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Poverty and Biodiversity Conservation
Newsletter article   Open access

Poverty and Biodiversity Conservation

Robert J Fisher
Policy Matters: Poverty, Wealth and Conservation, Vol.14, pp.48-52
2006
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Abstract

Environmental Science and Management Forestry Sciences Biodiversity conservation
There has been a great deal of discussion recently in conservation fields about the relationships between biodiversity conservation, livelihoods and poverty reduction and specifically about whether poverty reduction should be an objective of conservation. This paper argues against attempts to make simplistic and universally-valid causal generalisations about relationships between poverty and conservation (such as "population pressure and poverty lead to environmental degradation"). Changes to institutional arrangements can often lead to completely different poverty reduction and conservation outcomes from those expected and previously obtained in specific contexts. There is an ethical responsibility to address poverty when conservation activities themselves contribute to increased poverty, but this is a minimum standard. Beyond this, activities should build on synergies when they do exist and should adopt a creative strategy approach towards new opportunities.

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