Name:
Shiho Hattori
Research topic:
“A study of the conservation of tropical rainforests and the livelihood and cultures of hunter-gatherers”
Focusing on the Baka, a Pygmy hunter-gatherer group in the tropical forests in south east Cameroon, I have studied their livelihood, their traditional knowledge regarding the utilization of the forests and animals/plants and the relationships among their livelihood, knowledge and forest conservation. I also have been attempting to study the variability of plant knowledge among a group of the Baka and the impact of the sedentary policy on their traditional knowledge. Accordingly, I would like to discover the ways to conserve the forest which enables the Baka people to sustain their traditional livelihood and culture.