Community-Based Natural Resource Management Network (CBNRM Net): About, Overview, Propositions

CBNRM Net

The Community-Based Natural Resource Management Network

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Propositions

The preliminary experiences and results with CBNRM give rise to the following conclusions, arguments and propositions:

Nature and culture. CBNRM is founded on the realization that ecological and social systems are closely interlinked, as are the goals of environmental and social sustainability. They are two sides of the same story, and must be accorded equal emphasis in the definition of problems as well as the search for solutions
CBNRM is a process and a strategy. Local people around the world are increasingly faced with similar problems in trying to manage local natural resources. CBNRM, as a growing body of knowledge and experience, is well suited to the diverse set of problems, issues and goals that confront them. This is because the CBNRM approach is not a checklist or a blueprint, but an approach and a strategy. As such, CBNRM is adaptable to any local situation involving management of natural resources, independent of the resource in question, the problem at hand, past history of resource use, current organizational and institutional set-up, and future trends
CBNRM stakeholders are users and producers of knowledge. Following the gradual breakdown of the old dichotomy and division of labor between donors and recipients that was based on the premise that the North made resources and know-how available to the South, it is becoming evident that use of CBNRM knowledge is broadening. It is no longer limited to practitioners working in the field, but include, among others, politicians, managers and researchers. At the same time, these users of CBNRM knowledge are, in their various capacities, also producers of such knowledge
CBNRM is broad. CBNRM is very broad, and encompasses all disciplines. It is thus inter-disciplinary in approach. In this way, it is able to link to and interact with a multitude of otherwise often contradictory views, goals and means
CBNRM is transparent. CBNRM is based upon the existence of an open and transparent society that furthers dialogue, exchange and sharing of knowledge between citizens. Conversely, CBNRM furthers these societal qualities
The CBNRM community of practice is becoming increasingly complex. The number of types of stakeholders - and their concomitant roles and means/goals sets - involved in CBNRM are growing fast, resulting in an increasingly complex situation
Little communication between stakeholders. A large amount of CBNRM activities are going on around the world, resulting in interesting experiences and valuable results. However, very few get to learn about and benefit from these experiences and results
Need for CBNRM stakeholders to interact more. There is a need for all users and producers of CBNRM knowledge to interact more and better, at the local level, within countries and internationally
Email and the Internet as key means of communication. Email and the Internet appear to be the best means of connecting the diverse group of CBNRM stakeholders, located in various settings around the world
Knowledge management and knowledge sharing. CBNRM practitioners need to be involved in, and responsible for, CBNRM knowledge management and knowledge sharing

From these propositions (see also Item Background and Group Mission statement), it is clear where CBNRM is coming from. We are also beginning to see the shape of what is likely to come in terms of how CBNRM will develop. Here CBNRM appears to parallel or reflect the trends apparent elsewhere in international cooperation. We are beginning to understand the many and serious obstacles to influencing and channelling some of these trends. In the case of CBNRM, they include a large and growing lacunae in terms of making available and sharing existing and new CBNRM knowledge, as well as the lack of an integrated, common and broad networking capability accessible by all CBNRM stakeholders.