Stage 2 Learning from Negative Experiences

Learning from experience in site selection Burkina Faso: original sites selected were too similar; proposed second site would have added little to knowledge gained from first site, leading to selection of a new site. Burkina Faso: prior visit to one site could have identified conflict resolution as a key netry point to adaptive strategies. Ethiopia: extremely tense local politics and military situation: research team threatened with death if they return to one of the sites originally visisted. Ethiopia: more time for negotiation over site and interpretation of ecosystem criteria could have allowed greatly improved logistics and minimized language problems. Zimbabwe: local boundary dispute and illegal gold mining impeded identification of suitable adaptive strategies: this was realized too late to change site selection.