IUCN has been mandated by its members to develop a practical framework that is capable of systematically generating new insights on human dependence on natural systems that can:
• Inform policy formulation by addressing ecosystem values including the social dimensions of livelihood strategies and the cultural, economic and political drivers of natural resource use. Thus research into the wider socio- economic and anthropological context is required.
• Improve policy and programme implementation using an evidence-based approach based on systematically collected data on household-level use of wild resources and on the livelihood strategies of indigenous peoples and local communities which provides a fuller picture of the human-nature dynamics.
The aim of the Human Dependence on Nature (HDN) initiative is to develop a suitable ‘framework’ (i.e. a way of looking at things) that can be used to explain social and economic aspects of human dependence on nature, particularly for food and nutrition security. The framework will also guide the type of data that needs to be collected and analysed in the development and implementation of the framework.