Forest rights devolution in Nepal from the late 1980s created different types of community-based forest management institutions, in particular community forestry user groups. Effective forest regeneration led to a new focus on entrepreneurial opportunities for improving livelihoods and social equity, resulting in considerable if unstable enterprise growth. Employing the concept of enabling and asset investments, the study examines how user groups have established and managed forest-based enterprises, taking account of regulatory and non-regulatory factors. The study is based on primary data from interviews with 12 community-managed forest enterprises as well as secondary data from the published, government and grey literature. In light of the high export demand for non-timber forest products from India and elsewhere, there has been gradual policy support for enterprise development from the government. Enabling investments by the government, donors and non-governmental organizations have built momentum and contributed to success. Forest-based enterprises have the potential to change the face of Nepal’s rural economy. However, complex and poorly harmonized regulatory requirements have kept many community-managed forest enterprises in a state of informality and unable to attract asset investment. An emerging second generation of community-managed forest enterprises can benefit from reductions in regulatory burdens and attract asset investments capable of overcoming current obstacles to growth.
Tag: community forestry
The prospects for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in Mesoamerica
The general reluctance of policy makers to include forests in discussions about global warming has changed with the development of measures to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). Mesoamerica presents a logical starting point to promote REDD due to the extent of its forest, and the relatively advanced state of its forest management institutions and policies. This paper reviews the prospects for REDD in Mesoamerica using PES and other instruments, with emphasis on the effectiveness of REDD measures at reducing emissions, and their effi ciency and fairness. It concludes that in spite of reduced deforestation in the region, the growth of payments to avoid deforestation will be the most important policy change related to REDD in the region in the coming years. However, the magnitude and impact of any payments must not be exaggerated and should be set in context of the overall trends resulting from broader social and economic dynamics.
Property rights and participatory forest management: an overview
This paper is an overview of participatory forest management in relation with property rights issue. It highlights the difficulty in defining property rights. Although the issues presented are applicable throughout tropical Asia, albeit less so in the Pacific, this paper is based primarily on the author’s experience in Indonesia, and almost all of examples are from indonesia. This paper discuss the diversity and changing nature of property rights and continues with a discussion on the issue of communities demanding the rights and possible responses of the government. At the end it presents a short review on participation of local communities in forest management.
What is the available evidence concerning relative performance of different designs of mixed-species plantings for smallholder and community forestry in the tropics?: A systematic map protocol
There has been growing interest in mixed species plantation systems because of their potential to provide a range of socio-economic and bio-physical benefits which can be matched to the diverse needs of smallholders and communities. Potential benefits include the production of a range of forest products for home and commercial use; improved soil fertility especially when nitrogen fixing species are included; improved survival rates and greater productivity of species; a reduction in the amount of damage from pests or disease; and improved biodiversity and wildlife habitats. Despite these documented services and growing interest in mixed species plantation systems, the actual planting areas in the tropics are low, and monocultures are still preferred for industrial plantings and many reforestation programs because of perceived higher economic returns and readily available information about the species and their silviculture. In contrast, there are few guidelines for the design and management of mixed-species systems, including the social and ecological factors of successful mixed species plantings.
Fostering resilient institutional arrangements: Ensuring vertical and horizontal integration in parallel to enhance the interconnectivity among government agencies across sectors at provincial, district and village levels
From Tree Fellers to Planters: A Systematic Review of Forest Restoration Initiatives Involving Local Populations in Central Africa
Forest restoration is a key strategy in tropical regions for mitigating global warming and improving local livelihoods, yet despite significant international donor investments, its effectiveness in Central Africa remains poorly documented. This study systematically reviewed forest restoration initiatives involving local communities, analyzing 64 publications covering 26 projects, most of which applied agroforestry techniques and relied on exotic species. These efforts were predominantly implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo (12 initiatives), Cameroon (11), Cameroon & Gabon (1), Rwanda (1), and the Central African Republic (1). Findings reveal that most restoration projects followed pre-established technical approaches without sufficient engagement with local communities, lacked monitoring and data-sharing mechanisms, and rarely incorporated prior consent, land arrangements, or benefit-sharing components. To enhance sustainability, this study recommends fostering genuine partnerships with local people, even if it requires adjusting project objectives, and establishing robust monitoring systems to improve future restoration initiatives. These insights are crucial for guiding donors and policymakers toward more effective, community-centered approaches that ensure long-term success in forest restoration efforts across Central Africa.
An evaluation of the feasibility and benefits of forest partnerships to develop tree plantations: case studies in the Philippines
Mengkaji Dukungan terhadap Hak Masyarakat Adat dan Masyarakat Lokal (IP dan LC) dalam Konteks REDD+ di RD Kongo, Indonesia, dan Peru: Analisis Komparatif serta Rekomendasi untuk Melangkah Maju
Ringkasan
- Safeguard Cancun ditetapkan untuk – minimal – mencegah dampak paling berbahaya (“tidak membahayakan”) terhadap wilayah, mata pencaharian dan kehidupan sosiokultur Masyarakat Adat dan masyarakat lokal (IP dan LC) yang menjaga hutan tempat intervensi REDD+ diimplementasikan. Akan tetapi, pemaknaan dari safeguard ini akan mengikuti kerangka hukum dan prioritas kebijakan di masing-masing negara.
