Autonomous Innovations in the Rural Communities of Developing Countries I—A Narrative Analysis of Innovations and Synergies for Integrated Natural Resource Management

Hidetomo Tajima (), Tetsu Sato (), Shion Takemura, Juri Hori, Mitsutaku Makino, Dorothea Agnes Rampisela, Motoko Shimagami, John Banana Matewere and Brighten Ndawala
Additional contact information
Hidetomo Tajima: Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 221-8529, Japan
Tetsu Sato: SDGs Promotion Office, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
Shion Takemura: Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan
Juri Hori: Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, Otsu 520-0022, Japan
Mitsutaku Makino: Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8564, Japan
Dorothea Agnes Rampisela: Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
Motoko Shimagami: Institute for International Relations, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
John Banana Matewere: Sustainable Cape Maclear, Monkey Bay P.O. Box 110, Malawi
Brighten Ndawala: Sinthana Project, Monkey Bay P.O. Box 142, Malawi

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: Vulnerable sectors of the population living in poverty in developing countries are highly dependent on renewable natural resources for their livelihoods and daily lives. Sustainable resource management, improving the well-being of vulnerable people, and building resilience to shocks are global challenges. This study analyzed the outcomes of various autonomous innovations by the people themselves and the enablers of these innovations in the communities of developing countries. This analysis of 20 autonomous innovations from six countries revealed that these innovations produced outcomes that simultaneously improved multiple indicators of human well-being, including “basic materials for a good life”, “safety”, “health”, and “good social relations”. The process of promoting public values, such as education, health improvement, and landscape conservation as a by-product of collective actions was an important enabler of these innovations, as well as the innovator’s proactive attitude toward continuous improvement. Public values and supporting ecosystem services were emphasized from the early stages of collective actions, to realize synergies toward integrated natural resource management. It is also important to achieve conditions in which collective actions could be practiced autonomously and adaptively. These results revealed the great potential of autonomous innovations emerging among socially vulnerable groups and the important mechanisms for promoting autonomous innovations for the transformation of social-ecological systems toward sustainable futures.

Keywords: social-ecological system; transformation; transdisciplinary; enabler; innovator; vulnerable people; human well-being; collective action; by-product (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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