Social equity in conservation - Research and challenges in Ethiopia
A discussion-interview with Bethlehem Astella
August 9th, 2019
Tomas Pickering met with Bethy Astella, a graduate student in the Human Dimension of Natural Resources department, to discuss her work on social equity in conservation. Bethy works in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia studying the distribution of benefits in communities supporting a controlled hunting program. The discussion is covers many research and ethical questions and challenges in conservation.
We’ve divided the discussion into two parts. Listen below for the first part where Bethy talks about her research and introduces many of the challenges related to social equity in conservation.
The second portion of the interview goes into a greater discussion around social equity issues in conservation. Please listen below.
Here is a short, 3 minute, highlighted section about the challenges of integrating conservation costs and benefits with other social systems in a socially equitable way.
This photo and the title-photo are of Bethy’s focus group discussions with members of a controlled hunting program around the Bale Mountains.
This picture shows some of the human-dominated landscapes adjacent to the forested controlled hunting areas in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia.
Photo of the endemic, endangered mountain nyala (referenced in the interview).
All photos were provided by Bethy Astella
