Yunnan :

The Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge (CBIK) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) propose a collaborative project to research decision-making regarding forest management in Yunnan Province of Southwest China. The overarching goal of this project is to provide recommendations to decision-makers at multiple levels within China ''''s governance framework to improve policy on natural resources management. To be effective, these recommendations must be based on sound policy research, which the proposed project will undertake. More specifically, the objectives of this project are to:

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

A primary component of the proposed research is a case study that will address the impacts of decentralization in Menlong Township of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan province, in particular as regards the conversion of land use between forest and agriculture. The case study will ask the following questions:

By fostering a better understanding among researchers and government officials of how decisions are made regarding natural resource management, and how these decisions effect local communities and their environments, CBIK and WRI aim ultimately to improve the policies governing these resources, and thereby improve the livelihoods of the people who depend upon them.