Description

This chapter explains new solutions to problems resulting from top-down approaches to resource conservation and sustainability. The management of natural resources – in this case, wetlands – is complicated and risky. To address the risks involved with resource management, a case study was done in Bangladesh to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based comanagement. Using multidisciplinary approaches and adaptive management strategies, the Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry (MACH) project used a holistic integrated approach that empowered local communities to participate in the design and implementation of sustainable natural resource management practices. MACH has been able to achieve biodiversity conservation while using it as a meaningful step towards poverty reduction and good governance. This management approach could be applied more widely to improve and protect wetlands across Bangladesh and the region.