Research On Cultural Impact On Biodiversity: Cohabit Tender

Cultural impact on biodiversity

What Is The Research On Cultural Impact On Biodiversity?

Cohabit is pleased to call for a tender for a research to establish the cultural impact on management. The research is aimed at establishing the effects of cultural activities of individuals, the community as well as regional activities on biodiversity and come up with a viable solution that will ease cultural impact on biodiversity and forester sustainable growth.

The primary objective of the research is to evaluate the cultural impact on biodiversity and come up with co-operative and collaborative actions which the organization should take to effectively equip members of the community with the necessary information and tools required to help reduce impact of humanity on the environment and ensure sustainable growth (McBeath & Leng, 2006).

Cohabit is working in partnership with the Department of Forestry and Natural Resource Conservation to evaluate the relationship between cultural practices and deforestation. The study will be conducted in neighborhoods, schools as well as in the department of Forestry and Natural Resource conservation to evaluate how culture can enhance a sense of environmental responsibility as well as what can be done to ensure the development of a conservative culture that will ensure environmental sustainability (Rajesh, 2016). Similarly, the research is meant to come up with necessary measures and policies that should be put in place to protect the environment.  

Just as the earth is large, so are our impacts. Human beings are not the sole occupants nor are they the most important species on earth. Cultural activities of individuals, communities as well as regions have diverse effects on biodiversity. For instance, both human beings and other species such as animals depend on forests for their survival (Ormsby, 2013). As a result, deforestation affects not only man but also other species some of which cannot survive amidst changes in their natural habitats (Parotta, et al. 2016). Therefore, as much as human beings cut down trees for economic benefits, there is need for them to learn ways of limiting destruction as well as promoting diversity. This way, all species occupying the earth will learn to cohabit.

Culture plays a significant role in the protection of forests. Ancient cultural practices viewed forests as being sacred and used them as shrines and therefore had in place forest protection policies not just due to scientific knowledge. As a result, culture emphasized on the need to protect forests hence protection of biodiversity. According to Rajesh (2016), protection of biodiversity is essential in ensuring long-term sustainability. Parotta et al (2016) point out that the rural cultures still value the protection of forests due to the role the forests play in the cultural practices. Nonetheless, they point out that urban cultures engage in activities which negatively impacts forests due to their cultures which do not value the need of forest protection. For instance, urban dwellers have cultures such as cooking habits which encourage the use of forest products such as charcoal.

Background to the proposal

Similarly, various industrial activities in the urban areas lead to the release of harmful wastes such as greenhouse gases which contribute to forest fires. As a result, culture has a significant impact on biodiversity (Gueze, 2015). Accounting, the research should evaluate the impacts of culture on the sense of environmental sustainability. Similarly, due to the threat to biodiversity caused by the rising rate of urbanization, the research should evaluate how a conservative culture can be developed in the present cultural context to promote environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the research should come up with conservative purposes as well as rules and policies which will be used in ensuring the protection of the environment.

Despite the fact that deforestation has positive economic value to the life of human beings such as the revenue raised from the sale of trees and their products such as charcoal and wood, it is essential to ensure control of deforestation for the benefit of biodiversity. Not only human beings rely on trees for their survival but also other specifies such as wild animals (Steg, 2009). In fact, unlike human beings, there are species relying entirely on forests and therefore the loss of biodiversity threatens the existence of such species. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to evaluate the cultural impact on biodiversity by evaluating how culture can enhance the sense of environmental sustainability and offer viable solutions that will lead to the development of an environmentally conservative culture (Young, et al. 2010).

Similarly, this research intents to develop conservative purposes as well as policies which will be used in the protection of the environment. The main phenomena under study in this research are deforestation, cultural causes of deforestation, as well as the impacts of deforestation on biodiversity.

To enable effective study of the issue of cultural impacts on biodiversity and come up with viable solutions to the problems of biodiversity, the research will be conducted as a longitudinal study covering a minimum duration of two years (Ucci, 2010). Similarly, to ensure collection of adequate information and come up with viable results, a small project team with representatives from major stakeholders will be put in place to assist in overseeing how the study progresses as well as to ensure that all required resources and information are availed in time for effective research (Brockington & Duffy, 2011). The research will be guided by the following research questions in the collection of essential data.

