Human dimensions key to good conservation practices

Excerpt

People and their ideas have always been a vital part of the conservation movement. From the very beginning it was clear that the activities of human beings were, at the same time, both the cause and the cure to soil and water conservation problems.

Sometimes in searching for technical solutions to a problem we can lose sight of the human dimensions of the effort. This can lead to frustration and a hollow feeling about the worth of the job that we have done, even if we are successful. This situation is perceived as a common problem in developing countries but we in North America can be no less vulnerable. We would do well to reflect on the experience of the past in the United States. There was a rapid rush to stem the expansion of the dust bowl in the 1930s and to rapidly fix gullies in more humid parts of the United States. Many projects were completed that were technically sound and of great value. They lacked one vital element. They did not involve the local people in the development process. Farmers lacked a sense of ownership for the terraces or structures that were built for them. This became …