Animals on the Edge - Chris's blog
The people have their say
It’s my last full day in Kanha and today, as part of the project, I travel to a local village to interview the Forest Committee. Fifteen members of the committee show up and we are shown kindness and warm hospitality. Nanda translates my questions and repeats back the villager’s answers, which mirror the information I gleaned from pre-assignment research. What is most disturbing is that the answers this committee gives are the same as the answers to similar questions asked ten years previously by Latika Nath, one of my tiger consultants. It seems that, despite their protestations, nothing has changed in a decade. In terms of the project, the interview is a success but I leave despondent. If nothing has changed in ten years, what makes us think the next ten will yield any difference in attitude? And if nothing changes, what hope has the tiger?
Posted on 07/19 at 05:38 AM
Posted in: Chris's blog •
Comments (0) •
The sustainability of rainforests
A significant problem facing regions such as Malaysia and Indonesia, where much of these country’s land is forested, is that, in themsleves, forests are financially unproductive until you cut them down. If we want to save forest-dwelling species (as well as protect a vital natural resource in our fight against global warming), we need to find a way of enabling the people who live in around forests to earn a decent living without destroying essential natural habitat.
Posted on 05/01 at 09:34 AM
Posted in: Chris's blog •
Comments (0) •
Is it possible to have a sustainable palm oil industry?
On the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Borneo, I met Sarala Aikanathan, Director of Wetlands International - Malaysia. She was heading to Kota Kinabalu to speak at a conference on sustainable palm oil farming. She was optimistic. The two sides - conservationists and industry - had begun to talk realistically about a more sustainable future, where the needs of local wildlife was a consideration in the development of the palm oil industry, necessary for the national economy. What she described was a way forward for industry and conservation groups to work together to the benefit of both parties. Is this a sign that attitudes, at least in some parts of the world, are changing and that big business can and should play its part in helping to conserve our natural habitats and wildlife?
Posted on 05/01 at 09:29 AM
Posted in: Chris's blog •
Comments (0) •
Page 1 of 4 pages
