Exploring the Social and Political Dimensions of Conservation around Nyungwe National Park: An Ethnographic Study of Cash Transfer Interventions

In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the search is on for effective, scalable and sustainable approaches to improve the well-being and livelihoods of residents in lower-income countries. One option would be to provide the target group with a regular stream of cash transfers. CONNECT is a new research collaboration between an interdisciplinary team at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and the University of Rwanda (UR), funded by the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme (WGSP), that explores this potential. The project aims to connect conservation and development objectives by investigating the economic, socio-political, and ecological impacts of cash transfer programmes implemented with communities living next to two national parks in Rwanda (Nyungwe and Volcanoes).