Browsing by Author "Scherr, Sara J."

Now showing 1 - 14 of 14
  • Building innovation systems for managing complex landscapes
    Buck, L. E.; Scherr, Sara J. (Ankeny, IA: Soil and Water Conservation Society, 2009)
    This chapter provides tools for development practitioners to successfully facilitate social learning situations that can lead to innovation in landscape management. These innovation systems will help stakeholders deal with complex issues, conflicts, and opportunities that arise when managing natural resources in the agricultural landscape. Social learning techniques, community development, and community empowerment strategies are important for watershed management because of the nested landscape and how interrelated the components are in a landscape. This chapter also explains forms of social organization and how communication can be facilitated successfully. Communication and adaptive collaborative management are essential for the sustainability of complex landscapes, so it is important to outline the key roles and effective tools for facilitators in participatory and community activities.
  • Common ground, common future
    McNeely, J. A.; Scherr, Sara J. (International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources, 2001)
    This report details how there is a rising demand for food at the same time there is an growing movement to preserve biodiversity. The authors state that these two goals can be achieved at the same time through ecoagriculture. The goal of ecoagriculture is to be able to grow more food for the growing population, but at the same time preserve wild land to enhance biodiversity. The six strategies of how this balance can be achieved by:
  • Ecoagriculture: Strategies to feed the world and save wild biodiversity
    McNeely, J. A.; Scherr, Sara J. (Washington: Island Press, 2003)
  • Thumbnail Image
    For Services Rendered: The current status and future potential of markets for the ecosystem services provided by tropical forests
    White, A.; Scherr, Sara J.; Khare, A. (International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), 2004)
    This study explains the types of ecosystem markets already in place and their characteristics, before identifying three important strategic issues to be considered in policy-making: the recognition of property rights and development of national legal frameworks, the design of market schemes to provide equal access to low income stakeholders, and the need to reduce transaction costs and financial risks. Finally, the study defines knowledge gaps related to market instruments, legal and regulatory frameworks, practical data on costs, and capacity building.
  • Forest carbon and local livelihoods: Assessment of opportunities and policy recommendations
    Smith, J.; Scherr, Sara J. (2002)
    This paper discusses how proactive efforts are needed to enable community based CDM (Clean Development Mechanism, Kyoto Protocol) forestry projects and local land uses to compete effectively in carbon trading markets with projects managed by large-scale operators.
  • Thumbnail Image
    How important will different types of compensation and reward mechanisms be in shaping poverty & ecosystem services across Africa, Asia & Latin America over the next two decades?
    Scherr, Sara J.; Milder, J. C.; Bracer, C. (Nairobi, Kenya: World Agroforestry Centre, 2007)
    The development of Compensation and Rewards for Environmental Services (CRES) will have differential impact on poor resource managers and poor consumers depending upon the characteristics of the resource itself, the financial and other values for different beneficiaries, and the design of payment and market systems. In this early stage of CRES development, there are significant opportunities to shape that development in ways that will have greater benefits for the poor and for poverty reduction. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relative importance of different types of CRES in shaping poverty and ecosystem services across the developing world, as they are likely to evolve over the next two decades. (Excerpt from abstract)
  • Thumbnail Image
    Local organizations in natural resources management in the uplands of southeast Asia
    Scherr, Sara J.; Amornsanguansin, Jintana; Chiong-Javier, Elena; Garrity, Dennis P.; Sunito, Satyawan; Saharudding (2001)
    Globally, a new paradigm is emerging of participatory management of upland watershed resources, but the architecture for successful, decentralized watershed governance is still in flux. In 2000, a collaborative study was begun to compare experiences of local organizations (LOs) for natural resource management (NRM) in the uplands of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand to help these organizations and supporting institutions to identify problems, opportunities and strategies for more effective action. The first phase of the study examined the policy context and institutional landscape for locally led NRM in the uplands, using secondary data, key informants and site visits in the three countries. Organizational histories and descriptions were collected for 21 diverse examples of LOs (each comprising from 1 to hundreds of community groups), 28 associations of LOs as well as several dozen NGOs and government programs supporting LOs working in upland NRM.
  • Markets for biodiversity services: Potential roles and challenges
    Jenkins, M.; Scherr, Sara J.; Inbar, M. (Heldref Publications, 2004)
    This article discusses the current crisis in financing for biodiversity conservation. The public sector has traditionally had responsibility for protecting environmental services. However, declining funding for governments and international conservation organizations, as well as changing trends in governance structures toward greater devolution and decentralization, necessitate that the private sector become involved in conservation. Currently there are few to no incentives for private sector involvement; this article discusses the possibilities for developing financial incentives to fund the protection and ongoing provision of environmental services.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Organization and governance for fostering pro-poor compensation for environmental services
    Bracer, C.; Scherr, Sara J.; Molnar, A.; Sekher, M.; Ochieng, B. O.; Sriskanthan, G. (Nairobi, Kenya: World Agroforestry Centre, 2007)
    The purpose of this paper is to assess the requirements, current state and key issues related to organization and governance in the compensation and reward for ecosystem services (CRES) needed to achieve pro-poor outcomes. It reviews the institutional evolution of CRES both conceptually and in practice, and presents a broad view of the many governance, legal and political economy related aspects of CRES.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Performance and potential of Conservation Agriculture for climate change adaptation and mitigation in sub-Saharan Africa
    Milder, J. C.; Majanen, T.; Scherr, Sara J. (2011)
    This resource offers an extensive review of Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in an effort to determine future possibilities and applications of these practices in the same region. EcoAgriculture Partners performed a literature review, interviews, field visits to Mozambique and Tanzania, and critical analysis to reveal the current status of CA in SSA, production stages where it may be most relevant, and future extension methodologies. The authors found that despite the many environmental, economic, and social benefits to CA, adoption was sparse. Recommendations for facilitating adoption include intensive education, policy changes, and infrastructure development.
  • Reconciling agriculture and wild biodiversity conservation: Policy and research challenges of 'ecoagriculture'
    Scherr, Sara J.; McNeely, J. A. (Manila, Philippines: CIP-UPWARD, 2003)
    Farming is commonly believed to be incompatible with wildlife conservation, resulting in wildlife conservation policies that rely on land use segregation. Establishing protected areas from which agriculture is officially excluded is based on the perception that farmers are problems. This paper argues, however, that enhancing the contribution of farming systems is an essential part of any biodiversity conservation strategy. And this strategy requires new technical research, support for local farmer innovation and adoption of new agricultural and environmental policies at local, national and international levels.
  • Thumbnail Image
    A scoping assessment of current work on payments for ecosystem services in Asia, Latin America and East & Southern Africa
    Waage, S.; Scherr, Sara J.; Jenkins, M.; Inbar, M. (Forest Trends, 2006)
    Payments for ecosystem services (PES) offer a new approach to securing revenue streams for the maintenance, conservation, and restoration of ecological structures and functions globally. Yet, at this point in time, the uptake of PES is significantly hampered, particularly in developing countries. In many cases, the barriers relate to two core questions: (1) who are the buyers? And (2) how will the deals work on the ground?
  • Sustainable agricultural development strategies in fragile lands
    Scherr, Sara J.; Hazell, Peter (Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute, 1994)
    Current trends in demography, agricultural production and rural environment in the developing countries suggest that so-called "marginal lands" must play a larger and probably growing role in food supply and economic development for the foreseeable future. To fulfill this critical role, public policy towards these lands needs to be revised. A key policy focus should be to strengthen incentives for local land users to not only maintain, but to improve the natural resource base for food and fiber supply. Such "land-improving investments" are needed to reduce production and subsistence risks and permit more intensive use without degradation.