Title
Socioeconomic Factors that Affect the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Rural Communities in Fiji
Author(s)
Kim, M.K.; Mangubhai, S.; Fox, M.; Gernez, E.; Jupiter, S.
Published
2017
Abstract
Local communities in the Pacific have a high dependence on their natural resources for food and livelihoods. Managing small-scale fisheries resources through locally-managed marine areas (LMMAs) is an approach that has been scaled up to cover seventy-eight percent of inshore community fishing grounds in Fiji. A LMMA is an example of the regulation of common-pool resources to prevent the “tragedy of the commons”, whereby resources are depleted when the self-interest of users are not managed. There are various factors that influence the ability of local communities to self-organize and self-regulate including dependence on the exploited natural resources, livelihood diversity, leadership, social capital, participation in natural resource management, monitoring and enforcement. Socioeconomic surveys were conducted in 14 different villages across 6 districts and 4provinces in Fiji, between February to April 2015 to examine the socioeconomic factors that affect the sustainable use of natural resources in rural communities in Fiji. The results of this study highlighted two factors that affect the vulnerability local communities: income diversity and dependence of natural resources. There was generally a relatively low diversity of income sources at household level with almost half of the households interviewed depending on a single economic activity.
Full Citation
Kim MK, Mangubhai S, Fox M, Gernez E, Jupiter S (2017) Socioeconomic Factors that Affect the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Rural Communities in Fiji. Wildlife Conservation Society, Report No. 04/17, Suva, Fiji. 49 pp.
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