Royand-Ta, Sarah Caroline; (2024) Integrated Conservation-Development Projects and Local Livelihoods: Snow Leopard Conservation and Nomadic Herders in Western Mongolia. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Integrated Conservation Development Projects (ICDPs) are a conservation strategy aiming to simultaneously alleviate local poverty and conserve species/ecosystems. A financial benefit-based theory of change model underlies most ICDPs. This ‘win-win’ model assumes compensation, alternative livelihoods or incentives will balance the costs incurred from conservation, motivating people to behave in a pro-conservation and sustainable manner. ICDPs have been criticised for their: naive assumptions, poor implementation and incentives, lack of local participation and understanding of local social, cultural, historic and political contexts underpinning poverty, local resource use and access. With sceptical reviews as to the conservation and livelihood benefits of ICDPs, and funding continually being invested into ICDPs, it is important to evaluate to what extent ICDPs achieve their livelihood and conservation objectives and what factors are limiting their success. This research enhances the understanding of the factors involved in conservation and development outcomes of an ICDP in a pastoral community in Mongolia through an interdisciplinary, case-study approach of a conservation enterprise (CE). This study explores Mongolian pastoral livelihoods and how they impact conservation effectiveness: specifically, the disconnect between project intentions, realities, and underlying assumptions of a CE model, with the aim of highlighting under what circumstances conservation and poverty alleviation objectives can both be met. It does this through understanding the extent the case-study CE: (1) is influenced by governance structures and how they impact conservation and community-based civil society institutions (2) reduces livelihood risk by focusing on a locally important threat to herders, (3) provides financial benefits for pastoralists co-existing with snow leopards. I found, the CE has limited potential to influence snow leopard conservation in the case-study community because: the majority of members live outside of snow leopard habitat, the financial income was minimal and it didn’t address the most prevalent livelihood threats - degradation of grazing and access to pasture. The evolution of the CE into a CBNRM institution struggled with issues of trust, capacity, power dynamics and continuous support. However, the global governance structure shows an adaptive approach. The CE is an example of a gateway tool to engage communities in conservation and needs to be part of a bigger suite of interventions and institutions supporting CBNRM. The case-study community would benefit from financial and capacity investments to enable a co-management approach bringing together the state, community institutions, national and international NGOs with permanent regional presence.

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