Sustainable Forest Use and Conservation

for Rural Livelihoods

Fonda Lewis

OverviewOverviewECOSYSTEM SERVICES

FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Livelihoods and

dependency

on forest resources

Forest condition

/ degradation and

ecosystem functioning

Opportunities

Recommendations

Conservation

/ Development

Tradeoffs

Threats and Challenges

State of Natural ForestsState of Natural Forests� Approximately 520 000 ha natural forest in South Africa

� 4.61 million ha of natural vegetation in SA is degraded, mainly

indigenous forests, woodlands and grasslands

� Forest ecosystems being degraded or lost at an alarming rate• Reduction of approximately 6% of total forest area recorded from 1944 to 1996

• Substantial loss of small forest patches

� Deforestation is significant form of

degradation in several districts of Limpopo,

KwaZulu-Natal and E. Cape

• Results from clearing of trees for cultivation, settlement or the use of wood

and non-wood forest products

• Deforestation of closed forests is a threat to some forest types and increasing

in some areas

• Degradation is a threat from unsustainable harvesting e.g. of poles, medicinal

plants or other NTFP, overgrazing, poor burning, etc. (Source SOE 2005)

Example:

� Gxalingenwa and KwaYili Forests in southern Drakensberg region

of KwaZulu-Natal

• Proclaimed conservation areas - surrounded by rural communities with

high poverty rates

• Forest type is rare afromontane mistbelt forest

o 1 485ha at Gxalingenwa

o 628ha at KwaYili

• Over the past 10 – 15 years

o 10% decline in forest area at

Gxalingenwa

o 30% decline at KwaYili

o Extensive harvesting of building

poles (yellow wood), medicinal

plants, hunting and clearing

• Threatening biodiversity and future

ecosystem functioning of forests

o Also threatening livelihoods

Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services� The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) distinguishes 4 classes of

ecosystem services important for human well-being:

a) Provisioning – products such as food, raw materials, etc.

b) Regulating – benefits from regulation such as local climate control, water

release and regulation, and disease control, etc.

c) Supporting – services for production of other services such as soil formation

and nutrient cycling, habitat provision, etc.

d) Cultural – non-material benefits such as aesthetics, spiritual enrichment

and recreation activities, etc.� Ecosystem services allow us to see

direct and indirect ways in which we

depend on the natural environment

� Human well-being and most economic

activity depends on a healthy

environment for access to these

services

Forests and LivelihoodsForests and Livelihoods

� Forests widely recognised for the goods they

provide for sustaining rural livelihoods

(provisioning services)

• Timber

• Fuelwood

• Non-timber forest products

• Fodder for livestock

� Substantial evidence illustrating dependency and

use value of these forest resources for rural

livelihoods

• To meet direct household survival needs in terms

of foods, building materials firewood etc

• To sell surpluses to generate small cash income

for household to purchase other necessities

However …….

� Less recognised that forests also provide range of

other crucial ecosystem services• Regulating - regulation of the water cycle and climate

• Support - soil formation, nutrient recycling, and erosion

control

• Cultural - spiritual sites, cultural practices, sporting

activities

In addition to the widely recognised• Provisioning - fuelwood, timber, foods, medicinal plants

….. All are essential for rural livelihoods

� Forest ecosystems do not only include the trees• Include associated habitats such as grassland /wetland -

collectively form a functioning forest ecosystem

• Collectively provide services that support livelihoods

Forest Ecosystem ServicesForest Ecosystem Services

ThreatsThreats� Forest degradation and loss of biodiversity threatens

ecosystem functioning and delivery of ecosystem services

for local livelihoods as well as for wider society

• Species richness required to provide multiple ecosystem

functions

• Species diversity affects ability of systems to provide

threshold levels of ecosystem functions

� Conflict between the maximisation of certain ecosystems

functions - trade offs being made to enhance particular

functions at the expense of others

• Maximising productivity functions (harvesting) may be

negatively related to maintenance of stress (resilience)

o May be impossible to maximize both functions jointly

• Resilience particularly important during stress events e.g.

droughts, floods, fires - weak resilience negatively affects

recovery and ability to continue to yield services

� Short term benefits (harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products,

clearing for settlement and agriculture) traded off against medium to

long term benefits (stress tolerance, water regulation, nutrient cycling ,

biodiversity conservation, climate regulation)

• Meeting immediate livelihood resource needs at the cost of ecosystem

functioning

• Risk for overall well-being in long tem

� Importance of supplying forest goods (provisioning services) is

widely recognized - particularly in the context of alleviating poverty

and supporting the livelihoods of rural poor

• But importance and dependence on the full range of forest services

is not as well known or understood

� Need for rural development promotes

high market value for provisioning

services to the detriment of equally

important but less obvious regulating,

supporting and cultural services

� Example 1

• Overharvesting of understory trees and saplings for building poles

(maximising provisioning) = Thinning and degradation of understory

• Compromising soil stability and increasing risk of soil erosion and breakdown

of nutrient cycling (compromising supporting services)

