Digby Race

The Twists and Turns of Community Participation in Natural Resource Management in Australia: What is Missing?

Aspects of Australian natural resource management, particularly forestry, such as harvesting from public native forests and establishing large-scale plantations on farmland, have been contentious for many years. In response to such contention with forestry development, local communities are increasingly seeking a role in determining the use and management of forest resources. Despite a growing acceptance of the need for community participation, there has been little analysis of the type and extent of participation that is most effective, and of the costs and benefits of participation in natural resource management. This paper draws on international and Australian experiences to provide a conceptual framework for analysing the role of participation in natural resource management, especially forestry. The authors provide three examples of how community participation has been developed in Australia, and aim to stimulate discussion on the wider role of participation in natural resource management.

REDD+ and community forestry: Implications for local communities and forest management-a case study from Nepal

SUMMARY The REDD+ policy proposes to deliver multiple outcomes including emissions reduction, livelihood support and sustainable forest management, and thus appears largely compatible with Community Forestry (CF). However, the addition of a new value (carbon sequestration) to traditional values of CF (local livelihoods and ecological resilience) may have implications for communities and CF management approaches at local level. Based on primary data collected from three Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) in Nepal, this paper explores local effects of REDD+ in pilot sites, where the program has been implemented since 2009. Data from in-depth interviews, focus groups and household survey indicates that REDD+ has generated both positive and negative outcomes. CF condition, CFUGs activities and network, and sources of CFUGs income appeared to be improved, whereas autonomy of CFUGs as independent decision making institutions and customary access rights to forests are both limited, and external political agendas are seen to be replacing the needs and interests of forest users.

Household and farm attributes affecting adoption of smallholder timber management practices by tree growers in Gunungkidul region, Indonesia

Farm household characteristics determine the success of programs promoting agroforestry systems and practices. This paper reports household and farm factors affecting the adoption of timber management practices by smallholders in the Gunungkidul region, Central Java, Indonesia. The research used three logistic regression analysis models—based on each household and farm characteristic, and a composite of both together—to identify the key factors influencing farmers’ adoption and management decisions, and their relative importance. A sample of 152 farmers who managed their trees primarily for timber production was compared to a sample of 115 farmers with similar socio-economic characteristics who did not. The household condition and composite models identified both on-farm and off-farm gross incomes as significant factors affecting farmers’ decisions to manage timber trees. The models confirmed that farmers with larger farms, and with higher on- and off-farm incomes, were more likely to manage their trees for timber production. These results have implications for extension programs that promote adoption of commercial timber management by smallholders in the case study and similar regions.

Patterns, Drivers and Implications of Demographic Change in Rural Landscapes

The movement of people to reside in new locations – a key aspect of demographic change – is a phenomenon Australia shares with the rest of the world. While most of Australia’s population lives in an urban environment, the dimensions of demographic change are more complex than a steady leakage of rural people to the cities. There is a simultaneous migration of rural people to other rural and regional areas, and urban people to new coastal, rural and regional areas to fulfil the apparent opportunities of a better life. In many respects, the appeal and limitation of rural areas is temporally, socially and spatially specific. This chapter provides an overview of the principal patterns, drivers and implications of demographic change for rural communities and landscapes. While drawing on international experiences, this chapter is framed by the Australian context and outlines the more substantive discussion that follows in subsequent chapters.

Lessons from Recent Evaluations of Natural Resource Management Programs in Australia

There has been very little published about evaluations of natural resource management programs in Australia. This situation reduces information transfer between program managers and evaluators and increases the likelihood that past mistakes will be repeated. In this paper the authors reflect upon their recent experience with evaluations of the Murray-Darling Basin Commissions (MDBC) Riverine Environment Investigation and Education program and the Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE) Farm Forestry Program. While the programs resulted in significant outcomes, they varied in the soundness of program logic. About a quarter of the projects in both programs performed poorly. Concerns about program logic and its implementation, and with program and project management are explored where these have wider relevance to natural resource policy development, program management and evaluation. Suggestions are made about the key elements required in evaluations of natural resource management p...

