10:49 p.m.
Dear IUFRO Meliaceae E-list:
IUFRO Spotlight #44 may be of interest. Other Spotlights can be found at:
http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
Regards,
Sheila Ward
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Wed, Feb 22, 2017 at 7:28 AM
Subject: IUFRO Spotlight #44 - Evidence linking community forest rights and
improved forest condition inconclusive
To: Dear IUFRO Officeholder <mahoganyforthefuture(a)gmail.com>
[image: IUFRO Spotlight]
IUFRO Spotlight #44 - Evidence linking community forest rights and
improved forest condition inconclusive
*IUFRO Spotlight* is an initiative of the International Union of Forest
Research Organizations. Its aim is to introduce, in a timely fashion,
significant findings in forest research from IUFRO officeholders and member
organizations to a worldwide network of decision makers, policy makers and
researchers.
IUFRO will encapsulate, and distribute in plain language, brief, topical
and policy-relevant highlights of those findings, along with information on
where/how to access the full documents. The *IUFRO Spotlight* findings will
be distributed in a periodic series of emails as well as blog postings.
*________________________________*
*Evidence linking community forest rights and improved forest condition
inconclusive*
PDF for download
<http://www.iufro.org/download/file/26332/6453/spotlight44-devolution-forest-governance_pdf/>
<http://www.iufro.org/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=17971&md5=69aa7d2f796ff8426df7ec98b296b0f797f874f4¶meters%5B0%5D=YTo0OntzOjU6IndpZHRoIjtzOjQ6IjgwMG0iO3M6NjoiaGVpZ2h0IjtzOjQ6IjYw¶meters%5B1%5D=MG0iO3M6NzoiYm9keVRhZyI7czoyMjoiPGJvZHkgYmdjb2xvcj0iYmxhY2siPiI7¶meters%5B2%5D=czo0OiJ3cmFwIjtzOjM3OiI8YSBocmVmPSJqYXZhc2NyaXB0OmNsb3NlKCk7Ij4g¶meters%5B3%5D=fCA8L2E%2BIjt9>
*Photo by A. Jhaveri: Shifting Cultivation Plot in Heingyu*
There is an assumption that there is a correlation, possibly even a direct
cause and effect relationship, between the devolution of forest governance
and improved forest condition.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was
interested in testing that hypothesis to assess its impact on global
climate change mitigation and adaptation.
To that end, a group of researchers at Michigan State University was tasked
with reviewing, summarizing and commenting on the empirical evidence
supporting that conclusion.
In their review of the literature, they found the assumption deserves, at
best, a "maybe."
"Even though some prominent examples provide illustrations of the links
between tenure content and/or security and forest outcomes, major
weaknesses remain in the evidence generated," said review team leader Dr.
Runsheng Yin of MSU. "There is not enough conclusive evidence to prove a
direct link between community forest rights and improved forest condition.
Therefore, we urge caution in universally accepting the assumption that
community control of forest resources improves forest condition."
The basic challenge is to broaden the research on linkages between forest
tenure and forest condition. Most research to date has been too narrowly
focused. A lack of funding, a lack of coordination and weak research
capacity have contributed to that, he said.
The literature review can help address that challenge, Dr. Yin said.
Right now, he said, "there is much international interest in reducing CO2
emissions from forest degradation and deforestation and in increasing
carbon stocks by enhancing forest regeneration and management.
"At the same time, the effective implementation of Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) requires a broad set of
policies, including institutional reforms in the areas of governance,
tenure, decentralization, and community forest management.
"And reforming forest tenure/governance systems is increasingly viewed as a
key factor in fulfilling a whole host of development and environmental
goals predicated on managing forest ecosystems sustainably," he added.
With those things in mind, the literature review can benefit policy makers,
businesses, researchers, international donors and many other organizations
by improving their understanding of the complex linkages between devolved
tenure systems and forest conditions. This, in turn, will assist them to
better design their (REDD+) and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES)
policies and programs, Dr. Yin said.
In addition, he said, the literature review and possible subsequent
research can contribute to practical knowledge on how mitigation and
adaptation interventions can be delivered to strengthen resource tenure and
property rights to help reduce vulnerability and increase the resilience of
people, places and livelihoods in the face of global climate change impacts
and promote resource use practices that achieve mitigation and development
objectives.
The literature review has been published as a four-article special feature
in Forest Policy and Economics. The articles review and synthesize the
literature on the empirical linkages between devolved tenure systems and
forest conditions, identifying knowledge gaps and study needs as well as
deliberating on how best to move research in this area forward.
The special feature can be found at: Forest Policy and Economics 73: 271-299
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13899341/73
*Dr. Runsheng Yin of Michigan State University (MSU) is the Coordinator of
IUFRO Working Party 9.04.02 – Valuation of ecosystem services and carbon
markets. The Department of Forestry of MSU is a Member Organization of
IUFRO.*
*________________________________*
The findings reported in *IUFRO Spotlight* are submitted by IUFRO
officeholders and member organizations. IUFRO is pleased to highlight and
circulate these findings to a broad audience but, in doing so, acts only as
a conduit. The quality and accuracy of the reports are the responsibility
of the member organization and the authors.
Suggestions for reports and findings that could be promoted through *IUFRO
Spotlight* are encouraged. To be considered, reports should be fresh, have
policy implications and be applicable to more than one country. If you
would like to have a publication highlighted by Spotlight, *contact: Gerda
Wolfrum, IUFRO Communications Coordinator, wolfrum(at)iufro.org
<http://iufro.org>*.
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is the
only worldwide organization devoted to forest research and related
sciences. Its members are research institutions, universities, and
individual scientists as well as decision-making authorities and other
stakeholders with a focus on forests and trees.
Visit: http://www.iufro.org/
*________________________________*
*IUFRO Spotlight #44, published in February 2017by IUFRO Headquarters,
Vienna, Austria.Available for download at:
**http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/
<http://www.iufro.org/media/iufro-spotlights/>*
*Contact the editor at office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org> or visit
http://www.iufro.org/ <http://www.iufro.org/index.php?id=104>*
If you do not wish to receive *IUFRO Spotlight* publications, please email
us at: office(at)iufro.org <office(a)iufro.org>
*Imprint: http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944
<http://www.iufro.org/legal/#c18944>*
