation or transformation of biodiversity and cultural diversity interconnected on a local level? This question will be addressed using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methodologies, starting from three case studies. Based on these local level cases, policy and management advices will be proposed in the format of decision-guiding strategies to support local action-generating policy measures.
2] Based on these cases, current SD-tools and the way they incorporate cultural diversity will be evaluated. After answering the second major question - How does SD integrate cultural aspects and diversity in its implementation and assessment tools? - recommendations will be formulated to upgrade SD tools from a local (bio)cultural perspective. Also potential indicators for (bio)cultural diversity will be created, resulting in a community-based practical toolbox.
3] Question three - Does cultural diversity function as one of the basic constitutive elements of sustainable development? - aims at analyzing recent trends in cultural approaches of SD in a more general academic perspective. Thereby identifying any potential links between cultural and biological diversity as constitutive or complementary elements of SD and reflecting on the desirability of amalgamating local traditional and scientific knowledge in SD management and policy. This will result in more general conclusions on the proposed concept of cultural diversity in the scope of sustainable development and resilient socio-ecological systems.
The overall aim of the research is to generate policy and management advices that are carried by local communities and can be used for local SD action-generating policies.
Date:5 Sep 2011 → 5 Sep 2015
Keywords:Critical Care
Disciplines:Basic sciences