Soliciting support and involving local stakeholders during project preparation ensures their greater ownership. It offers an opportunity to understand the local socioeconomic and ecological conditions surrounding the livelihoods and needs of the people. This creates effective solutions for biodiversity conservation and wetlands protection. Thus, the inclusion of natural resource users (e.g., farmers) is an essential step to ensuring that local knowledge is integrated into project planning and designing. The project experience shows that the engagement of local communities has increased the level of local ownership and participation during implementation which, over time, may make the project more sustainable.
Jiangsu Yancheng Wetlands Protection Project