Socio-economic considerations for regional farm forestry development

Summary Farm forestry in Australia is increasingly promoted as a national strategy likely to deliver important benefits in terms of expanding opportunities for commercial wood production, assisting the move to more sustainable agriculture and enhancing regional development. While the benefits from farm forestry are often cited as social, economic and environmental in nature, there is little detailed analysis of the extent of the socio-economic benefits that will flow to regional communities. The authors argue that despite increasing interest by landholders, industry and government, it cannot be assumed that the benefits of farm forestry will necessarily be delivered to all stakeholders. As such, farm forestry development needs to be underpinned by adequate analysis of how regional stakeholders, particularly small-scale growers, are to benefit from farm forestry. In this paper the authors draw upon Australian and international experiences to present what they view as some of the key socio-economic consider...

Differential impacts of climate change on communities in the middle hills region of Nepal

There is a growing understanding that the impacts of climate change affect different communities within a country, in a variety of ways—not always uniformly. This article reports on research conducted in the middle hills region of Nepal that explored climate change vulnerability in terms of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity across different well-being groups, genders of the head of household and household location. In the study region, dry land farming has increasingly experienced climate-induced changes to farm productivity and natural resources. The experience of vulnerability to decreased livelihood options and natural resource hazards due to a changing climate varied according to household wealth and well-being status, with very poor and poor households more vulnerable than medium and well-off households. The research indicates that the climate change adaptation would benefit by considering: (i) differential impacts of vulnerability mainly based on well-being status of households; (ii) understanding of the local socio-political context and underlying causes of vulnerability and its application; and (iii) identifying vulnerable populations for the units of vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning.

Restoring the bush on private land: perspectives of landholders in Victoria

Abstract Change in the extent and quality of native vegetation in rural landscapes in Victoria has not occurred evenly, or predictably, across the state over the past 50 years. There is variation in the presence of remnant native vegetation across land tenure, agronomic potential and from site-specific historical events. Even when there is an increase in native vegetation on farmland, it is uncertain how different landholders perceive this change and the extent to which environmental programs influence their management. This research explores the scale on which different landholders were increasing native vegetation on their properties; and the influence of environmental programs on landholders’ efforts to increase native vegetation. Combined qualitative and quantitative data reveal that a wide range of landholders is making considerable effort to increase the scale of native vegetation on their properties; however an increase in the extent of native vegetation in the wider district, particularly by natural regeneration, is not always viewed favourably by some landholders; and environmental programs remain an important catalyst across a spectrum of landholders for the management of native vegetation. The findings and the implications for natural resource management in the Australian context are discussed, particularly in relation to improving understanding of how to engage landholders to restore native vegetation on farmland.

Partnerships for involving small-scale growers in commercial forestry: lessons from Australia and Indonesia.

SUMMARY The trade relationship between small-scale growers and processing companies often plays an important role in determining the nature and extent of benefits derived from commercial forestry, and the distribution of these benefits. Many strategies are used by individual small-scale growers, village communities, companies and government agencies to form partnerships to undertake commercial forestry — including outgrower schemes, land leasing by companies, and using intermediary brokers between small-scale growers and processors. This article reports on the key findings of a three-year research project that explored different business partnerships used in commercial forestry in Australia and Indonesia, and identified the critical factors for beneficial and enduring partnerships. The key lessons from this research are that, for many small-scale growers to form successful partnerships with other investors, they need: increased knowledge of the operations and components of commercial forestry; improved access to competitive markets; increased knowledge of the dynamics of forest product markets; improved capacity of local farmer forest groups to share experiences and information, and build their knowledge of commercial forestry; and reduced administrative and financial burden imposed by government on small-scale forestry operations.

Factors affecting adoption of plantation forestry on farms: implications for farm forestry development in Australia

Summary Many factors influence adoption of plantation forestry as part of the farm enterprise. This paper reviews earlier work, and reports the results of a study of these factors in North East Tasmania. Before landholders are likely to adopt plantation forestry, they must be motivated to consider adoption of a new enterprise, and be able to access adequate information on farm forestry. Information commonly sought by landholders when deciding whether or not to adopt includes that on the biophysical requirements for commercial tree crops, the opportunity costs incurred, and the infrastructure available for farm forestry. Evaluation of this information is influenced by the socioeconomic status, attitudes and values of the landholder. Plantation forestry may only be adopted if all of the above factors combine in such a way that this form of farm forestry is considered the optimal utilisation of an area of land being considered by the landholder for establishment under a new agricultural enterprise. Promoting the uptake of plantation forestry on farms therefore requires development of adequate markets for the products of farm forestry, links between growers and those markets, credible information on economic returns, supportive regulatory environments and adequate information dissemination on farm forestry.