Sub-saharan rangelands and forests have been a playground for western interventions, and something of a bottomless pit for donor funding on both environment and development. Many, if not most, of these initiatives have had poor outcomes. That suggests there is something seriously wrong with western understanding of African environments, of the part they play in people"s vulnerability, of the ways that people deal with them and of the impacts those strategies entail. This book seeks to analyse and clarify interactions of environment, land use, livelihoods, and natural resource management in African forests and savannas. It aims to develop a better understanding, an approach and a methodology, which in turn will give insights into people"s natural resource use strategies, inform policy and management, and ultimately contribute to more secure livelihoods and welfare for local rural African populations. North America: Palgrave