Community-based livelihood initiatives program aim to improve the management of community natural resources, conserve local biodiversity, preserve and promote indigenous knowledge, women empowerment, strengthen local livelihood security, improve tenure security and enhance local coping and adaptation mechanisms against natural and human-caused disasters.
The main components of (CBLI) are:
Natural resource management
This includes establishment and registration of community forests, community herbal medicine forest, river bank protection and watershed management, etc. These activities will improve communities’ access to forest products and will also ensure communities’ sustainable source of safe, potable water and reduce their vulnerabilities to disasters and restore and maintain ecological balance. More about community forests, and herbal medicine....
Food security initiatives
This initiative include community irrigation systems for farming, household livestock husbandry, organic gardens, extension of seeds saving networks and distribution and exchange, development of terrace paddy farming, wild tea production, plant nursery and food preservation. These activities help the community to become more resilient to extreme climate variability and pest infestation. More about food security initiatives....
Women’s empowerment initiatives
This project encourages women participation and enables women to do income generation activities such as weaving, sugar cane production, rice mills and etc. As a result, they have more control of family affairs especially in the decision-making process both in the household and community levels.
Land tenure security
Land tenure security initiative includes land title documentation, land and agriculture policy education workshop, and land grant provision. KESAN assist Karen Agriculture Department (KAD) in implementing these activities. As a result of this initiative, land tenure security of individuals and communities will increase and land management system in Karen State will improve.
Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity research
Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity research initiative includes biodiversity research, indigenous knowledge research and preservation. For many generations, Karen animist communities have maintained their livelihoods in harmony with the forests, and that is why healthy diversity-rich forests can be found in an areas where they staying today. Karen communities living in the forest possess rich knowledge about sustainable land use and management. Thus, the promotion and preservation of indigenous knowledge is a vital part of maintaining traditional Karen culture and identity, the health of the environment and biodiversity. More about indigenous knowledge and biodiversity research....
Natural resource management
Food security initiatives
Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity research
