Executive Summary :

The project aims to support three Karen communities to become a model of community-based sustainable development by building on their traditional knowledge and natural resource management systems and combining it with innovative and technologically advanced community-controlled mapping, monitoring and information systems and with increased economic productivity both for human wellbeing and for biodiversity. It will also counter threats to endangered species, develop recovery plans and address invasive alien species. The project will raise public awareness in society at large about the role of the evolving Karen management systems in relation to sustainable development (SDGs) and biodiversity (Aichi Biodiversity Targets) and will seek to feed into the development and implementation of local and national policies and laws that enable and support community-based sustainable governance and management of biodiversity. The methodology will be based on very close collaboration with, and the highest possible level of participation of community members, including women and youth. It will combine methods for the documentation, appreciation and revitalization of traditional knowledge with state-of-the-art modern mapping technology.