Scientific themes
The overall objective of the RP-PCP is to contribute to sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and improved rural livelihoods in Southern Africa, through strengthening national research capacities, multidisciplinary approaches and institutional partnerships with a focus on protected areas and neighbouring production.
The RP-PCP seeks to promote applied research on “wild-domestic interfaces” in order to address issues related to the coexistence of Man and Nature, by mitigating development and conservation activities. Our research framework seeks to understand the links between heterogeneity and sustainability of socio-ecological systems in the context of wild-domestic interfaces.
Our multidisciplinary group is organized in four broad thematic areas: Animal Health and Environment (AHE), Ecology (Eco), Conservation and Agriculture (C&A) and Natural Resources Governance and Institutions (NRGI). Research projects often cross-cut several thematic areas and the limit between them is artificial as they address questions of the same socio-ecological system.
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Diseases shared between human, livestock and wildlife are a major constraint to development and conservation initiatives.
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Understanding ecological processes is key to addressing societal and conservation issues.
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Governance of Natural Resources
Access to and use of natural resources by human communities in socio-ecological systems is culturally and legally regulated. -
Agricultural production in semi-arid landscapes adjacent to protected areas must ensure food security for local communities while adapting to specific constraints.