3500 words, single spaced 9/10 days master level
Assessment 1: Assessing NTFP resources for sustainable management, livelihoods & enterprise Format Individual report Due date 3rd July (groups 1-4, 7-9), 10th July (groups 5 & 6) Word limit 3500 (excl. tables, references etc) Assessment weight 50% Imagine that you are part of a relevant government department tasked with the management and promotion of NTFPs to improve livelihoods and enterprise within your country. To support policy and practice you must produce a report that first evaluates the current status of NTFPs within your chosen country. Then, focusing on one prominent NTFP, assess its use in livelihood strategies and develop an appropriate harvesting system for that product. The report should be structured in 3 parts. 1. NTFP resources 1. Sustainability of a NTFP of major importance 1. Management of a NTFP of major importance In Part one, you will explore and critically evaluate the availability and quality of NTFP resource data in a country of your choice. Your report should provide the following: · A brief account of the land-use and livelihood context for NTFPs in the selected country. · A description of the main classes of NTFP used in the country – e.g. medicinal plants, bushmeat, edible plants and fungi, craft materials, etc. Be guided by groupings used in official statistics. Sources of available information should be cited for each product group and significant species within the group (wherever possible). This information will be best in tabulated form. Note that this table will not count towards the word limit. · A critical reflection on the availability and quality of statistical data relating to the production/trade of NTFPs in the country. Consideration should be given to: · how the available data was collected (including methods and level of rigour employed) · by which organisations/agencies, for what purpose(s) · how reliable it is likely to be. · the implications for sustainable management of NTFP resources in the country Sources of information/data As a starting point you are advised to consult the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessments (FRA) national reports for your chosen country. FRA data and reports are available from the following website: http://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/en/. Data from the 2005 assessment is likely to be the most comprehensive but do check data from the 2010, 2015 and 2020 reports as well. You will also need to engage with relevant academic literature (e.g. journal papers, book chapters) and other online materials such as scientific reports, technical guidelines/reports, to build up a more complete picture of the availability and quality of data relating to NTFP production and the implications for sustainable management in the country. Don’t forget to use the Unit 2 handbook and associated readings to inform your report! In Part two, you should select one prominent NTFP in your chosen country, assess its use in local livelihood strategies and identify any barriers/opportunities to sustainable exploitation. Please choose a product that is harvested from the wild (including wild plants, fungi and animals), rather than one that is fully domesticated. You are encouraged to discuss your choice with the module organiser if you are unsure about its suitability. Your report should provide the following: 1. The main areas of production located within the country and the characteristics of the production systems – i.e. wild or semi-domesticated. 1. The typical demographic and socio-economic characteristics of producers. 1. The nature of governance institutions regulating access to the resource base (such as e.g. tenure systems). 1. The non-market uses of the product(s) by producer households/communities. 1. Assessment of the barriers to sustainable exploitation of the NTFP (e.g. human, natural, financial, physical, social) In Part three, you should advise on a sustainable harvesting system for your chosen product within your country. Your report should provide the following: · An overview of any issues related to identity (naming of the species or product) with proposal for how these might be addressed/rectified · A specification of methods for assessing the potential production level from the specified site (i.e. a detailed inventory protocol suitable for the chosen product) · A proposal for yield determination (i.e. the theoretical basis of production and how you would determine what constitutes a sustainable yield) · The prevailing harvesting practices and a proposal for appropriate harvesting rules for the product (giving due consideration to what may or may not be socially acceptable) NOTE: Please do not simply find a report which describes a system that already exists and copy it in the belief that the literature is always right! You are expected to develop your methods for inventory and yield determination on the basis of first principles (i.e. from fundamental concepts/assumptions - refer to Unit 2 materials), with reference to relevant literature to demonstrate your familiarity with existing approaches. Remember that what works in one place may not work elsewhere and you may wish to develop a different approach tailored to the specific context. Where appropriate, being critical of existing approaches and proposing alternatives demonstrates your ability to apply critical thinking and problem-solving. You are expected to present your report using a logical structure with headings and sub-headings to aid flow and understanding. You should include a title, brief introduction and conclusion to draw together the report. You are expected to demonstrate extensive background research and the ability to synthesise material from a wide range of accurately cited sources. There are many requirements to cover, so you must write succinctly, using formal, academic language. Please refer to marking criteria below to guide the structure of your report.