The book Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods addresses key challenges that communities worldwide are facing… It examines the motivations for communities to conserve, and what can be achieved, both for biodiversity and for livelihoods. It looks at who makes decisions, how power is handled, and the great importance of Indigenous realities, around the globe. Emphasizing a ‘systems’ view, it recognizes that human society and nature are inter-related.

Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods -  co-published by the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN) and the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) - explores these themes, and takes you travelling, through a wide variety of community stories from many parts of the world. It shows how local action brings local solutions, when people work together for a common cause.

Book cover - "Communities, conservation and livelihoods" Photo: Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN)

“Indigenous peoples and local communities are, and remain, at the forefront of protecting the planet, and share with us a wealth of knowledge, experience and sustainable practices that the world desperately needs.” notes Kristen Walker Painemilla, Chair of IUCN-CEESP. “I am pleased that CEESP is able to support the CCRN in celebrating and elevating these local community efforts through this new book. It brings together a decade of experience from across the globe and provides us with examples of community leadership, success and sustainable livelihoods in conservation, as well as highlighting existing and persistent challenges that communities face in a changing world.”

The free book is available here:

https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-environmental-economic-and-social-policy/resources

From the Preface to “Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods” 

“In every country of the world, in urban neighbourhoods and rural towns and villages, people are coming together in their communities to find solutions that sustain their livelihoods and maintain, or restore, healthy local environments.” 

“The book reflects the results of over a decade of studies focusing on communities, conservation and livelihoods, through the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN), a global initiative that involves a wide range of Indigenous, academic, community and non-governmental organisations…” 

“As we live through the COVID-19 pandemic… the need for collective action has never been greater. This book contains many inspiring stories of collective action of communities around the world, as they address and, in many cases, solve local challenges of environment and livelihoods. Although these stories reflect experiences before COVID-19, within them are ingredients of collective action that we need to move forward today.” 

“This book celebrates the efforts of local communities, literally thousands of them the world over, all seeking to resolve the essential challenge of conservation and livelihoods.”  

For more information or media interviews:

Anthony Charles: +1 (902) 233-3838 or +1 (902) 420-5732 or at this email.

IUCN: Kristen Walker Painemilla / Ameyali Ramos / Iben Caroline Munck – at this email

* Dr. Anthony Charles,  Director, School of the Environment;  Professor, Sobey School of Business & Environmental Science Department; Senior Research Fellow in Environment and Sustainability; Director, Community Conservation Research Network  Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H3C3 Canada