How community forest management performs when REDD+ payments fail

The Reduced Emissions in Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) initiative uses payments for ecosystem services as incentives for developing countries to manage and protect their forests. REDD+ initiatives also prioritize social (and environmental) co-benefits aimed at improving the livelihoods of communities that are dependent on forests. Despite the incorporation of co-benefits into REDD+ goals, carbon sequestration remains the primary metric for which countries can receive payments from REDD+, but after more than ten years of REDD+, many site-specific programs have failed to complete the carbon verification process. Here, we examine whether the REDD+ social co-benefits alone are sufficient to have slowed deforestation in the absence of carbon payments on Pemba, Tanzania. Using satellite imagery (Landsat archive), we quantified forest cover change for the period before (2001-2010) and after (2010-2018) the launch in 2010-11 of Pemba island’s REDD+ Readiness project. We then compared rates of forest cover change between shehia (administrative units) that were part of REDD+ Readiness intervention and those that were not, adjusting for confounding variables and the non-random selection of REDD+ shehia with a statistical matching procedure. Despite considerable variation in forest outcomes among shehia, the associated co-benefits with the Pemba REDD+ project had no discernible effect on forest cover change. Likewise, we did not detect an effect of socioecological covariates on forest cover change across all shehia, though island-wide human population growth since 2012 may have played a role. These findings are unsurprising given the failure to secure carbon payments on Pemba and indicate that co-benefits alone are insufficient to reduce deforestation. We conclude that better oversight of all-involved parties is needed to ensure that REDD+ interventions satisfactorily conclude the process of securing a mechanism for carbon payments, if slowing deforestation is to be achieved.

The Impact on Ecosystem Services and the Satisfaction Therewith of Community Forest Management in Northern Thailand

Forest ecosystems provide myriad services that are beneficial to local livelihoods. Successful community forest management (CFM) enhances the provision, overall benefit, and effectiveness of the regulation of ecosystem services and contributes to forest conservation efforts. The study area was a deciduous forest in the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest, which is located in Pa Mae Phrik National Forest Reserve in Thailand’s northern province of Lampang. A systematic sampling of the forest area was conducted, and survey plots were established. A field survey documented 197 plant species from 62 families. A questionnaire that focused on CFM engagement behavior and ecosystem service satisfaction levels was used to interview household representatives. The study found that levels of engagement and the effectiveness of forest management were directly related; increased CFM effectiveness leads to improved ecosystem services. Participation in CFM can improve ecosystem services and enhance livelihoods. Specifically, participation in decision making, forest fire management, check dam construction, benefit sharing, and in forming effective forest regulations positively impacted ecosystem services. In contrast, employing forest patrols adversely affected those services. This knowledge is useful for identifying policies and practices that can maximize ecosystem services to enhance livelihoods and safeguard the forest’s vitality.

Community participation in sustainable management of community forests

The objectives of this research were to 1) study the potential and obstacles in community forest management 2) study the level of community participation in community forest management 3) propose a guideline to promote the participation of sustainable management of community forests. This research methodology for this study includes a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data for the quantitative method was collected from one representative of each household and it was used to analyze statistics such as; percentage, mean and standard deviation. And data for the qualitative method was collected from the community leaders, Community Forests Committee, People's Representative Representatives from government and private sectors consisting of 16 people, using in-depth interviews, discussion, and questionnaires as research tools. The results of the study showed that the potentials of the community forest were abundant and consist of various biodiversity. The community forest is useful, and it benefits the people because It is a source of food and it generates extra income, it's a learning centre and an ecotourism centre. The major problems and obstacles encountered in the management of the community forest are Participation of the community forest has not yet reached its full potential.

