Messiness of forest governance: How technical approaches suppress politics in REDD+ and conservation projects

Myers, Rodd; Larson, Anne M.; Ravikumar, A.; Kowler, L.F.; Yang, A.L.; Trench, Tim

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.02.015

Cited by 108 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…I argue that a progressive vision for forest policy making should be based on principles of transparency, accountability and information sharing and decision-making processes under both FLEGT and REDD+ should provide equal opportunity and space for participation of all kinds of non-state actors (see also, Satyal et al, 2018). The more technical the project, the more difficult engaging a wide range of actors might be, especially when tangible incentives are not evident (see also Myers et al 2018). Diverse political economy and different institutional settings under which national policy processes take place in each country also influence the level of civil society participation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a number of earlier studies have also highlighted, domination of techno-bureaucracy is a paradox that forestry reform and new forest policies have accompanied in the name of participation (Lund, 2015;Hajjar, 2015;Green and Lund, 2015). While concerns of civil society and communities are focused on issues of land tenure, benefit sharing and community rights, the message being delivered from the government and implementing agencies is that REDD+ is a technical issue rather than a governance one (Hajjar, 2015;Myers et al 2018). There are also few tangible incentives (monetary and other) for the civil society and communities to participate in policy making for REDD+.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Forest governance is increasingly responding to global claims over forests as a central strategy to address the worldwide problem of deforestation, illegal logging and climate change. With increased globalisation of forest governance through polycentric and multi-level mechanisms, the ways in which global initiatives are domesticated through national forest policy making are more important than ever, including how different actors are involved in the process Maryudi and Sahide, 2017;Myers et al, 2018). In this paper, I explore two initiatives with roots at an international scale, that aim to influence national and local level forest governance: (a) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhance of forest carbon stocks (REDD+), an international policy framework that seeks to incentivise enhanced forest management in developing countries; and (b) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), an initiative developed by the European Union to address the global concerns of illegal logging by strengthening legal forest management, improving governance and encouraging trade in legally sourced timber.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Civil society participation in REDD+ and FLEGT processes: Case study analysis from Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and the Republic of Congo

Satyal

2018

Forest Policy and Economics

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REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and FLEGT (Forest LawEnforcement, Governance and Trade) are two initiatives with roots at an international scale that aim to influence national and local level forest governance. This paper looks to understand how the breadth and depth of participation of different types of actors, most particularly civil society, compares between these initiatives and in what ways the structure of the governance arrangement and/or the focus of commodities may influence this participation. The paper presents findings from an assessment study on the dynamics of participation of civil society actors in REDD+ and FLEGT processes in four countries of Central and Western Africa: Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and the Republic of Congo. Building on key civil society participation literature, a questionnaire tool was developed and applied in these countries. The analysis is drawn from interviews based on the questionnaire tool, some in-depth interviews and secondary research. The study finds that there is a growing recognition of civil society participation in national policy making of forest governance in the four countries, and a majority of the civil society organisations are participating in REDD+ and FLEGT processes. The quality and degree of their participation (that can range from informing to empowering) however, varies between FLEGT and REDD+ (i.e. FLEGT being more accommodative than REDD+), among a diversity of these actors and the studied countries. The difference in participation between REDD+ and FLEGT is related to the design of these two processes, the general lack of time and financial investment and the technical nature of REDD+ consultations. Moreover, FLEGT has been more inclusive and participatory right from the beginning whereas participatory spaces are generally lacking in REDD+ process, most particularly in its initial stages. As REDD+ and FLEGT processes are being consolidated in these countries and worldwide, this paper provides several avenues of interventions needed to address gaps on participation, such as strengthening participatory platforms, addressing representation deficit for community groups and focusing on capacity building of civil society actors.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Civil society participation in REDD+ and FLEGT processes: Case study analysis from Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and the Republic of Congo

Satyal

2018

Forest Policy and Economics

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“…At present, most standards suffer from a lack of specificity, and do not provide a comprehensive framework for assessing the quality of governance and overall effectiveness of REDD+ projects [14]; the CCB standards have these same challenges. Inevitably, any attempt to synthesize REDD+ outcomes based on documentation from these audit processes will reflect the limitations of the verification and monitoring processes themselves, and the extent to which these processes recognize the complex political economy context within which REDD+ projects are Forests 2018, 9, 589 3 of 22implemented [14,15]. Recent work on the quality of REDD+ governance at the intergovernmental level, with implementation agency-and country-levels has resulted in proposals for governance standards that could provide greater assurance about the overall legitimacy and accountability of the mechanism [14].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…implemented [14,15]. Recent work on the quality of REDD+ governance at the intergovernmental level, with implementation agency-and country-levels has resulted in proposals for governance standards that could provide greater assurance about the overall legitimacy and accountability of the mechanism [14].…”

