Nature-dependent people: Mapping human direct use of nature for basic needs across the tropics
Giacomo Fedele, Camila I. Donatti, Ivan Bornacelly, David G. Hole
Global Environmental Change Part A: Human & Policy Dimensions
October 01, 2021
Understanding where people depend the most on natural resources for their basic human needs is crucial for planning conservation and development interventions. For some people, nature is a direct source of food, clean water, and energy through subsistence uses. However, a high direct dependency on nature for basic needs makes people particularly sensitive to changes in climate, land cover, and land tenure. Based on more than 5 million household interviews conducted in 85 tropical countries, we identified where people highly depend on nature for their basic needs. Our results show that 1.2 billion people, or 30% of the population across tropical countries, are highly dependent on nature. In places where people highly depend on nature for their basic needs, nature-based strategies that protect, restore or sustainably manage ecosystems must be carefully designed to promote inclusive human development alongside environmental benefits.
Read MoreCITATION
Fedele, G., Donatti, C. I., Bornacelly, I., & Hole, D. G. (2021). Nature-dependent people: Mapping human direct use of nature for basic needs across the tropics. Global Environmental Change, 102368. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102368
