Environmental Governance in Mexico: Two Case Studies of Oaxaca's Community Forest Sector

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROSS E. MITCHELL
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ecological Democracy

This article recognises the paucity of scholarly work on environmental governance in Latin America. More specifically, it is hypothesised that community-based forest management in Mexico serves as an ideal case of ecologically beneficial and democratic decision-making, or ecological democracy. After introducing some of the relevant literature, this hypothesis is tested through a comparison of two indigenous forest-based communities in Oaxaca's Sierra Norte. Four key themes primarily emerged from semi-structured interviews, participant observation and other data collection techniques: local governance, equitable decision-making, forest management and environmental awareness. In comparing these two Mexican communities, this article aims to extend ideas of ecological democracy by linking empirical findings to political ecology theory and community forestry literature. While it is true that ecological democracy in Mexico has been facilitated under certain socio-cultural conditions, it is concluded that it can be simultaneously hindered. The empirical findings provide an analytical framework for subsequent research on ecological democracy in Latin America.

Public engagement in forest governance in Canada: whose values are being represented anyway?

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 1152-1159
Author(s):  
Felicitas Egunyu ◽  
Maureen G. Reed ◽  
A. John Sinclair ◽  
John R. Parkins ◽  
James P. Robson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Governance ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Advisory Committees ◽  
Caucasian Men ◽  
Local Pressures

Researchers and advocates have long argued that on-going engagement by broad segments of the public can help make forests and forest-based communities more sustainable and decisions more enduring. In Canada, public engagement in sustainable forest management has primarily taken one of two approaches: advisory forums through forest-sector advisory committees (FACs) and direct decision-making authority through community forest boards (CFBs). The purpose of this paper is to compare these two approaches by focusing on who participates and the values that participants bring to their deliberations. We conducted a national survey of FACs and CFBs involving 402 participants. Results showed that both models favoured well-educated, Caucasian men and fell short on the representation of women and Indigenous peoples. Additionally, despite different levels of authority in relation to forest management decisions, participants in CFBs and FACs shared similar forest values. Hence, we conclude that neither model of forest governance encourages participation from a diverse public. Our findings suggest the need to find new ways of recruiting diverse participants and to investigate more deeply whether local and extra-local pressures and power dynamics shape these processes. Such information can inform the establishment of more robust institutions for decision-making in support of sustainable forest management.

scholarly journals Can we take the pulse of environmental governance the way we take the pulse of nature? Applying the Freshwater Health Index in Latin America

AMBIO ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Vollmer ◽  
Maíra Ometto Bezerra ◽  
Natalia Acero Martínez ◽  
Octavio Rodríguez Ortiz ◽  
Ivo Encomenderos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Health Index ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Quantitative Assessments

AbstractQuantitative assessments have long been used to evaluate the condition of the natural environment, providing information for standard setting, adaptive management, and monitoring. Similar approaches have been developed to measure environmental governance, however, the end result (e.g., numeric indicators) belies the subjective and normative judgments that are involved in evaluating governance. We demonstrate a framework that makes this information transparent, through an application of the Freshwater Health Index in three different river basins in Latin America. Water Governance is measured on a 0–100 scale, using data derived from perception-based surveys administered to stakeholders. Results suggest that water governance is a primary area of concern in all three places, with low overall scores (Guandu-26, Alto Mayo-38, Bogotá-43). We conclude that this approach to measuring governance at the river basin scale provides valuable information to support monitoring and decision making, and we offer suggestions on how it can be improved.

scholarly journals Analysis of State Forest Institutions in the Republic of Moldova, Using a Causative Model

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Nicolae Talpă ◽  
Aureliu Florin Hălălișan ◽  
Bogdan Popa
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Forest Protection ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Republic Of Moldova ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Management Institutions

With state institutions playing a determinant role and the state owning 86% of the forestland, the forest sector in the Republic of Moldova still strives to adapt to post-communist socio-economic realities. This paper evaluates the performance of forest state institutions in achieving ambitious policy goals oriented toward sustainable management and enhancing forest protection functions. The performance of the Moldsilva Agency; State Forest Enterprises; and Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment were evaluated, using the criteria of the 3L Model. The research combined participatory observations, face-to-face semi-structured interviews and secondary empirical evidence. The results indicate a paternalistic regulatory approach, with state authority institutions giving marginal importance to non-state forests, and low-efficiency state forest management institutions having financial difficulties that threaten the fulfillment of sustainability goals. The Moldsilva Agency has a central role in intra-/inter-sectorial coordination and cooperation. The authorities should seriously consider a more precise formulation of policy goals, with solid budgetary support along with institutional measures aiming at more efficient forest management structures and higher concern for non-state forests and society’s demands.

