Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to provide background information on the land tenure and conflict issues surrounding sustainable forestry management initiatives on customary land in Fiji. Design/methodology/approach-An investigation of literature on land tenure, forestry and related conflict is augmented by two short case studies of sustainable forest management initiatives and the challenges in their execution attributable to customary land issues. Findings-Conflicts occur within resource owning communities, between communities and external parties and among external parties. Often conflicts are based on confusion over property rights related issues. Conflicts stemming from differing views on ownership, tenure and property rights within forest management in Fiji, have led to delayed implementation of critical environmental management plans, loss of economic benefits and disintegration within landowning (mataqali) units. Research limitations/implications-The paper highlights the importance of actively addressing conflicts in community based natural resource management initiatives in order for Fiji to reap the full benefits of community forestry. Practical implications-The paper provides a useful general review for both researchers and forestry practitioners. Originality/value-By providing a general overview of sustainable forest management in Fiji, the paper provides essential background for the subsequent testing of conflict management tools and conflict transformation strategies within a customary context.
Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Communities (EPIC) is a global initiative implemented from 2012 to 2017 to promote the use of ecosystem-based approaches and protect communities from disasters and the negative impacts of climate change. It also aimed to have ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction recognised in key global frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The project demonstrated the need to invest in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, to have more effective climate change adaptation in the targeted sites. This flagship project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). It was
Social learning processes have untapped potential to integrate knowledge and experiences across a diverse group of stakeholders, including strengthening a community's ability to transfer their local knowledge and experiences in dealing with change, to develop locally relevant Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) strategies. This paper evaluates experiences from the application of a CCA planning methodology that leverages social learning as the main approach for local communities to plan and design their CCA strategies in Burkina Faso, Chile and Senegal. In each case, the paper analyses the key features of the emerging social learning processes during the application of the methodology, presents and analyses participants' feedback and impressions of the process, as well as facilitators' feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology. An engaging social learning process was demonstrated through observing varying levels of occurrence of seven features -the pooling of different fields and forms of knowledge amongst the participants; creation of joint language; reshaping of perceptions and preconceptions; transformation of attitudes and patterns of communications; redefining of roles in the learning process; establishment of common values and mutual trust building. The methodology was referred to as being simple, inclusive, helping create ownership and highly interactive, by facilitators who used it. While this research demonstrated the immediate and short-term impacts of social learning to be positive for the CCA planning process, longer term monitoring is needed to fully understand the opportunities and limitations of social learning for CCA planning. In doing so, it is important to recognise the project driven modalities of CCA for rural communities is a limitation in itself in truly benefiting from the long-term benefits of social learning.
The costs of storms, floods, earthquakes, landslides, ocean surge and desertification are increasing; and with each event natural capital is also lost in terms of healthy ecosystems, species and ecosystem services. Despite increased spending on disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies, well over a million people died as a result of natural hazards in the last decade. We need to rethink how to manage DRR. One strategy poorly recognised and under-exploited to date is the role of natural ecosystems in protecting against and mitigating from disasters and the role of protected areas in maintaining these ecosystem services. This editorial reviews how protected areas can support DDR and draws specifically on responses to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
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