Human Migration and Conservation

On 21 April 2004, a meeting on "Human Migration and Conservation: Issues and Interventions" was organized by the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG) and the Community Conservation Coalition (CCC).

The objectives of the meeting were to:

• Learn about the relationship between human migration and conservation.
• Understand the underlying causes of migration and the impacts of push-pull factors such as livelihood, fertility, disaster, and conflict on residents and new migrants.
• Identify potential interventions that affect migration patterns.
• Study examples of interventions and how to work at the community level on migration planning and identification of trends.
• Discuss how can conservation and population organizations can respond to migration pressures on environmental systems.

Presentations included:

Migration and Conservation: Issues and Interventions by Kim Hamilton, Migration Policy Institute

Why Migrants Move to High Biodiversity Areas: Theory and Impacts by Richard Bilsborrow, University of North Carolina

Interventions to Address Migration in Areas of High Biodiversity by Jenny Ericson, Consultant

Stopping Migration through Policy Interventions: Example from the Galapagos by Jason Bremner, University of North Carolina

Community Level Migration and Conservation by John Williams, Population Strategies Group

Reducing the Impacts of Refugees: Is it Possible? Case Studies from Tanzania,Congo (Zaire), and Zambia by Steve Smith, Consultant

Please see the following presentations and materials from the meeting and weblinks.

Photo Credit:  J. Owen-Rae, USAID