• Weakening of water cycling services and ability to regulate water releases

(compromising regulating services)

• Increased run off and sedimentation and decreased downstream water

quality for local households and wider society

• Increased risk of flooding and landslides during high rainfall events increasing

vulnerability of local households

� Example 2

• Overharvesting of high demand medicinal plants results in local extinctions

and loss of biodiversity

• Reduced stress tolerance of forest ecosystem system and risk of collapse

• Reduced ability to maintain multiple ecosystem functions at threshold levels

Meeting immediate livelihood resource needs at cost of long term

ecosystem functioning - Risk for overall well-being of local rural

households as well as wider society

ChallengesChallenges� Challenge to provide access to forest resources to support rural

livelihoods without compromising the ecological integrity of forests

• Communities at KwaYili and Gxalingenwa Forests support forest conservation

but openly admit they cannot support conservation if it means reduction in

the use of forest resources -will negatively affect their livelihoods

� Investment in maintaining ecosystem functioning seen as a luxury

• Substantial evidence of importance of provisioning (resource use)

• Importance of regulating, supporting and cultural services poorly visible and

critical role taken for granted

� Lack of awareness and recognition of contribution of full range of

ecosystem services to sustaining livelihoods and poverty alleviation

• No buy in to fact that maximising benefits from provisioning services alone

will not sustain livelihoods in long term

� Can’t address forest conservation in isolation from livelihoods and

poverty alleviation

• But what is the role of forests in meeting livelihood needs of the poor?

o Forests can only be part of the solution

• Needs to find a balance and alternatives

� Conservation cannot be secured through law enforcement and

implementation of policy and regulations alone

• Government has de jure authority

• Communities have de facto authority – not formalised or officially recognised

� Scarcity of information and data on sustainable use levels to inform

harvesting and quotas

• Need to provide access - but what is sustainable?

• Scarcity of information upon which to base harvesting levels and quotas

• Lack of on site monitoring of impacts and consequences of current harvesting

levels

Sustainable use and conservation of natural forests is a multifaceted process

– not achievable by 1 group / department on its own

Opportunities for ActionOpportunities for Action(1) Incentives -

� Market based instruments

• Payment for Ecosystem services (payment for water/catchment management;

payment for carbon)

� Job creation and poverty alleviation

• Working for Water

• Public works programme for forest rehabilitation to restore forest functions

(2) Rewards - for good stewardship

� Conservation status for community forests and certification to create niche

tourism markets etc

(3) Alternatives - increase opportunity:decrease dependency

� Alternative supplies (e.g. renewable energy sources, building materials)

� Alternative livelihood strategies (e.g. non-resource based entrepreneurship)

(4) Enhance custodianship, guardianship and caretaker role

of local communities

� PFM / Co-Management / Community Forestry Agreements

• Empowerment and devolution of management and ownership

(5) Education, awareness and information sharing

� Insights into benefits from entire range of ecosystem services (not

just goods) can contribute to improved management

RecommendationsRecommendations� Management is collective responsibility with many different roles

and responsibilities – need to include forest conservation in all

facets of development and planning• Co-operative governance (Regulators, Conservationists, Users, Community,

Private Sector, Government, NGO, Academics etc.)

� Already a lot of policy and regulation but very few success stories• Need to develop understanding of what contributes to success and failure

• Adapt approach to conservation and sustainable use accordingly

• Look to examples outside forests e.g. Stewardship for biodiversity

� Research indicates potential for harvesting forest resources without

compromising ecosystem services but shortage of data on

sustainable yields and methods• Need applied research to inform adaptive management

• Need on site monitoring and evaluation

RecommendationsRecommendations� Manage forest ecosystems in their entirety

• Not only forest “contents” but also maintain ecological functioning to sustain

ecosystem services

• Understand trade offs that are being made and evaluate consequences and

costs before deciding

• Identify what ecosystem services are most relevant to specific forests and

communities

o Have condition of ecosystem services assessed

o Assess distributional impacts (e.g. livelihoods approach)

o Identify management requirements

o Identify incentives and catalysts

RecommendationsRecommendations� Need policies and regulations reflecting true value of biodiversity

and natural ecosystems

• To help secure conservation and delivery of ecosystem goods and services in

transparent and socially equitable way

� Facilitate establishment of new markets that support and reward

conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services

• Need appropriate institutional infrastructure, incentives, financing and

governance

• In past State considered largely responsible for managing ecosystems

• Now evident that markets can also play part –without public money

ConclusionsConclusions� Forest ecosystem services are not a luxury – they are a necessity

for local livelihoods as well as for the well-being of wider society

� Forest conservation is all about securing service delivery!

� Trends in the extent and condition of our natural forests are

evidence that trade offs are currently being made

• Short term access and resource use to provide critical support for local

livelihoods

• Against medium to long term ecosystem functioning which provides

critical services for local households as well as wider society

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