Our journey of participatory natural resource management and innovation
Learn about the milestones that have shaped our evolution over the years, from pioneering participatory approaches to conservation in the 1970s to now, advocating for new pathways to Caribbean sustainable development and natural resource use grounded in equity, resilience and sustainability.
The early years (1970s – 1980s)
1976 - Dominica Wildlife Program
A national pilot project of the Caribbean Conservation Association and the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, linking conservation with rural development through natural resource planning, environmental education and training.
1978 - Eastern Caribbean Natural Area Management Programme (ECNAMP)
Remit expands to the Lesser Antilles, focusing on training, natural resource management planning, environmental education and eco-development and providing technical support to Caribbean Conservation Association members.
1981 - Field-based demonstration projects
Introduces field-based participatory demonstration projects, strengthens focus on economic benefits at the community level and broadens technical assistance to include governments.
1986 - ECNAMP becomes independent
ECNAMP becomes an independent organisation; its geographic scope extends to all islands of the Caribbean.
1989 - Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
Renames and legally incorporates in Saint Lucia and St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, consolidating its regional focus.
Mission evolution (1990s – 2000s)
1992 - Promoting co-management
Promotes strengthening Caribbean communities’ capacity for managing critical natural resources through co-management, focusing on national parks and protected areas and common property resources, particularly coastal resources.
1995 - Advancing participatory resource management
Champions development and adoption of policies that support increased participation and collaboration in managing natural resources, going beyond co-management models and supporting communities and their institutions. Original focus on “communities” expands to the more encompassing “stakeholders”.
2000 - Refining policy approaches
Refines approach to increase focus on policy processes and other processes that lead to equitable and sustainable management, and socioeconomic and environmental benefits as results of participatory natural resource management.
2001 - Relocation and strengthening internal governance
Cements shift from co-management to more inclusive participatory management that includes publicly and privately owned resources. Establishes headquarters in Trinidad and Tobago. Strengthens internal governance with the innovative Partnership [See the ‘Governance‘ page], leveraging the collective skills of elected members of the Board of Directors and senior staff.
2005 - Linking climate change to natural resource management through resilience
Strengthens the discourse on resilience by explicitly linking climate change and disaster risk reduction to participatory natural resource management.
2009 - MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions
Becomes the first Caribbean organisation to receive this prestigious award for recognised organisations that reframed debates or provided a new way of looking at persistent problems.
Recent developments (2010s – present)
2011 - Embracing the green economy
Enhances focus on governance and mainstreaming participatory approaches in natural resource management; introduces work on the green economy.
2021 - Innovating for equity, resilience and sustainability
Deepens focus on equity, justice, resilience and sustainability to set the foundation for more proactive responses to new challenges. Champions the need for even more adaptive, flexible strategies for participatory natural resource management. Expands geographic scope to include continental Caribbean countries, starting with members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
2024 - The Caribbean We Want
Articulates a model for transforming Caribbean development, based on the CANARI Strategic Plan 2021 – 2030.