Overview
The Integrated Conservation and Development Lab is an innovative research group at Penn State seeking to understand socioeconomic determinants of human-wildlife conflicts and forest degradation and disturbance. Through our research, we hope to develop innovative scenarios, models, and transdisciplinary tools to ensure sustainable human-wildlife coexistence. The ICD Lab’s primary focus areas include (1) the impacts of nature-based tourism on community livelihoods, well-being, and biodiversity conservation in protected areas, and (2) community-based tourism initiatives and enterprises, and how they impact Indigenous people, parks, and protected areas. We primarily operate in transboundary wildlife corridors and landscapes in Sub-Saharan Africa, such as the Greater Virunga Landscape of Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC.
About this Site
Please note that this site is a work in progress. As we continue to develop this site and integrate our ongoing work, you can explore our recent research using the Ongoing Research page. This includes the development of the Center for Human-Wildlife Conflict Monitoring with our collaborators at Oregon State University and in Uganda to focus on Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC, and an ongoing project with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO) on multi- and inter-scale drivers of deforestation focused on the Central African region. This is in addition to ongoing work in the Greater Virunga Landscape communities and expanding our research focus to other transboundary ecosystems such as elephant landscapes between Tanzania and Kenya. You can also find some selected publications on the Recent and Featured Publications page. Lastly, learn more about our team and collaborators on the Lab Team page, in addition to contact information for key lab members.
Our Study Areas: GIS Integration and Web Maps
Click the link here or the image at the right to engage with our interactive web app and explore the protected areas of the Greater Virunga Landscape. Our web app will soon include our other priority transboundary landscapes as well.
Photo Gallery