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confidence: 99%

Assessing the Progress of REDD+ Projects towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Milbank

Coomes

Vira

2018

Forests

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Almost a decade since the establishment of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+), this study investigates the extent to which REDD+ projects are delivering on the promise of co-benefits and the elusive 'triple-win' for climate, biodiversity, and local communities. The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCB) is among several leading REDD+ certification standards that are designed to support the delivery of social and environmental co-benefits, and 'socially-just' carbon. This study uses an in-depth content analysis of 25 subnational REDD+ project documents to assess the extent to which REDD+ project objectives align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets, and evaluates the reporting of progress towards meeting these objectives. Currently the CCB standards address a relatively small subset of SDG targets. Despite this, we find that REDD+ projects aspire to work on a much broader set of SDG target objectives, thus going beyond what the CCB Standards require for REDD+ validation. However, although reviewed REDD+ projects have these aspirations, very few are actively monitoring impact against the goals. There is a gap between aspiration and reported progress at the goal level, and for each project: on average, only a third of SDGs that are being targeted by REDD+ projects are showing 'improvement'. The analysis shows which global goals are most frequently targeted, and which are the least. It also allows an analysis of which projects are following through most effectively in terms of monitoring progress towards the SDGs. This assessment provides insights into the priorities of REDD+ project proponents, suggesting that REDD+ has unfulfilled potential to elicit positive change in relation to the SDGs. Our analysis also shows that there is considerable potential for the safeguarding bodies to do more to ensure that real improvements are made, and reported against, aligning REDD+ projects more strongly with global development agendas.In the case of REDD+, the PES system remunerates forest managers in the Global South for reducing deforestation and degradation, thus reducing carbon emissions. Carbon offset credits are 'sold' to (often Global North) buyers [2]. Under the UNFCCC, REDD+ refers to the full range of policy approaches and positive incentives undertaken by nations to support activities that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks through conservation and sustainable management of forests. The potential for conservation co-benefits from these forestry activities have provided an important potential new source of international finance for biodiversity conservation efforts [3]. As evidence continues to support the critical importance of forests to local livelihoods [4] efforts have been made to ensure that livelihood benefits are realized as part of REDD+, to avoid adverse unintended consequences on forest-dependent and forest-adjacent populations in developing countries. The use of market principles to prote...

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Challenging state authority and hierarchical power: A case study of the engagement of Peru's Amazonian Indigenous Peoples' organizations in the governance of REDD+

Lozano Flores,

Delgado Pugley,

Casas Luna

et al. 2023

Env Pol Gov

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The reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) mechanism is a climate change mitigation policy tool widely used in tropical forested countries that faces institutional and governance challenges in its implementation. Peru provides a particularly rich case study to analyze the agency of Amazonian Indigenous Peoples' organizations (IPOs) in the development of a national REDD+ policy. We examine the multi‐scalar interaction between the Peruvian State and IPOs in the governance of REDD+, identifying the role of Amazonian Indigenous groups in this process. Drawing on socio‐ecological governance and political economy approaches, we analyze data collected through interviews and participant observation. The article provides a case study of how IPOs work within the evolving governance system of REDD+ in Peru—both in responding to opportunities and in shaping the emergent system. Furthermore, it reveals that IPOs' rights and equity frame—deployed through several multi‐scalar strategies—has finally found a place in Peru's REDD+ governance. This has resulted in a more pluralistic mode of coordination between the State and IPOs and in the increase of the socio‐political empowerment of Indigenous Peoples. Our analysis suggests that Peru's REDD+ policies could progress toward more equitable outcomes through a true operationalization of cohesiveness and inclusiveness that encourages a meaningful relationship building between the state and Indigenous Peoples.

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Messiness of forest governance: How technical approaches suppress politics in REDD+ and conservation projects

Cited by 108 publications

References 40 publications

Civil society participation in REDD+ and FLEGT processes: Case study analysis from Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and the Republic of Congo

Civil society participation in REDD+ and FLEGT processes: Case study analysis from Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and the Republic of Congo

Assessing the Progress of REDD+ Projects towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Challenging state authority and hierarchical power: A case study of the engagement of Peru's Amazonian Indigenous Peoples' organizations in the governance of REDD+

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