A structured decision-making approach to climate change adaptation in the forest sector

2005 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan W Ohlson ◽  
Greg A McKinnon ◽  
Kelvin G Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Physical Geography ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Structured Decision Making ◽  
Key Words Climate Change

Climate change presents a risk to the composition, health, and vitality of Canada's forests and forest sector. Effects may be either negative or positive, and will interact in complex ways over many spatial and temporal scales depending on such factors as physical geography, forest type, and forest management practices. Given the apparent vulnerability of forests and the forest sector to climate change, it is prudent that forest and forest-based community managers begin to develop adaptive strategies to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of climate change. A flexible planning framework that incorporates key principles of structured decision-making and risk management is presented as a practical way to integrate climate change adaptation into forest management planning. Key words: climate change, forest, impacts, adaptation, vulnerability, risk management, planning

The Judicial Fix for Forest Loss: The Godavarman Case and the Financialization of India’s Forests

2021 ◽  
pp. 097317412110619
Author(s):  
Manju Menon ◽  
Kanchi Kohli
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
The Political ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Approval Process ◽  
Supreme Court Of India ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Supreme Court

In India, the setting up of large projects in forest areas can be undertaken only after government permission is obtained under the Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA) of 1980. Today, this approval process includes the enumeration and valuation of forest loss, and the financing of compensatory afforestation schemes to offset the loss. These procedures were designed through the orders and judgements of the Supreme Court of India in a set of cases that started in 1995 and continue to this day. These procedures are purportedly aimed to protect and restore forest ecologies in India. In this article we analyse the Supreme Court’s processes and orders between 1996 and 2006 which transformed the political ecology of forests in India. The judicial and expert discourses treated forest regulation and conservation as a techno-managerial exercise, separating it from social-ecological concerns such as historical dispossession of Adivasis and other forest-dependent people, and violent state suppression of diverse forms of forest management. The judicial interventions are instructive to understand the policy processes of green neoliberalism and the implications of the financialization of forests on environmental governance in India.

scholarly journals Exploring the Lived Experience of Undergoing an Immediate Versus Delayed Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator (DIEP) Flap Reconstruction in Women Who Require Post-Mastectomy Radiotherapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel O’Connell ◽  
Jennifer Rusby ◽  
Amrit Sagha ◽  
Sofia Georgopoulou ◽  
Anna Kirby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Diep Flap ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immediate Reconstruction ◽  
Purposive Sampling ◽  
Delayed Reconstruction

Introduction Post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) is recommended to women at high risk of local recurrence. There is a paucity of published work on the experience of women who undergo deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction in the context of requiring PMRT. The aim of the study was to explore and understand the patient experience of these women. Methods Purposive sampling was used to identify patients who had undergone an immediate reconstruction with PMRT and women who had undergone a delayed reconstruction after PMRT. Purposive sampling was used to identify and invite women to participate in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a grounded theory approach with a topic guide which was derived from relevant literature. Results Twenty women participated in the study. Ten women had undergone immediate reconstruction followed by PMRT and 10 women had undergone delayed reconstruction after PMRT. The results suggest that, regardless of the surgical pathway or the consequences of treatment, overall women were satisfied with the treatment decision they had made. Patients described the challenges around decision-making and their post-operative experience. However, patients were grateful to have had a breast reconstruction and in the most part happy with the treatment pathway they underwent. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that women are motivated by a variety of factors when presented with the choice of immediate versus delayed breast reconstruction and can justify the treatment path they have taken. This study highlights the importance of discussing reconstruction options in terms of context of a person’s life and coping strategies. Patients appeared to use self-regulation in their behaviour to cope with their illness threat and decision-making. The women who chose delayed reconstruction were motivated by the delayed gratification of having a reconstruction that had not been subjected to PMRT.

