Research of Aspirations and Perceptions

This research sought to provide an understanding of the perceptions held by community members regarding their needs, problems, opportunities and capacity to undertake projects associated with sustainable development.

Eco-systems in the Solomon Islands are under immense stress from logging, over-fishing, sedimentation, marine harvesting and most importantly lack of collaborative management. Tribal conflicts are posing a significant risk to sustainable, community-based management of Solomon Island’s rich natural resources. Much of the conflict derives from inability to build dialogue across communities, difficulties in reaching agreements on sustainable use, lack of knowledge on how to manage and sustain natural resources, cultural and historical constraints and indeed lack of good will.

To reach their full potential, interventions in biodiversity conservation must have the capacity to manage community conflict and put in place sustainable use plans that promote environmentally sound livelihood options for coastal communities.