Abstract:
Drawing on research in rural areas of Germany, Japan and Thailand and a review of the relevant literature, this chapter discusses strategies towards bridging the ecological, economic and social dimensions of sustainable rural development and livelihoods through multi-stakeholder partnerships. A combination of collaborative governance of natural resources, payments for environmental services and community-based marketing approaches is regarded as the most viable approach to addressing the various social, economic and ecological criteria of sustainable rural development and to enhancing the livelihoods of rural actors in increasingly multifunctional agrarian landscapes.