ISAR believes that economic progress and environmental sustainability are complimentary principles. Sustainable livelihoods are those that meet the financial needs of average citizens while supporting cleaner, healthier environments and protecting the natural resource base for the future. Sustainable livelihoods encompass a wide range of innovative activities such as ecotourism, organic farming, sustainable business, and community-owned and managed natural resources. The collapse of the Soviet Union left behind communities with a combination of economic and environmental challenges and the situation has led to harmful ecological activities such as unmanaged natural resource exploitation, illegal logging, poaching, environmental pollution, and poor farming practices. Unsustainable fishing practices that threaten the sturgeon in the Caspian Sea and fisheries and salmon populations in the Russia Far East are an example of this phenomenon. ISAR’s focus on sustainable livelihoods seeks to address this problem at the grassroots level.
ISAR’s Sustainable Livelihoods focus issue provides the information, resources and tools necessary for communities to develop sustainable livelihoods by facilitating dialogue about sustainable livelihoods between communities and other sectors like industry and government, by supporting programs that encourage more rational and equitable use of natural resources through increased community participation, and by investing in individuals who are leading efforts that encourage sustainable lifestyles in their communities.
If you have project ideas or are looking for ways to get involved with sustainable livelihood projects in the FSU, please contact Eliza Klose at
general@isar.org.
ISAR
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