We investigated the impact of ethnicity on the adaptability of forest resource management in Myanmar. Within Myanmar’s ethnically diverse population, extensive economically motivated internal migration has led to the forming new villages comprising people of different ethnicities. Conditions and problems encountered in these newly formed villages may differ from those in ancestral villages where customary rights prevail. We assessed the livelihood systems and cooperative behaviours of different ethnic groups within a study village. Our findings were as follows: 1) households’ ethnicities influenced their levels of dependence on different livelihood sources, namely Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and field crops, and 2) cooperation among the villagers of different ethnicity was weak. To achieve successful and sustainable natural resource management in such region, the characteristics of different ethnic groups should be taken into account in community forest management plan.

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 householdlevel initiatives to improve the financial capital of forest-dependent populations. Moreover, policy-makers should devolve the issuance of resource use permits to

No abstract

Approximately 70 % of Myanmar s population resides in rural areas, and most rural households rely on forest resources for their livelihood. Characterizing patterns of forest resource utilization by forest-dependent people is critically important for developing strategies to mitigate forest degradation and deforestation as well as for forest conservation in Myanmar. We reviewed the socioeconomic aspects of non-timber forest product (NTFP) utilization in Myanmar to evaluate the current status of our knowledge of NTFPs and their contributions to the livelihoods of rural people in Myanmar to clarify paths for commercializing NTFPs. Our findings confirmed that the rural population heavily depends on NTFPs. In light of the important role that NTFPs play in enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities in Myanmar, more studies of NTFP commercialization and forest and biodiversity conservation practices, especially regional field studies, are needed.

The reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) framework has been implemented over the past decade, and has led to a restructuring of forest governance systems in host countries. In the case of Lao People’s Democratic Republic, which is promoting REDD+, activities have been implemented at project, sub-national, and national scales. Project-scale REDD+ is assumed to be compatible with small-scale forestry, and usually targets local people to enhance participatory forest management through technology transfer. Such projects were also supported by foreign governments under bilateral cooperation or by private funding. In the case of sub-national- or national-scale REDD+, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic government aims to develop a system of forest monitoring, as well as related structures required by international REDD+ entities. These activities are supported by substantial funding from multilateral organizations. Lessons learned from project-scale REDD+ in northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic showed a gap in expectations among different donors and recipients regarding how to implement REDD+, in particular how to reduce dependency on forest resources in rural areas, and how to estimate and account for greenhouse gas emissions reductions with consistent methodologies at different scales. Such differences are related to the attitudes of local people toward participation, and those of the private entities that fund projects and ground-based activities. In future REDD+ schemes, the structural network or structural social capital among project-, sub- national-, and national-scale activities should be reconsidered to enhance the continued participation of stakeholders and make use of their accumulated experience and knowledge of small-scale forestry management.