Dr. Arun Agrawal, Professor and Associate Dean for Research of Natural Resources & Environment at the University of Michigan, will speak on "Community, Carbon and Livelihoods of Forest Commons - Win-Win vs. Tradeoffs Relationships" at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today, Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. The lecture is part of the Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Seminar series, which brings distinguished scientists from a variety of fields to Washington, D.C. to present cutting edge research of central importance to international conservation.
Forest commons - forests used in common by a large number of diverse users - comprise nearly 18% of global forest area and make crucial contributions to livelihoods, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation, in addition to many other local and global ecosystem services. The contribution of forest commons to local livelihoods far exceeds their territorial extent--more than a billion people are estimated to depend at least partially on different kinds of benefits drawn from forest commons.
Using original data for more than 100 forest commons from ten different countries, Dr. Agrawal will examine the relationship between carbon sequestration and the contributions of forests to livelihoods. His analysis suggests that larger patch size of community forests, and greater autonomy to communities in managing are positively associated with win-win carbon and livelihood outcomes on community forests. The findings of the study provide some guidance for organizations interested in improving carbon sequestration and livelihood outcomes at the same time in relation to community forests.
Dr. Agrawal's research and teaching emphasizes the politics of international development, institutional change and environmental conservation. He has written extensively on indigenous knowledge, community-based conservation, common property, population and resources, and environmental identities. Dr. Agrawal's recent interests include the decentralization of environmental policy and the emergence of the environment as a subject of human concern. He has focused on South Asia, although recent projects include other developing countries in Africa and Latin America.
Dr. Agrawal has been awarded the Arthur Greer Memorial Research Prize. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University, a M.A. in Political Science from Duke University, a M.B.A. in Development Administration and Public Policy from Indian Institute of Management, and a B.A. in History from Delhi University.
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