benefit-sharing mechanisms Archives - Resilient Landscapes (RL)

Summary

In 2015, East Kalimantan was selected as the pilot Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) province in Indonesia. This required government agencies to comply with the World Bank’s safeguards standards, which go beyond most reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) countries’ legal and policy frameworks for community rights.
In the context of the FCPF initiative, East Kalimantan has issued regulations, published formal documents (Indigenous Peoples framework and benefit sharing plan), and implemented a regional regulation for a feedback and grievance redress mechanism integrated with the National Public Service Complaint Management System (SP4N LAPOR!).
Customary rules and sanctions are used to regulate resource management and tenure arrangements at the community level, but the resolution of tenurial conflicts falls under government authority. A history of conflicts between communities and private companies has led to wide acceptance of the Social Forestry programme.
Research participants perceived free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) to be the least challenging aspect of safeguards to comply with. This was due to the familiarity many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with communities have with FPIC. Challenges remain regarding the clarity of FPIC processes, and ensuring the participation of all communities that will be impacted by FCPF activities, and women in those communities.
Research participants perceived the benefit sharing mechanism to be the most challenging aspect related to community engagement in the FCPF initiative. Incentives derived from results-based payments will be managed by the Environmental Fund Management Agency, and an intermediary organization has been developed to disburse incentives.

This chapter analyses community perceptions of fairness in benefit distribution mechanisms of carbon projects implemented in Uganda’s state and private forests. Using an environmental justice framework, the chapter interrogates the distributive and procedural (in)justices inherent in the distribution of benefits derived from forest management activities. Fair distribution of benefits and costs is important in conservation programs for both moral and practical reasons. Data was collected through mixed methods in six rural villages located in Western Uganda, in which incentive-based policy innovations, i.e., the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) were piloted. Findings reveal that both monetary and nonmonetary benefits were more likely to accrue to community members who participated in the pilot projects, with a risk of exacerbating inequality. Participants preferred that individuals who invest more effort in project activities should receive monetary benefits, while egalitarian principle (equal access to all) was preferred for nonmonetary benefits. Community members expressed the need to participate in decision making. To achieve inclusive and socially just conservation programs, conservationists ought to engage all affected persons before and during program implementation.

Stay ahead of the curve