New rights for forest-based communities? Understanding processes of forest tenure reform

Larson, Anne M.; Barry, Deborah; Dahal, Ganga Ram

doi:10.1505/ifor.12.1.78

Cited by 85 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The recognition of rights is often contentious and is likely to result from grassroots struggleand there is no reason to believe the struggle ends once rights are granted (see Larson et al 2010b). One key arena of contention is the choice of entity to represent the collective, an issue intimately tied to the control of land, resources and political power.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The research was aimed at understanding processes of forest tenure reforms in several developing countries (for a full explanation of methods, see Larson et al 2010a, Larson et al 2010b). The cases did not have authority relations as a subject of study; rather this was an issue of interest that emerged later in the analysis and comparison of the findings.…”

Section: The Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They may involve rights to resources or resource revenues that were not previously acknowledged; they may be temporary or conditional (Larson et al 2010b). In the cases of indigenous peoples, however, the recognition of rights is more likely to involve the demarcation and titling of large territories, rooted in the struggle for identity, representation and cultural reproduction, as well as control over resources (Bae 2005, Plant and Hvalkof 2001, Barry et al 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Formalizing Indigenous Commons: The Role of ‘Authority’ in the Formation of Territories in Nicaragua, Bolivia, and the Philippines

2015

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Indigenous peoples have sometimes sought the formalization of their customary territories to demand the enforcement of their borders, which have often not been respected by outsiders or the state. The process of formalization, however, generates new conflicts. This article explores how the recognition of indigenous forest commons is connected to questions about authority. For communal properties in particular, issues of 'authority' are central to shaping how decisions are made, whose opinion or knowledge is taken into account and how access to land and natural resources is determined in practice. The process of constituting collective territories is intimately related to the constitution of authority, as it involves not only the negotiation of physical boundaries but also the recognition of a particular entity to represent the collective. Though an entity that holds leadership powers may already exist, it is likely to be endowed with new decision-making powers and responsibilities; and in many cases a new entity will have to be created. This is not a 'local' process but rather emerges at the intersection of relations between the community, or territory, and the state. Similarly, given that 'authority' implies legitimacy, such legitimacy will have to be produced. Drawing on a comparison of cases of two indigenous territories in Nicaragua and Bolivia and an ancestral domain in the Philippines, this article shows how authority emerges from often conflictive processes of constructing the commons and shapes community rights toand powers over -forests and forest resources.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Formalizing Indigenous Commons: The Role of ‘Authority’ in the Formation of Territories in Nicaragua, Bolivia, and the Philippines

2015

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“…The global tenure reform movement of transferring forests to community ownership and management (Larson, Barry & Dahal 2010) is not strong in Ukraine.…”

Section: Forest Tenure and Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Forest carbon projects in the Ukrainian Carpathians: an assessment of potential community impacts and benefits

et al. 2017

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. 2017. Forest carbon projects in the Ukrainian Carpathians: an assessment of potential community impacts and benefits. Ann. For. Res. 60(1): 3-17.Abstract. Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) is a frequently promoted climate change mitigation strategy. As forest carbon projects proceed, we are learning how they affect local sovereignty and resource access, particularly in developing economies. Central and Eastern Europe's temperate forests offer potential for projects, yet little is known about how the sociopolitical context of these transitional economies may influence project success. In this article, we enhance understanding of potential community impacts and explore opportunities for fair benefit distribution in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountain region. Through a thematic qualitative and interpretive analysis of interviews and observational data, we: (1) describe what community-level forest uses and tenure rights may be affected by forest carbon projects; and (2) explore the opportunities and obstacles of fair benefit distribution and community engagement in projects in the region. Our data show that local communities in the region are important forest-dependent stakeholders, relying on the forest for fuelwood, non-timber forest products, recreation, and other intangible benefits. This indicates the need for strong social safeguards in developing forest carbon projects. While no mechanisms exist for direct revenue sharing, communities could derive other benefits that improve the local social, economic, and ecological situation. Our results further suggest that lessons from projects in developing economies can be informative to project development in post-socialist, transitioning economies.

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“…Furthermore, Cameroon needs to enact specific social safeguard policies and measures to support REDD+ . According to Lawlor et al (2010), this goes beyond benefit sharing, as it is often framed by scholars (Galudra et al, 2011;Hoang et al 2013;Larson, Barry, & Dahal, 2010), to avoid negative impacts on rural communities and thus promote their positive commitment to the overall effectiveness of the REDD+ programme.…”

Section: Analytical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Institutional dimensions of the developing REDD+ process in Cameroon

Ngendakumana¹,

Minang²,

Feudjio³

et al. 2014

Climate Policy

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The reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+ ) initiative has emerged in recent years as a mechanism to simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity, and poverty reduction challenges at the margins of tropical forests. Congo Basin countries, including Cameroon, have embraced the opportunities that REDD+ provides, with great expectations. Yet, it needs to be investigated whether the enabling institutional environment, which is required for implementing REDD+ , is present. Understanding is still limited on how to build adequate and strong institutional relations that could shape the reforms towards the establishment of efficient emissions reductions schemes. Furthermore, uncertainty remains on the operational mechanisms of REDD+ , suggesting that, to catalyse effectiveness, there is a need to come up with a governance model nested in relevant policy frameworks. This study builds on a modified '4Is' framework -Institutions, Interests, Ideas and Information -to analyse REDD+ and explore stakeholders' perceptions on the local forest governance potential. A structural implementation model to optimize the effectiveness of REDD+ is developed. Findings suggest that governments need to review existing policies to take into account participation, local people rights, and information access as a way to stimulate actors' willingness to contribute to emissions reductions and carbon stock increases under REDD+ regimes. Policy relevanceCurrently, there is no agreed framework for REDD+ in Cameroon, despite the potential role its humid forests could have to mitigate climate change at national and global levels. Furthermore, there are no initiatives that have fully mapped the boundary institutions to be engaged in REDD+ processes at the landscape level, although there is high commitment of various stakeholders to influence policies towards the implementation of the mechanism itself. For example, forestry companies, local communities, and conservation institutions would like to get involved. Findings indicate that there is potential for a cross-sectoral change and provide guidance as to how the uncertainties and risks, which may undermine the effective participation of stakeholders in the REDD+ processes at local and national levels, might be tackled. The schematic model and analytical frameworks suggested should prove very important to bridge various discourses among diverse actors. The end result is anticipated to be a governance structure for CO 2 emissions reductions through changes in land-use practices.

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New rights for forest-based communities? Understanding processes of forest tenure reform

Cited by 85 publications

References 68 publications

Formalizing Indigenous Commons: The Role of ‘Authority’ in the Formation of Territories in Nicaragua, Bolivia, and the Philippines

Formalizing Indigenous Commons: The Role of ‘Authority’ in the Formation of Territories in Nicaragua, Bolivia, and the Philippines

Forest carbon projects in the Ukrainian Carpathians: an assessment of potential community impacts and benefits

Institutional dimensions of the developing REDD+ process in Cameroon

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