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Background

At the dawn of the new millennium, people in developing countries are grappling with issues such as sustainable development, poverty alleviation, high population, and rapidly depleting renewable environmental resources. These issues have become prominent despite the development approaches and strategies that have been adopted in developing countries throughout the world to attain economically, environmentally, and culturally fulfilling and meaningful development. Instead of attaining better living conditions, most developing countries are struggling with stagnant economies, unequal development, increasing unemployment, and rapidly worsening environmental conditions. It is certain that the natural environment cannot sustain the industrialised and monetised economy that most nations aspire for. One lesson to be learned from indigenous communities is that humankind, from time to time, needs to make painful resource management decisions that are necessary for the welfare of the community. In the past people migrated to new islands in search of resources or practiced gruesome traditions such as infanticide, widow strangling, and cannibalism. These practices were painful and barbaric but contributed to the ability of these communities to be