The role of ecological theory and practice in poverty alleviation and environmental conservation

Millennium Development Goals (Table 1), welcoming the new millennium with a renewed sense of hope for the eradication of extreme poverty by 2015. The highest concentrations of extreme poverty are found in tropical latitudes, coinciding with areas rich in biodiversity, high rates of environmental change, and accelerated species loss. This overlap has caused some ecologists to regard the development goals with trepidation, concerned that their implementation will increase environmental degradation. Others point out that environmental conservation measures have resulted in greater local impoverishment by limiting people’s access to natural resources (Brockington and Schmidt-Soltau 2005). Integrating environmental conservation into poverty alleviation initiatives requires changes in ecological research and development practices. Ecologists must focus research on interactions between ecosystems and societies in developing countries, while development experts need to understand that environmental management is a critical component of poverty alleviation strategies. Reconciliation of these two facets can be achieved by demonstrating how application of ecological theory and knowledge to development can simultaneously meet human needs and conserve ecosystems. Here, we outline specific examples of how theories, concepts, knowledge, and tools generated through ecological research can be used to eliminate extreme hunger, ensure a continuous supply of clean freshwater, secure reliable and clean sources of energy, mitigate the effects of disease, and enhance protection and resilience in the face of natural hazards. The examples presented will illustrate how ecological concepts and tools are a means of meeting development goals.