- Analisis komparatif hak IP dan LC dalam kerangka hukum dan kebijakan di RDK, Indonesia, dan Peru – tiga dari empat negara dengan tutupan hutan tertinggi – menunjukkan perbedaan level pengakuan dan penghargaan terhadap IP dan LC dalam konteks REDD+.
- Terdapatnya perbedaan keterlibatan dengan hak-hak IP dan LC, serta divergensi hak yang diakui perjanjian internasional (mis. UNDRIP) tersebut, mengungkapkan bahwa langkah maju safeguard dari ‘tidak membahayakan’ oleh pihak yang ingin ‘bertindak lebih baik’ akan menghadapi tantangan dan ketidakseimbangan.
- ‘Bertindak lebih baik’ memerlukan upaya yang lebih besar, dimulai dengan mempertimbangkan kembali proponen REDD+ sebagai penanggung jawab dan masyarakat sebagai pemilik hak, dengan kapasitas dan mekanisme untuk menjaga agar pihak sebelumnya yang bertanggung jawab (mis: memantau pemenuhan hak termasuk akses atas partisipasi dan manfaat).
- Diperlukan refleksi lebih jauh pada level UNFCCC untuk memutuskan apakah safeguard perlu untuk ‘bertindak lebih baik’. Hal ini membutuhkan pembenahan di tingkat ambisi agar lebih jelas dan transparan, dengan mempersiapkan panduan yang lebih jelas dan persyaratan yang lebih detail bagi negara REDD+, serta pemantauan kepatuhan yang lebih ketat.
- Bukti dampak IP dan LC sebagai penjaga bentang alam hutan dengan biodiversitas tinggi menunjukkan bahwa perlindungan yang ‘bertindak lebih baik’ dengan cara mendukung penentuan nasib sendiri serta akses dan kontrol wilayah leluhur, tidak sekadar menjadi transformatif dalam terminologi kesetaraan, tetapi juga mendukung tujuan REDD+ secara lebih luas.
¿Cómo puede REDD+ contribuir a mejorar los derechos de las comunidades? Una revisión de la interpretación peruana de los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas en las salvaguardas de Cancún
Mensajes clave
- Las salvaguardas de Cancún constituyen uno de los principales mecanismos para la prevención de potenciales impactos adversos del mecanismo para la reducción de las emisiones derivadas de la deforestación y la degradación de los bosques (REDD+) y para la promoción de beneficios sociales y ambientales adicionales; sin embargo, las salvaguardas carecen aún de directrices específicas para su implementación (la cual no tiende a estar verificada por terceros) y son interpretadas por los distintos países de acuerdo con sus leyes y prioridades políticas.
- Dos de las salvaguardas de Cancún se relacionan directamente con los Pueblos Indígenas y las comunidades locales: (c) el respeto de sus conocimientos y derechos, y (d) su participación plena y efectiva en el diseño e implementación de REDD+.
- Perú, uno de los países pioneros en REDD+, alberga una de las mayores poblaciones indígenas del mundo en términos relativos. Un a revisión de su interpretación nacional de las salvaguardas de Cancún y de sus marcos jurídicos ofrece lecciones acerca de cómo REDD+ puede brindar un apoyo más amplio al reconocimiento y respeto de los derechos colectivos.
- Si bien los marcos jurídicos de Perú ya respaldan los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas, para mejorar la situación será necesario desarrollar un mayor esfuerzo en lo que se refiere a los derechos de tenencia de la tierra y los recursos.
- REDD+ representa una oportunidad para expandir el respeto de los derechos colectivos en Perú; para ello, se deben promulgar regulaciones que aborden temas como los derechos al carbono, la distribución equitativa de los beneficios provenientes de REDD+ y un sistema de monitoreo transparente para las salvaguardas.
Benefit sharing in context: A comparative analysis of 10 land-use change case studies in Indonesia
Key points
- In the absence of robust national or subnational policies for benefit sharing, land-use change initiatives in Indonesia have developed their own approaches to distributing benefits. At the local level, support and capacity building are needed to strengthen intermediary institutions in order to improve governance and increase legitimacy when deciding how to share benefits.
- Nonmonetary benefits such as land tenure, capacity building, infrastructure and access to natural resources have been especially important. However, in some cases there are nonmonetary burdens associated with intended benefits.
- The legitimacy of benefit-sharing arrangements is determined more by the actors involved than the type of land-use change associated with them. Conservation initiatives, REDD+ projects and oil palm initiatives all exhibited both high and low levels of legitimacy in their benefit-sharing arrangements.
- The legitimacy of benefit-sharing arrangements can be compromised by the lack of broad consultation with local actors including customary authorities, lack of community control over access to land snd limited livelihoods options for communities.