Contributo in atti di convegno, 2010, ENG

Local community perception as driving force in rural development strategies

A. Pisanelli, F. Chiocchini, E. Appodia, L. Cherubini, M. Lauteri

A. Pisanelli, F. Chiocchini, E. Appodia, L. Cherubini, M. Lauteri: Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale

Rural development requires a multidisciplinary approach and appropriate scientific acquirements and tools capable to analyse the complexity of sustainability: availability of natural resources, environmental vulnerability, social needs and conflicts. Particularly, local communities participation is recognised to be an important tool in identifying development strategies according to a bottom-up approach. Within the framework of a project aimed to identify innovative development models, a research was carried out in a mountain district of Italy. The studied area involves four municipalities located between two regions (Lazio and Abruzzo) characterised by high wilderness values and biodiversity richness but by low local empowerment and weak development policies. The municipalities are analysed considering the historical changes of statistical data related to population (inhabitants, migrations, labour force) and land use systems (agricultural lands, forest and total territorial areas). At the same time a questionnaire was submitted to a random sample of local population (about 100 hundred interviewed persons in each municipality). The questionnaire was structured in different sections aimed to assess social and cultural interest of local population; their perception of natural resources and environmental constraints affecting the territories, their interest and needs in development models considering agroforestry products. The data are analysed in order to identify main factors, such as labour, education and age, affecting: i) people participation at local community life; ii) people identification with the territory in which they live; iii) local communities awareness about environmental problems and agroforestry potentialities in promoting local development. The study results allow to assess human pressure on environment and ecological resources and they help to formulate innovative development strategies taking into account the point of views and needs of people living in the territories.

Small scale forestry in a changing world, Bled, Slovenia, 06-12 June 2010

Keywords

CNR authors

Lauteri Marco, Pisanelli Andrea, Cherubini Lucia

CNR institutes

IBAF – Istituto di biologia agro-ambientale e forestale