Introduction

This chapter provides a brief background on official development assistance to Cambodia following the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) peacekeeping mission, and the role of natural resources in post-conflict livelihood rehabilitation. It then examines the links between local rights and broader governance, highlighting examples from the forestry and fisheries sectors. Particular attention needs to be placed on rural livelihoods, namely the ability of families to provide for themselves and sustain the rural economy, which in most post-conflict developing countries is heavily reliant on natural resources. The rights of rural people and governance systems that influence their livelihoods are intimately connected in numerous ways. The chapter highlights these connections and illustrates how they contribute to resilience in rural livelihoods. The resilience perspective can make a vital contribution to conflict assessment because it focuses on the capacity of social-ecological systems to adapt and reorganize in the face of shocks.