Course: Competing Claims on Natural Resources

Feb 29, 2016 - Mar 11, 2016 | Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation
Netherlands
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Competition over land and natural resources is increasingly overstretching the multi-functionality of landscapes, whether it is at local or at global level. With the ambition as enshrined in numerous international conventions and national polices alike to reconcile agricultural development and the wise use of our natural resources, this places enormous pressure on resource managers to broker development outcomes that suit both agendas. It implies rethinking current natural resources management paradigms and applying new analytical frameworks to better understand conflicts, the driving forces behind them and the design of process approaches to manage them. Reconciling agricultural development and biodiversity conservation at the landscape level Understanding the conflictsWageningen University has researched competing claims over natural resources at different landscape levels over the years and developed new analytical insights into land and resource conflicts. This two week course provides you with knowledge, tools and skills to design multiple stakeholder processes in order to deal with conflict, and aim at negotiated outcomes towards positive change. You will apply lessons learnt directly to case studies provided by participants. Course objective
The overall aim of the course is to contribute to sustainable resources management by building capacity to manage conflicts over natural resources. Upon completion you will be able to:

• contextualise and apply analytical frameworks and methodologies to better understand competing claims on natural resources;
• examine different conflict management approaches and apply them to case studies;
• practice a broad range of skills to manage conflict and  facilitate informed negotiation processes; and
• review governance arrangements that could hamper or foster negotiated outcomes.