Juan M. Pulhin

People, power and timber: The politics of community-based forest management

The potential of devolved conservation to empower people, reduce poverty and protect forest resources has yet to be realized in much of the developing world. This is particularly evident in the Philippines where the central state paradoxically recentralizes political power through devolution at the policy, program and project level in forest management. We investigate how centralized state power emanates through devolved networks to affect the success of local timber utilization involving community-based forest management (CBFM) on Mindanao Island, the southern Philippines. By examining broader shifts from centralized to devolved forest management, results suggest that centralized political power continues to control and adversely affect local uses of timber through CBFM. We discuss how in the process of state authorities recentralizing devolved rights and responsibility over timber management, community-based logging operations were threatened but sustained by members relying on community-based structures and their own capabilities. The conclusion asserts that broader state processes of devolving power over timber management remains constrained by political motives and interests and so largely fails to fulfill the objectives of community-based forest management.

Environmental impacts of community-based forest management in the Philippines

Community-based forest management (CBFM) is a major strategy in managing forest lands in the Philippines. Forest and land management activities implemented in CBFM project sites include management of tropical forests (enrichment planting, timber stand improvement or TSI and limited harvesting), rehabilitation of degraded lands (reforestation, assisted natural regeneration (ANR)) and agroforestry. The environmental effects of CBFM and its technologies are largely positive. CBFM has led to the conservation of natural forests and the associated biodiversity. The planting of trees in farms and landscapes has led to soil and water conservation, carbon sequestration and biomass production.

Social and institutional dimensions of climate change adaptation

Purpose – The Philippines is among the countries vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. However, many local government units (LGUs) and the people themselves are not aware of the climate change phenomenon and do not have the capacity to undertake appropriate climate change adaptation measures. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the climate change adaptation strategies of communities and LGUs and the barriers and recommendations to enhance their adaptive capacity.Design/methodology/approach – The study covered five communities vulnerable to climate change impacts. Information on extreme climatic events and their impacts and adaptation strategies undertaken were gathered through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews. LGU staff members were assisted in the preparation of their climate change adaptation plan (CCAP).Findings – The LGUs and communities have low adaptive capacity and employed temporary adaptation strategies. Strong social cohesion and spontaneous collecti...

Facing the Challenge of Social Forestry in Japan: The Case of Reviving Harmonious Coexistence Between Forest and People in Okayama Prefecture

Social forestry as a development strategy has evolved since the 1970s, especially in the tropics, to address forest degradation and promote local community development amidst the burgeoning population in these areas. As a practice, however, social forestry has been in place since ancient times in many parts of the world, including Japanese forest communities. Forest-people relationships in Japan drastically changed through massive afforestation programs after the energy source change and with the industrialization of the forest sector in 1950s. The majority of the planted forests are underutilized today and forest communities are marginalized due to the decline of forestry operations, depopulation, and changes in people’s values. Some communities address this concern by inviting potential urban migrants who may be interested in settling in rural areas. Using the case of the Nishiawakura Village in Okayama Prefecture, this paper explores the recent challenges confronting social forestry in Japan. It is found that underutilization of forest resources can be a cause of serious environmental degradation and marginalization of forest communities, and that Nishiawakura’s journey to renew forest management in partnership with migrants is a process of revisiting and creating the forest-people relationship. This study advances two related arguments, namely (1) the interaction of the local people and the migrants brings new perspectives to forest management, and (2) in a community facing depopulation and underutilization of forest resources, social forestry can be an effective approach to rediscover traditional forest management in a new form and revitalize forests and local communities.

Transformation Strategy for Managing Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems: Case Studies from Bangladesh and the Philippines

This study demonstrates the potential of transformation strategy (an approach that emphasizes strengthening interdependence among social and ecological systems) to rehabilitate degraded land by examining two cases in Bangladesh and one in the Philippines. The study considers the benefits obtained from forests and forest-related activities in the form of income and energy sources as key parameters to link the social system (local people) with the ecological system (forest). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data on land use and socio-economic changes indicates that the transformation strategy improved both the wellbeing of local people and forest cover. In the case of the Philippines, social and ecological linkages were found to be strong, with local people rehabilitating the degraded land while also obtaining a high proportion of their total income from the activity. For the two Bangladesh cases, however, the level of dependency on the forest for livelihood declined as local people used their income from the forest and forest-related activities for diversification to non-forest activities.

