Book Review

by Paul Ganderton

Caldecott J. 1996. Designing Conservation Projects. Cambridge University Press. pp xxii +312. ISBN 0 52147328 4. £45.00

Although there are numerous references to wider conservation issues this text essentially focuses on the lessons that can be learnt from trying to conserve areas of endangered tropical environments. The author presents us with a range of case studies where the practicalities of putting a conservation programme into operation are discussed. Much of this practicality lies in co-ordinating disparate political opinions. The 12 chapters divide into two sections. The first is a description of the environment and it's conservation for 8 areas: Sarawak, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Costa Rica and Indonesian New Guinea. Each of these chapters follows a similar pattern with a description of the area followed by an overview of the project and a summary of its successes and challenges. lle final 5 chapters summarise the cases (chapter 8), give options for conservation and development (chapters 9 and 10) and suggest how people's minds can be changed (11). The last chapter acts as a summary highlighting the key findings of the work.

This is a very interesting text. On the one hand it provides a wealth of detail about site conservation where material is often lacking. It also acts as a bridge between the high flown rhetoric of conference and the daily challenges of living and working in the tropics. On the other hand this is a book about people, their knowledge and their interests. lle local people are not passive recipients of aid and ideas but challenging individuals who often know precisely what is needed. Anyone studying conservation (especially for tropical areas) should read this book and learn its lessons. Although probably priced above the school market there is a great deal of material that teachers could use to show how conservation works on the ground (it would probably also work as an excellent base for role play as well).