What is human wellbeing? A locally driven, three-dimensional perspective. A presentation by Emily Woodhouse, WCS/UCL/Imperial College. This presentation was given at the Expert Workshop on Equity, Justice and Well-being in Ecosystem Governance, held at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in London, March, 2015.

1. What is human wellbeing?
A locally driven, 3-dimensional
perspective
Emily Woodhouse
WCS / UCL / Imperial College

2. The rise of wellbeing…

3. Poverty to wellbeing
In traditional welfare economics
focus on income/GDP and linked
to growth
Human centred development
HDI (capabilities)
Livelihoods & resource strategies
Sustainable livelihoods frameworks
QoL / Subjective wellbeing
(Gough et al. 2007)
In conservation focus on income, human-
wildlife conflict, attitudes towards parks
(Pullin et al. 2014)

4. Human wellbeing: key distinctions
• Multi-dimensional – in line with what people value
• Positive framing – “inclusive aspiration”
• Universal vs local – ideally flexible universal
framework
• Objective vs subjective - can be at odds (e.g. MPA in
Indonesia – Gurney et al 2014)

5. Why should conservationists
care?
Understanding incentives
Improving perceptions,
engagement, legitimacy
 conservation
outcomes
Ethical – “do no harm”

6. 3-dimensional conception
“a state of being with others, which arises where human needs are met,
where one can act meaningfully to pursue one’s goals, and where one
can enjoy a satisfactory quality of life’’ (McGregor 2007)
MATERIAL What you have Needs satisfaction
indicators
RELATIONAL What you can do
with what you
have
Human agency indicators
SUBJECTIVE How you feel
about what you
have and what you
can do
Quality of life indicators
Social concept – construct objective and subjective through social relations
with others; social good important in wellbeing

7. Locally grounded
approach
‘Voices of the
Poor’ wellbeing
domains
Description and examples
Material Secure and adequate livelihoods
Enough food and food security
Assets e.g. land, natural resources, livestock,
savings and capital, goods, housing, furniture
and tools
Health Feeling strong and well
Access to health services
Appearing well
Having a healthy physical environment
Social
relations
Good relations with family, community and
country
Dignity e.g. not being a burden, feeling listened
to
Ability to help others and fulfil social obligations
Ability to care for children (including education
and marriage)
Security Confidence in the future – predictability
Peace
Safe and secure environment e.g. safety from
disasters
Personal physical security and safety
Security in old age and for future generations
Freedom
of choice
& action
Sense of control and power
Ability to pursue what you value doing & being,
and meet aspirations
Ability to be a good person e.g. to help others
“To feel that you have a
good/normal life (engishui e
kawaida) in this community,
what is important?”

8. Wellbeing in Simanjiro, Northern
Tanzania
Dimension Example indicators Method
Material Assets – livestock, land (communal &
private), crops produced
Access to services including education
Livelihoods survey
Relational Participation in cons/dev activities
Social relations and conflict
Group discussions
Wellbeing survey
Subjective
Feelings of security
Sense of control over change
Trust in external actors
Valued cultural traditions
Attribution of changes
Wellbeing survey (use of
likert scales) based in qual
understandings

9. Significance of security in HWB in
Tanzania

10. Thoughts on relationships with equity
• Understanding (disaggregated) wb needs and
impacts prerequisite for analysing distributive
equity.
• Can constitute each other e.g. equity as part of wb
• Relational wb related to procedural equity; and can
uncover contextual equity issues e.g.
institutions/power structures
• Social idea of wb (living well together) reflects
wider issue of reconciling individual wb with
societal good – question of justice
• Locally grounded wb approach has potential to
improve equity in planning & evaluation

11. Thank you!