Management of natural Resources and Conflict Constellations in the planed UNESCO-Biosphere Reservation Desa’a Forest

The research project is supposed to make a decisive contribution to the successful establishment of a UNESCO-Biosphere Reservation in the Desa'a Forest (Ethiopia) by answering ecological, economic, institutional and gender specific questions. We will use the methodical framework of the community-based-participatory-research based on the political ecology in order to confront existing balances of power in science, to achieve an empowerment those concerned and to establish a sustainable forest management based on self-determined criteria. Thus, the potentials that are to be examined and hurdles of a sustainable forestry, gender specific management strategies and conflict management mechanisms play an important role for the die efficiency and stability of the protection concept.

Student research group

• Merlin Dietrich Ferber
• David Keck
• Mandy Scheibe

Mentor

• Prof. Dr. Udo Schickhoff