This chapter reports the results of research in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, originally designed to assess quickly and easily the level and nature of participation by local people in forest management. The authors briefly describe pertinent results from their assessment methods. Although the functions initially anticipated for participation are not wrong, they reflect a way of looking at forest management that were concluded needs rethinking. In the discussion of the change needed, Jordan’s concept of “authoritative knowledge” and “social” or “cultural capital” was used. The authors also suggest substituting “rights and responsibilities to manage the forest cooperatively” for “participation” in places like Danau Sentarum Wildlife Reserve (DSWR). Important remaining policy-related issues include the variations in quality of local management systems, values held by the different stakeholders, and potential productivity of individual systems. Finally it concludes that, given the dynamism and complexity that characterise natural forests and their inhabitants, cooperation among all stakeholders in an ongoing dialogue is most likely the only way that sustainable forest management can in fact occur.
Tag: assessment
Biodiversity and Invasive species assessment information dissemination workshop Report
Evaluating and selecting criteria and indicators of forest sustainability: a case study on participatory assessment under CBFM in the Philippines
This paper describes an application of multi-criteria analysis (MCA) in evaluating and selecting criteria and indicators (C&I) of forest sustainability. The method was applied on a case study involving a forest area managed under the Community-Based Forest Management System of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Experience gained from the study indicates that MCA is a suitable tool for the systematic evaluation of C&I including validation of previously developed national set of C&I, modification of the validated set by incorporating other externally generated C&I, and ultimately, prioritization of the C&I according to their perceived importance.
Multiple criteria decision making approaches to assessing forest sustainability using criteria and indicators: a case study
This paper describe the use of multiple criteria decision tools for assessing criteria and indicators designed to evaluate sustainable forest management. Three techniques called ranking, rating, and pairwise comparisons are described and used within the framework of a generic set of criteria and indicators applied in a case study involving a forest concession in Kalimantan, Indonesia. For the case study, an assessment team consisting of national and international experts representing various disciplines was chosen to conduct an assessment of the forest concession. The criteria and indicators (C&I) developed by the Center for International Forestry Research were used as a reference. From this generic set of C&I, the assessment team made revisions to make the set more relevant to the prevailing conditions in the forest concession. This modified set was used in the assessment of the concession. Results from the study indicate that these techniques are effective tools both for selecting sets of criteria and indicators and eventually for prioritising them. The methods are highly transparent, easy to understand, and offer a convenient environment for participatory decision-making. These are desirable features of any evaluation but most especially for a complex assessment problem such as forest sustainability.
Development of a methodology for selecting criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management: a case study on participatory assessment
This paper describes an application of multiple criteria analysis (MCA) in assessing criteria and indicators adapted for a particular forest management unit. The methods include: ranking, rating, and pairwise comparisons. These methods were used in a participatory decision-making environment where a team representing various stakeholders and professionals used their expert opinions and judgements in assessing different criteria and indicators (C&I), and how suitable and applicable they are to a forest management unit. A forest concession located in Kalimantan, Indonesia, was used as the site for the case study. Results from the study show that the multi-criteria methods are effective tools that can be used as structured decision aids to evaluate, prioritise, and select sets of C&I for a particular forest management unit. Ranking and rating approaches can be used as a screening tool to develop an initial list of C&I. Pairwise comparison, on the other hand, can be used as a finer filter to further reduce the list. In addition to using these three MCA methods, the study also examines two commonly used group decision-making techniques; the Delphi method and the nominal group technique. Feedback received from the participants indicates that the methods are transparent, easy to implement, and provide a convenient environment for participatory decision-making.
Pest outbreaks in tropical forest plantations: is there a greater risk for exotic tree species?
In the context of the ongoing expansion of forest plantations of exotic tree species in the tropics, a critical assessment was made of the risk of insect pest outbreaks in exotics. To date, there have been two opposing views: that plantations of exotic species are at greater risk compared to indigenous species and conversely, that exotics are at lesser risk. Both views rest on theoretical arguments. In this study, an empirical approach was used to address the issue. For nine most commonly planted species in the tropics, the pest problems in natural forest stands, in countries in which the species are indigenous (native plantations), and in exotic plantations were compared. The species chosen were Acacia mangium, Eucalyptus spp., Gmelina arborea, Hevea brasiliensis, Leucaena leucocephala, Paraserianthes falcataria, Pinus caribaea, Swietenia macrophylla and Tectona grandis. The results showed that: (1) monoculture itself caused an increase in the pest problems; and (2) the pest risk of exotics was variable, for some species similar to that of native plantations, while greater or lesser for others. The risk of pest outbreak is therefore not solely dependent on the exotic or indigenous status of a species. Empirical results also showed that pest outbreaks occurred in native plantations. The theory relating to insect population dynamics and causes of pest outbreaks is discussed and based on a mix of empirical evidence and theory. It is concluded that the following factors determine the risk of pest outbreak in exotic monoculture plantations: (1) presence or absence of plant species closely related to the exotic; (2) extent of area under the exotic species; (3) genetic base of the planted stock; (4) distance from the native habitat of the exotic; (5) existence of serious pests in the native habitat of the exotic; (6) time elapsed since introduction; (7) chemical profile of the exotic species; and (8) innate biological attributes of the insects associated with a tree species. The overall conclusion from this study is that while all monoculture plantations are at greater risk of pest outbreaks than natural forests, plantations of exotics are at no greater risk than plantations of indigenous species. It should be possible to develop a pest risk rating system for different tree species for different locations, based on these criteria.