Community-based Regional Delivery of Natural Resource Management: Building System-wide Capacities to Motivate Voluntary Farmer Adoption of Conservation Practices

Abstract

"Since the 1980s, community-based natural resource management (NRM) in rural areas of Australia has evolved from its origins with small groups of farmers to the present situation, under the regional delivery model, where regional bodies are expected to foster community ownership and voluntary cooperation from the large and diverse populations inhabiting their regions. This scaling up of expectations regarding community-based approaches has brought with it substantial challenges.

"The research discussed in this report examines the potential of nested multi-level systems of community-based NRM to help address these challenges. On the basis of case studies in three NRM regions in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, respectively the report identifies eight guidelines for leaders and decision-makers at all levels of the regional delivery model to apply in adaptively designing community-based approaches capable of motivating farmers cooperation and thereby sustaining the natural resources under their management."