The widespread adoption of bottom‐up participation as opposed to top‐down modernisation approaches has opened up challenging opportunities for anthropology in development. The new focus on indigenous knowledge augurs the next revolution in anthropological method, informants becoming collaborators and their communities participating user‐groups, and touches upon such contemporary issues as the crisis of representation, ethnography's status with regard to intellectual property rights, and interdisciplinary cooperation between natural and social scientists. Indigenous‐knowledge studies are challenging not only because of difficulties in cross‐cultural communication and understanding but also because of their inevitable political dimensions. Contributing to development which intervenes in people's lives, these studies engage with them in novel ways.

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The development of indigenous knowledge: A new applied anthropology.

Geo-information tools for participatory spatial planning: Fulfilling the criteria for ‘good’ governance?

A total of 19 protected areas (PAs) have been established in Bangladesh representing all the four forest types of the country. Apart from being the repository of biological diversity, these PAs serve as the source of subsistence livelihoods to the local communities. While all the PAs are managed by the state Forest Department (FD), with a view to ensure sustainability, a recent approach of co-management has been initiated in five PAs as a pilot project with an aid of development partners incorporating stakeholders’ participation. Along with demonstrating a number of upbeat impacts, the initiatives exert some constraints which need to be addressed properly to ensure the success of participatory approach and enhance the ongoing conservation scheme. This paper reviews the published works, government and project documents to analyze the present status of PAs and suggest recommendations accordingly.

An overview on the protected area system for forest conservation in Bangladesh

What can ICT bring for the inhabitants of 600,000 Indian villages? How India is empowering the poor and marginalised citizens to participate in the emerging knowledge society? How will India provide voice to her millions of citizens? "Taking ICT to every Indian village: Opportunities and challenges", attempts at answering such questions and exploring the complex interactions between ICT and society. For the first time, a conscious effort has been made to bridge the gaps existing between research and practice - a matrix of development verticals, founded upon the principles of human development approach, tests and validates the planning, implementation and evaluation of ICT projects. An insightful analysis of rural India portrays the complexities of social, political and economic environment in which institutions and initiatives function and operate. Argumentative, analytical and thoughtful - the collection raises many questions for practitioners, policy makers, planners and researchers on the emerging ICTD paradigm in India. A whole new direction has emerged through this discourse - making government, private sector and civil society leaders think on the social, economic and cultural consequences of taking ICTs to Indian villages.

Taking ICT to Every Indian Village: Opportunities and Challenges

Meusch, E., Yhoung-Aree, J., Friend, R. & Funge-Smith, S.J. 2003. The role and nutritional value of aquatic resources in the livelihoods of rural people – a participatory assessment in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR. FAO Regional Office Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand, Publication No. 2003/11, pp. 34. As a contribution to the Dialogue on Water, Food and the Environment, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and IUCN – the World Conservation Union have undertaken a joint initiative to investigate the relationships between living aquatic resources, rice agriculture and the livelihoods of the people who manage these systems. This assessment is intended to address the concern that the ecological and livelihood functions and values of rice fields and adjoining wetlands are not fully appreciated in development planning. A participatory assessment was conducted in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR to determine the role of aquatic resources in the nutritional status of people engaged in rural livelihoods and to determine any opportunities, constraints or threats that may exist concerning the management of aquatic resources and future development in the province. People from the three communities of Tamoyot Village, Sanamsai District, Saisi Village, Saisetha District, and Gayeu Village, Samakisai District participated in activities designed to assess the local availability and use of aquatic resources, their importance in local livelihoods, and the over-all health and nutritional status of the villagers. The results of these activities illustrate that a broad diversity of aquatic plants and animals (approaching 200 species) are frequently accessed and used by villagers, and that fish and other aquatic animals make up the main animal protein sources in peoples’ diets. Local conditions concerning health and nutrition, however, are quite low and evidence of malnutrition (underweight, stunting, and wasting) was observed in significant numbers of people in all three villages. Typical diets are insufficient in terms of quantity and quality, and are especially low in protein and fats. These findings indicate that strategies for rural development, food security, and poverty alleviation in these areas need to pay special attention to aquatic resources management to ensure the health and well-being of rural people. Integrated management of freshwater and wetland resources is necessary to meet objectives of increased rice production whilst maintaining the viability and productivity of the aquatic resources upon which rural livelihoods depend.

E. Mathias

Papers

Recording and using indigenous knowledge : a manual