Understanding the links between conservation and development in the bamenda highlands, Cameroon

Integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) attempt to link th e conservation of natural resources with the development needs of local peo ple. Recent reviews have provided differing perspectives on the relative su ccess of ICDPs in addressing either their conservation or development objec tives. This paper explores local perceptions of an ICDP that has been estab lished for more than a decade around the Kilum-Ijim Forest, in North West P rovince. Cameroon. The study tested the assumptions underlying the ICDP: th at by improving incomes and livelihoods From the land in and around the for est, pressure on the forest would decrease, contributing to conservation ob jectives. The study provides evidence that livelihood activities can have a conservation impact by helping to change local attitudes and behavior. Fur thermore, the study analyzes and develops, some of the "factors for success " highlighted by previous papers. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.