ID :
76016
Wed, 08/19/2009 - 11:35
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/76016
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NOVEL APPROACH TO IMPROVE FOREST GOVERNANCE
Denpasar, 17/8 (ANTARA) - Researchers working with forest community groups and policy makers in ten countries in Africa and Asia have developed a novel way of improving the flow of social and environmental benefits from tropical forests.
"With forests set to take a central stage in a new global deal to tackle climate changes, there is a desperate search underway for proven ways to improve governance to ensure that forest resources are managed for the good of the public," says project leader and head of IIED's Natural Resources Group, James Mayers.
The search, he said, needs to look at what had been achieved by the Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG). Its experience shows how to improve governance in ways that lead to tangible changes in policy with positive impacts on the people who depend on forests.
The FGLG project has been funded by a grant from the European Commission and co-financing from the Dutch Government. A new proposal to extend the activities of the initiative for an additional five years from January 2009 has been approved by the EC.
In each country, IIED, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and partners set up FGLG teams to bring together representatives of communities, governments, civil society organisations and businesses to explore the driving forces of poor forest governance and to influence national and sub-national policy making.
The groups enabled varied stakeholders to build trust and learn from each other whilst identifying positive policy changes suited to local circumstances and priorities.
To assess the work's impact so far and what can be learned from it, IIED commissioned an independent evaluation by Tom Blomley of Acacia Consulting.
The Blomley report, published today, concludes that the project's specific object of improved governance of forest resources in ten countries in Africa and Asia will largely be met in most of the ten countries.
It adds that strong examples of this came from Ghana, South Africa, and Indonesia where important policy changes have been effected as a direct result of work of the learning groups in those countries.
The report notes that the level of impact generated in terms of learning, as well as improved governance, is high despite the project's modest cost.
"The decentralised manner in which FGLG has worked in the ten countries has provided an important testing ground for locally-driven and innovative approaches," the Blomey report said.
James Mayers, the other IIED's expert, adds, "Many forest problems are questions of social justice. Where FGLG country teams are working well they have shown how practical steps to greater social justice and sustainable local livelihoods can be taken even when very powerful players are against them."
This provides strong lessons for efforts to support forest governance as a climate change mitigation strategy, known as REDD or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation.
IIED, through stimulating, for example, improved parliamentary debates, enhanced civil society action and more informed journalism, the project has achieved impacts such as forest-dependent households living around Mabira forests in Uganda.
There, they have more secure livelihoods after action which successfully reversed a government decision to degazette the forests and convert them to sugar plantations and small scale forest enterprises in South Africa can now operate within a framework of simplified, rationalised and improved policies.
Also, encouraging indigenous communities in Orissa state, India, has been done to increase access to collect and manage non-timber forest products in state forested land. Besides in Vietnam, it has improved governance and frameworks have enabled practical actions for locally beneficial community forests.
Several investments in logging deals that were over-exploitative of local forests and livelihoods have been questioned and prevented by high-level action in Mozambique, East Africa.
The evaluation report found that, of the ten country teams being supported by the initiative by four teams from Ghana, Uganda, Vietnam, and South Africa, are achieving an impact in terms of improved learning, governance decisions with national applicability and demonstrating signs that this has been translated into tangible and widespread impact on the ground for ultimate target groups at local level.
The other four country teams (India, Indonesia, Malawi, and Mozambique) have achieved an impact in terms of both improved learning and governance decisions, with some impact on the ultimate target group, although conditions for wider impact appear favourable.
And the two country teams from Cameroon and Niger have achieved an impact in terms of improved learning as well as some impact on generating improved forest governance decisions, but with limited tangible signs of impact on the ultimate target group.
***3***
"With forests set to take a central stage in a new global deal to tackle climate changes, there is a desperate search underway for proven ways to improve governance to ensure that forest resources are managed for the good of the public," says project leader and head of IIED's Natural Resources Group, James Mayers.
The search, he said, needs to look at what had been achieved by the Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG). Its experience shows how to improve governance in ways that lead to tangible changes in policy with positive impacts on the people who depend on forests.
The FGLG project has been funded by a grant from the European Commission and co-financing from the Dutch Government. A new proposal to extend the activities of the initiative for an additional five years from January 2009 has been approved by the EC.
In each country, IIED, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and partners set up FGLG teams to bring together representatives of communities, governments, civil society organisations and businesses to explore the driving forces of poor forest governance and to influence national and sub-national policy making.
The groups enabled varied stakeholders to build trust and learn from each other whilst identifying positive policy changes suited to local circumstances and priorities.
To assess the work's impact so far and what can be learned from it, IIED commissioned an independent evaluation by Tom Blomley of Acacia Consulting.
The Blomley report, published today, concludes that the project's specific object of improved governance of forest resources in ten countries in Africa and Asia will largely be met in most of the ten countries.
It adds that strong examples of this came from Ghana, South Africa, and Indonesia where important policy changes have been effected as a direct result of work of the learning groups in those countries.
The report notes that the level of impact generated in terms of learning, as well as improved governance, is high despite the project's modest cost.
"The decentralised manner in which FGLG has worked in the ten countries has provided an important testing ground for locally-driven and innovative approaches," the Blomey report said.
James Mayers, the other IIED's expert, adds, "Many forest problems are questions of social justice. Where FGLG country teams are working well they have shown how practical steps to greater social justice and sustainable local livelihoods can be taken even when very powerful players are against them."
This provides strong lessons for efforts to support forest governance as a climate change mitigation strategy, known as REDD or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation.
IIED, through stimulating, for example, improved parliamentary debates, enhanced civil society action and more informed journalism, the project has achieved impacts such as forest-dependent households living around Mabira forests in Uganda.
There, they have more secure livelihoods after action which successfully reversed a government decision to degazette the forests and convert them to sugar plantations and small scale forest enterprises in South Africa can now operate within a framework of simplified, rationalised and improved policies.
Also, encouraging indigenous communities in Orissa state, India, has been done to increase access to collect and manage non-timber forest products in state forested land. Besides in Vietnam, it has improved governance and frameworks have enabled practical actions for locally beneficial community forests.
Several investments in logging deals that were over-exploitative of local forests and livelihoods have been questioned and prevented by high-level action in Mozambique, East Africa.
The evaluation report found that, of the ten country teams being supported by the initiative by four teams from Ghana, Uganda, Vietnam, and South Africa, are achieving an impact in terms of improved learning, governance decisions with national applicability and demonstrating signs that this has been translated into tangible and widespread impact on the ground for ultimate target groups at local level.
The other four country teams (India, Indonesia, Malawi, and Mozambique) have achieved an impact in terms of both improved learning and governance decisions, with some impact on the ultimate target group, although conditions for wider impact appear favourable.
And the two country teams from Cameroon and Niger have achieved an impact in terms of improved learning as well as some impact on generating improved forest governance decisions, but with limited tangible signs of impact on the ultimate target group.
***3***