scholarly journals Impacts of Participatory Forest Management on Community Livelihood: Case study of Kereita forest Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Leah Gichuki
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Participatory Forest Management ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

<p>Since the 1990s there has been an increasing shift in the management of natural resources from state control to participatory approaches. Many developing countries, including Kenya, have promoted participatory forest management (PFM) as a strategy for enhancing forest conservation and the sustainable use of forest resources through community participation. Drawing on a case study of the Kereita forest, in the central highlands of Kenya, this research explores the impact of PFM on community livelihood. Using a post-structural political ecology approach and qualitative research methods, I conducted and analysed 18 semi-structured interviews.  Results indicate that the implementation of PFM has changed how the community access forest products. PFM, through processes of inclusion and exclusion, has had both positive and negative effects on community livelihoods. New opportunities were opened, for instance, increased awareness about forest conservation led to a women’s group developing alternative livelihood pathways. In contrast, the development of a new eco-lodge disrupted community plans to rehabilitate that area.   This case study also reflected other critiques of PFM in terms of who holds ultimate authority; ultimately, the government retained a lot of control in forest management, and PFM processes have concentrated power with the government and channelled certain livelihood outcomes that benefit the already wealthy. These uneven power relations between the community and the government produce and perpetuate conflicts in implementing PFM hence hampering livelihood improvement. Furthermore, I argue that PFM has created and embedded both visible and invisible boundaries – through fences and permits, for instance – that regulate what takes place where, and who accesses what. To sustain the development of good community livelihoods through PFM, this research calls for continued interrogations of power imbalances within current PFM structures.</p>

scholarly journals Impacts of Participatory Forest Management on Community Livelihood: Case study of Kereita forest Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Leah Gichuki
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Participatory Forest Management ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

<p>Since the 1990s there has been an increasing shift in the management of natural resources from state control to participatory approaches. Many developing countries, including Kenya, have promoted participatory forest management (PFM) as a strategy for enhancing forest conservation and the sustainable use of forest resources through community participation. Drawing on a case study of the Kereita forest, in the central highlands of Kenya, this research explores the impact of PFM on community livelihood. Using a post-structural political ecology approach and qualitative research methods, I conducted and analysed 18 semi-structured interviews.  Results indicate that the implementation of PFM has changed how the community access forest products. PFM, through processes of inclusion and exclusion, has had both positive and negative effects on community livelihoods. New opportunities were opened, for instance, increased awareness about forest conservation led to a women’s group developing alternative livelihood pathways. In contrast, the development of a new eco-lodge disrupted community plans to rehabilitate that area.   This case study also reflected other critiques of PFM in terms of who holds ultimate authority; ultimately, the government retained a lot of control in forest management, and PFM processes have concentrated power with the government and channelled certain livelihood outcomes that benefit the already wealthy. These uneven power relations between the community and the government produce and perpetuate conflicts in implementing PFM hence hampering livelihood improvement. Furthermore, I argue that PFM has created and embedded both visible and invisible boundaries – through fences and permits, for instance – that regulate what takes place where, and who accesses what. To sustain the development of good community livelihoods through PFM, this research calls for continued interrogations of power imbalances within current PFM structures.</p>

DATABASE DESIGN FOR E-GOVERNANCE APPLICATION: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS OF THE VIETNAM COMMITTEE FOR ETHNIC MINORITY AFFAIRS

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Viet Hung ◽  
Phan Van Hung ◽  
Be Trung Anh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information System ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Base System ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Competency Based

Data mode “good governance” developed in the last century for process of sustainable base system, providing basic information and on-line services, supports the development, challenges and opportunities in the context of globalization and integration. In this paper I discuss a framework for the design of e-Local Governance (eLG) that integrates Information System (IS), Geographical Information System (GIS) and Atlas with focus on ethnic minorities in Vietnam. The design framework is based on various classifications such categories as sex, age, ethnic group, education background and income. The database system is built to enhance the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) capabilities in the planning and decision making process by providing the authorities with data, internet GIS, internet communication and some ecological economic models to disseminate results to the ethnic minorities. The unique feature of the CEMADATA using GIS is that it helps users not only to improve the public services and to provide information and encourage ethnic minorities to participate in decision making processes, but also to support the competency-based training for IT staff

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