The management pattern and potential wood of community forest in Parakan Muncang Village, Naggung District, Bogor Regency

Community Forest is an alternative to meet the needs of industrial wood raw materials and plays a role in increasing income and welfare of farmer households. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential for stands of community forests and the community forest management patterns applied by forest farmers. The research location is in Parakan Muncang Village, Nanggung District, Bogor Regency. Sampling of respondents using the census method. The data collection method used was a field survey approach and interviews using a questionnaire. The potential for community forest stands in Parakan Muncang Village is 543.75 m3, while the potential per hectare is 32.478 m3. The highest potential is Sengon wood by 51.95%, Teak by 16,16% and Puspa by 9.89%. The pattern of community forest management that is applied is 12.5% of the respondents use the pure community forest pattern (monoculture) and 87.5% use the agroforestry pattern. The cropping pattern in agroforestry forests uses a border tree planting, where wood plants are planted around agricultural crops using a random/irregular cropping pattern.

Application of analytical hierarchy process in implementation of community forest management permit work plan

Community Forest Utilization Business Permit (CFUBP), is a permit granted to utilize forest resources in forest areas whose main use is intended to empower local communities. This study aims to analyze the priority level of the implementation of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) for CF management in Bina Mangrove Forest Farmers Group (FFG), Sentang Village, Teluk Mengkudu District, Serdang Bedagai District. The research was conducted from January to March 2021 using primary and secondary data. The method used is Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) using expert choice software tools. The data collection method is Focus Group Discussion (FGD). From the results of seeding with AHP, the priority for implementing the Annual Work Plan (AWP) for CF management in the Bina Mangrove FFG is the forest utilization criteria with a value of 0.54. The criteria for forest protection or security, development of local wisdom, monitoring and evaluation are next with the same value of 0.14. The criteria for marking the boundaries of the working area or zoning are in the last order with a value of 0.04. The value of inconsistency is 0.08.

Evaluation of work plan implementation of community forest management business license case study in Karya Lestari farmers group, Sibaganding Village, Girsang Sipangan Bolon Sub-district, Simalungun Regency

One of the Social Forestry schemes is the Community Forest (CF) which aims to empower communities around forest areas. CF Management Business Permits are given to the community through Farmers Groups and are obliged to make a Business Work Plan for a period of 10 years and an Annual Work Plan. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the implementation of the Annual Work Plan for Community Forest management in the Karya Lestari Farmer’s Group, Sibaganding Village, Girsang Sipangan Bolon District, Simalungun Regency, based on technical, socio-economic and institutional aspects. The research was carried out between October 2020 and January 2021. The data used are primary and secondary data with the method of taking the object of research by census. Data were analyzed using reduction method, presentation, verification and drawing conclusions. The results showed that the implementation of the Annual Work Plan in 2019 FG Karya Lestari was in 4 activities (14.29 %) and 24 activities (85.71 %). The four activities can be carried out because of the assistance from the local Forest Management Unit, the activities do not require funds and can be carried out in mutual cooperation. The cause of the other activities has not been carried out due to inadequate facilities and infrastructure, lack of funds and low human resources.

Community social capital in community forest management in Pinang Village, Cendana District, Enrekang Regency

This study aims to examine 3 elements of social capital, namely mutual trust (trust), network (network), and reciprocal relationships (reciprocal) in the development of Community Forests (HKm). The qualitative descriptive method was carried out as a research approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The data analysis used is qualitative, data reduction, data presentation, and concluding. The results showed that the level of public trust in general, both supported by cooperation between communities, trust between members of farmer groups, farmer groups with other farmer groups, and farmer groups with the government was well established because they always believed in each other that all parties, both the community, government, and other agencies work together to bring about the development of HKm in their villages. The social network that is intertwined in the village community is well established. In addition to being motivated by kinship, communication and mutual understanding are also strong factors in social networks in the village, namely social networks in community economic activities have reaped an increase in marketing. Social networks in environmental activities are proven by the willingness of farmer groups to receive information related to forest management. Social networking in community activities is proven by the enthusiasm of the village community in participating in training held by the government. The mutual benefits that exist between the parties can be seen in the benefits received by each party, both the community, government and NGOs, and other supporting institutions.