Volunteer agreements (Memorandum of Understanding) exist between each association (LNHA and GMNHA) and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (QPWS&P). The agreements sets out the roles and responsibilities of both parties. Although they are not legally binding, it establishes the commitment of the department and volunteers that has contributed to the longevity and growth of the relationship.

The relationship between protected areas staff and the community is important for effective protected area management. The rapport Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service & Partnerships (QPWS&P), particularly rangers have with the local community, including the natural history association volunteers provides a suite of benefits for Lamington National Park and conservation.

The reciprocal relationship the associations have with QPWS&P sees the department providing the volunteers with QPWS&P volunteer uniforms, accommodation and meeting rooms, maintenance of the visitor centres, resources for other activities and a volunteer accreditation weekend every 2 years. The accreditation weekends span a full two days with accommodation, catering, guest speakers and venue supplied or arranged by QPWS&P. Guest speakers often include both QPWS&P and external experts in the field of environmental management. In return, the volunteers staff volunteer centres on weekends and school holidays providing park information to visitors and participating in park conservation projects.

According to Costa et al, “Brazil was the first country in the world to implement a National Policy for Agroecology and Organic Production”. It is therefore worthy of notice that the Policy has been widely implemented in the country, succeeding as a good example of a multi-sectoral public policy, despite the challenges it still faces. Furthermore, PNAPO has served as inspiration for Brazilian States (such as Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás, São Paulo and Amazonas), the Federal District and Municipalities to elaborate their own state and municipal policies, following the guidelines of the National Policy and adapting them to their own realities and necessities. Hence PNAPO is likely suitable to be transferred to other situations.

The Durban CEBA initiative has expanded on the original ecosystem management, and reforestation approaches. This was done by embracing a more holistic understanding of the link between communities and the ecosystems that underwrite their welfare and livelihoods, especially in the face of climate change risks. It involves climate-relevant knowledge transfer, creating local jobs and developing small businesses, all of which help to ensure cleaner, greener and more sustainable neighborhoods. As a result, communities become less dependent on costly utilities and services, and through their direct participation, they become joint owners of  a new green economy sector in Durban. Key elements include:

• The management and/or restoration of local ecosystems. This is primarily through improving, for example, river flow regulation and erosion control, which can boost climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
• Ensuring communities understand climate change related risks and how to adapt to and better manage climate related disasters.
• The upliftment of local communities through the establishment of “green jobs” for the poor and unemployed.
• The establishment of delivery partnerships between the eThekwini Municipality, other spheres of Government, Businesses, NGOs and local communities.

To support the overall hilsa fishery management plan, food grain compensation or training on alternative income-generation is provided to households directly impacted by hilsa fishing bans. Households receive either a monthly ration of rice throughout the long (four-month) fishing ban period, or they receive training and materials to help them diversify their income. If in receipt of the latter (referred to as AIGA – alternative income-generating activities), households are typically not entitled to rice compensation. Under AIGA, training offered includes livestock rearing, sewing, agriculture and net-mending. 

Each year there is a nationwide ban on catching, selling, transporting, marketing or possessing juvenile hilsa fish from 1st of November – 30thJune, 2-3 months complete ban on all kind of fishing including juvenile hilsa target species in 5 sanctuary areas (river stretches) in the major hilsa nursery ground and an additional short ban of 15 days in September/October at four hilsa spawning locations. This is to allow for protection of hilsa fish stock and uninterrupted spawning. Boat rallies are used to raise awareness and support for the fishing bans, as well as mass media, leaflets and posters explaining the importance of hilsa conservation.

Once demonstration sites are selected, local ASM groups receive training and are contracted to implement FRM through six steps:

1. Preparation & Planning: degradation, boundary, hydrological & equipment assessments; labor, volume estimates; waste management; OHS standards
2. Technical Rehabilitation: infill, regrading and reprofiling; use of limited mechanisation
3. Topsoils: identification, conservation and re-distribution across sites
4. Biological Rehabilitation: topsoil enrichment ; natural regeneration assessments; identification of native and key vegetation communities; seed collection; seeds and natural fertilizers distribution into topsoils; tree, shrub and grass plantings
5. Mitigation Hierarchy: integrating rehabilitation planning into active ASM design and operations so as to reduce primary environmental impacts and unnecessary rehabilitation efforts
6. Handover of completed rehabilitation site to relevant government administrations for approval/sign-off

On the basis that government ministries are willing and able to work together to develop solutions to address impacts of ASM on the wider environment, Protected Areas and on stakeholders impacted by such mining activity, a national working group (which includes such ministries, agencies and relevant representative stakeholders) needs to be established. This will help steer the process of project engagement with local government, artisanal miners and wider stakeholders at the local level to set the scene for Frugal Rehabilitation Demonstration (FRD). A key step in this process is to select sites for FRD that can serve the development and application of the methodology within the ecological, economic and social context. The purpose of establishing this FRM working group is to ensure a participatory, consultative approach to the development of the methodology, and to enable a demonstration site selection process that ensures an informed and strategic approach based on agreed criteria. Sites selected for methodology demonstration need to be typical, representative and associated with formalised ASM capacity to undertake the rehabilitation.

Acknowledging and identifying conflicts between ministries and sectoral stakeholders is important. It is important at the early stages of an initiative to recognise these problems and to establish and work through a consultative platform to make the case for a methodology that is of value to all stakeholders, that is inclusive of artisanal miners and the stakeholders impacted by such mining as well as government ministries. It is only through such collaboration that a methodology can be developed that addresses environmental concerns, meets artisanal miners needs for performance-based incentives and access to land, and can be valued by government in formalising condition-based permitting for mining. It is within the context and platform of engagement that the FRM can be demonstrated to be of value to all stakeholders, and deliver outcomes at the local as well as national level.

Many irrigation canals are either made as earth canals only or the concrete lining is broken. Leaking canals lose substantial amounts of water, which is consequently not available for irrigation. Furthermore, if affected by flood and debris flows, such canals can easily break and cause substantial damage.

The communities and land users together with the district water management authorities chose the sections requiring reinforcement and lining. Works were implemented with technical and financial support by GIZ, which provided the engineers guiding the rehabilitation measures and financed the purchase and transportation of materials. Communities and land users carried out the works through "hashar", the joint communal voluntary work.

The rehabilitated irrigation canals provide safe and stable irrigation water supply, waterlogging and flooding of lands alongside the canals is prevented. The further maintenance is carried by the local communities through their mahalla (village commitees) and jamoats (communal self-governance structure at sub-district level).