Rapid Appraisals: An Innovation in Search of Sustainability

"Rapid appraisal" assays regions for potential parks, protected areas, or other "inventory" purpose. Over 90 major appraisals have been conducted and focus on ecological concerns, but some recent assessments include social "asset" mapping. Reports can be used in decision making, but there is no standard protocol in rapid appraisals. Methods are a mix of survey tools from ecology and, more recently, anthropology and economics, applied on a case-by-case basis. They are not guided by any logically comprehensive theory or framework of conservation or natural resource management policy. Because of this and other reasons, rapid appraisals are not fully contextual, typically overlooking social and decision processes involved in conservation. This article reviews history of rapid appraisals by large non-governmental conservation organizations, analyzes the content and utility of appraisals, and recommends using a practically grounded, analytical framework that can guide future rapid appraisals to make them systematically problem oriented, contextual, and appropriately multimethod. Data resulting from this more complete and integrated approach can help ensure the rationality, political practicality, and morality of recommendations. Improved conservation and natural resource management policy can be expected by using this more comprehensive approach.