Climate and Sustainability

Projected change in climate in the coming decades adds a layer of complexity in the search for sustainability. Warming temperatures, rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and their impacts on natural and human systems could threaten the attainment of development goals. Many countries in Asia and the Pacific are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and there is growing recognition that climate change adaptation must be tackled as an integral part of the development process, for example in mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national plans and programmes. The aim of Chap. 6 is to explore linkages between sustainable development and efforts to address climate change in Asia and the Pacific, particularly focussing in two areas of low carbon development (LCD) pathways for the region, and the importance of natural ecosystems in sustaining the delivery of ecosystem services that are essential for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The challenges posed by climate change will be felt in the coming decades in Asia and the Pacific. In parallel, nations in the region will continue to aspire for sustainable development. Policy makers and development workers must find ways to ensure that both these concerns are addressed synergistically while avoiding negative outcomes. One way to mitigate climate change while pursuing sustainable development is through LCD, which will require negotiations across many stakeholders of governments, non-government agencies, industry and broader communities. In Asia and the Pacific natural ecosystems will continue to play a critical role in addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. Nations in the region will have to find innovative ways to manage and rehabilitate natural ecosystems for a multiplicity of functions and services. This will involve greater collaboration and communication between scientists and policy makers as well as between natural and social scientists. In many developing countries, there is still very limited empirical information and research needs to be ramped up. North-South and South-South partnerships could help fill the gap.

A Property-Rights Approach to Understanding Regulations and Practices in Community-Based Forest Management: Comparison of Three Systems in the Philippines

Decentralizing property rights from state control to user communities has encouraged people’s participation in forest management. Relatively few studies, however, examine the forest regulations required for exercising such property rights. To address this issue, Schlager and Ostrom’s ‘bundle of rights’ framework was used to examine various forms of property rights and regulations in three systems of community-based forest management. The field research was undertaken in the northern Philippines, using eight cases of community-based forest management at sites in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao. Local communities were found to informally retain the authority to create locally crafted property rights and regulations in a central government-initiated program. While forest regulations and practices prescribed at the national level have improved forest conditions, the flow of forest benefits to communities has been limited because of decentralization without devolution of authority. A case study of a site initiated by a local government indicated that the transfer of responsibility from the central government to local government units can create more favourable conditions for the flow of forest benefits to communities. But due to a lack of clarity about devolution of cutting permits and about the locations of afforested critical watershed areas, authorized local users lose their authorization. When forest is managed traditionally, communities can have more assured rights than in government-initiated programs, particularly in relation to tree ownership. This is because individuals have the authority to devise collective-choice rights as well as operational rights.

Water Supply and Demand and the Drivers of Change

This chapter synthesizes the existing information and knowledge on the state of water resources in the Philippines by providing a general overview on water supply, demand and uses at the national level. The major sources of water, namely surface and ground water, will be examined in terms of its adequacy considering present and future supply based available studies and projections. Similarly, the demand side will be analyzed considering the sectoral needs and priorities in relation to the present and projected future water supply. Major drivers of change that are likely to shape the water supply and demand scenarios such as demographic shifts, urbanization, and climate change will be highlighted in the analysis. The chapter concludes with the analysis of the gap in the water supply and demand and its implications on the water governance of the country.

Community-Based Mangrove Management in the Philippines: Experience and Challenges in the Context of Changing Climate

This chapter synthesizes the experiences and challenges in community-based mangrove management in the Philippines in the context of changing climate. Over the past three decades, mangrove rehabilitation and protection has received considerable attention considering its declining condition vis-a-vis its ability to provide a mix of environmental goods and services including the potential to reduce climate change impacts and disaster risks. Community-based approach was lauded as a sustainable strategy to revert degraded mangroves back to their once verdant condition. However, major issues emerged in view of unclear access and utilization rights of local communities over the mangrove trees they planted and the poor ecological outcomes of many rehabilitation projects. The chapter recommends key strategies to overcome these challenges toward a more sustainable community-based mangrove management in the country while fostering climate-resilient local communities.

Impacts of Community-Based Forest Management Policies Implemented by a Local Forest Institution: A Case Study from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines

A number of developing countries have implemented forest tenure reforms, including community forestry, to achieve social justice. While many studies have assessed the impact of community forestry, few have examined how interventions of local forest institutions influence the conditions of forests and forest dwellers. This study addresses this gap by examining the impacts of forest management policies implemented by the Federation of Vista Hills, Kalongkong and Kakilingan Upland Farmers, Inc. (Federation) in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. Specifically, the study aimed to: (1) examine these interventions in relation to livelihood, income, forest condition, and equity (LIFE) indicators; (2) measure the impacts of these interventions on LIFE indicators; (3) analyze relations between the interventions and LIFE indicators; and (4) identify policy implications to promote sustainable and equitable benefits from local forest governance. Data were compiled from a household-level survey, interviews, satellite image analysis, and a secondary data review. Correlation analysis was performed on the survey results. The Federation’s interventions were found to have improved forest condition and equity. However, they had limited impact on livelihoods and no significant effect on household incomes. Hence, the Federation needs to undertake household-level initiatives to improve the financial capital of forest-dependent populations. Moreover, policy-makers should devolve the issuance of resource use permits to local Department of Environment and Natural Resources offices. Central forest policies, particularly those on forest resource utilization, require adaptation to local situations as incentives for forest-dependent populations to sustainably manage forest resources.