• Use of cultural practices to promote environmental awareness.
• Traditional techniques and principles used in the ancient times and which have remained relevant to society without posing any threat to the environment.
• Conservation policies used by the ancient cultures and which are more than scientific knowledge to ensure environmental sustainability.
• The distinct views of different cultures regarding the protection of the natural resources and ensuring environmental sustainability.
• Sensitizing populations on the importance of planting trees and on the roles which trees play in their lives as away of making them take the initiative of protecting the forests.
• Encouraging the population to take up the initiative of preserving the environment by giving them tree seedlings as well as loans to purchase trees for planting.

Research Framework and Approach

• Shortcomings in the implementation of the available conservative rules and purposes used in the protection of the environment.
• Recommended improvements on the available conservative purposes and rules to make them effective in ensuring environmental sustainability.
• Available conservative rules and purposes used in ensuring environmental sustainability
• Sensitization of the urban population on the importance of cultural diversity.
• Coming up with incentives for people who play significant roles in the society to ensure protection of the environment.

To implement effective policies and principles, evaluate the role which culture plays in the preservation of biodiversity conservation as well as how important cultural practices can be used to assist in protecting the environment and reducing the risk of biodiversity faced in the modern era. In order to come up with conservative purposes and rules that can be used in the protection of the environment and ensuring biodiversity, it is essential to reflect back at the traditional principles as well as techniques (Stern, 2000).

Consider how to copy the traditional principles which have been used successfully without posing threats to the environment. Consider the possibility of implementing such principles and passing them to the current generation while at the same time put in place policies that will promote the use of traditional cultural principles in protecting the environment for centuries to come. 

A total amount of $50,000 plus GST is available to fund the research. Payment will be made in two stages: $25,000 upon the signing of the contract; and $25,000 upon receipt of a final report.

 The successful applicant will be required to commence work on the project by the 1st July 2018. The project should be completed within a year of commencement.

 The final research output will be a research report submitted on completion of the research. A brief progress report will be required part way through the project. Applicants should also specify how the results will be communicated to other stakeholders (including research participants).

Applications are invited from social science researchers at tertiary institutions or other research organizations with relevant substantive and methodological expertise. Proposals should clearly contain the following information: 1) the suggested research approach, including research methods; 2) the relevant expertise of the proposed research team (a one-page CV of each investigator should be appended to the application; 3) a detailed research budget specifying how the available funds will be used. Applications should be submitted to the Director, Research, Innovation and Development Department, [Name of organization] by close of business on the 18th May 2018.

References

Brockington, D., & Duffy, R. (2011). Capitalism and Conservation. John Wiley & Sons.

Guèze, M. L.-G.-M.-G. (2015). Shifts in indigenous culture relate to forest tree diversity: a case study from the Tsimane’, Bolivian Amazon. Biological Conservation, 186, 251–259.  

McBeath, G.A., &Leng, T. (2006). Governance of Biodiversity Conservation in China and Taiwan. Edward Elgar Publishing.  

Ormsby, A. (2013). Analysis of local attitudes toward the sacred groves of Meghalaya and Karnataka, India. Conservation and Society, 11(2):187-197.

Parotta, J., Yeo-Chang, economics., & Camacho, L. (2016). Traditional knowledge for sustainable forest management and provision of ecosystem services. International journal of biodiversity science and ecosystem services management, 12(1-2):1-4.

Rajesh, B. (2016). Sacred Groves: Floristic Diversity and their Role in Conservation of Nature. . Forest Research, 5:161.

Steg L, Vlek C. 2009. Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: an integrative review and research agenda. Journal of Environmental Psychology 29: 309 – 317.

Stern P. 2000. Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues 56 (3): 407 – 424.

Ucci M. 2010. Sustainable buildings, pro-environmental behaviour and building occupants: a challenge or an opportunity? Journal of Retail Leisure Property 9 (3): 4.

Young W, Hwang K, McDonald S, Oates CJ. 2010. Sustainable consumption: green consumer behaviour when purchasing products. Sustainable Development 18 (1): 20 – 31.