Incorporating human well-being in the theory of change for saving the giant ibis
The exercise this week had me thinking about a project that is helping to save Giant ibis in Cambodia's Northern Plains by rewarding rice farmers for not hunting and not cutting down trees.
Farmers sign an agreement to do "no-harm" to wildlife and in return they benefit from the project helping to market their rice as a wildlife-friendly product which is marketed in Europe and the US. This helps farmers earn a much higher return on their rice. A Cambodian-registered company was set up to manage "Ibis Rice" a project linked to the larger conservation initiative.
Ranger patrols and a monitoring team periodically check to make sure that farmers signed up for the project really are not encroaching on the forest or hunting wildlife.
You can learn more about Ibis Rice here https://ibisrice.com/
Read about plans to launch Ibis Rice in the UK here
You can follow the project on Twitter @ibis_rice
My research interests include the natural history & conservation ecology of small mammals, wild cats, Asian elephants, and tapirs, species responses to deforestation & habitat fragmentation, hunting & wildlife trade. I work at the interface between conservation science & applied wildlife management, using evidence-based approaches, statistical analysis, & technologies (EarthRanger, camera-trapping, acoustic sensors, RS imagery, SMART) to advise the conservation of wildlife populations in tropical Asia, Oceania and East Africa.
