Global Forest Policy and Politics:Current Trends, Issues and Future Directions

Implications for Community Forestry in Asia Pacific

Doris CapistranoAdvisor

ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change

First Dr. Somsak Sukwong Annual LectureKatsetsart University

June 5, 2012

Outline

I. Global Forest Policy: Competing Narratives, Evolving Political Dynamics

II. Key Driving Forces and Trends

III. Implications for Community Forestry, particularly in Asia-Pacific

UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio 1992)

• Laid the foundation for global environmental governance– UN Convention on Climate Change– UN Convention on Biological Diversity– UN Convention on Desertification– Rio Declaration and Agenda 21

• But no legally binding agreement on forests– Statement of Forest Principles– Created Intergovernmental Panel/Forum on Forests

Non-legally Binding Forest Instrument (NLBI) agreed in 2007; UNFF to negotiate a legally binding agreement in 2015

NLBI: Global Objectives1. Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through

sustainable forest management (SFM),

2. Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits,

3. Increase significantly the area of protected forests worldwide and other areas of sustainably managed forests,

4. Reverse the decline in official development assistance for sustainable forest management and mobilize significantly increased, new and additional financial resources

Key Narratives Threads and Debates in Global Forest Policy

• Global vs. national/local values; authority to decide on forests

• Conservation vs. development

• Mix of forest products and services

• Role of the state; voluntary standards vs. regulation

Competing narratives about forests, people and how to achieve Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)

Dynamics of Global Forest Politics• Fragmented policy regime (multiplicity of forums)

• Widened interest group participation (beyond States)– Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Private Sector, Research, etc. – Consultative processes , multi-stakeholder mechanisms– Diffused leadership and influence in agenda setting

• Dominance of market approaches – Creation of new property rights and markets to address environmental

and equity issues– Payments for ecosystem services (e.g. REDD)

• “Greening” of the corporate sector– Voluntary standards, certification, roundtables– Use of technology and innovation – Corporate political influence, bias in favor of concessions

Drivers of Forest Policy and Politics

• Originate mainly from outside the forest sector

• Key drivers in recent years include:

– Economic and demographic Trends– Renewed concerns about food security– Climate change, role of forests in mitigation

and adaptation – Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples and

Communities– Governance reforms (NFPs, FLEG, etc.)

Shifting balance of power; changing narratives

19901992

19941996

19982000

20022004

20062008

20102012

0.0

50.0

100.0

150.0

200.0

250.0

Global Food Price Index 1990-2012

Source: FAO

Decreasing Absolute Poverty, Growing Middle Class, Increasing Inequality

• 75% Global GDP growth (1992-2010), fastest in middle income countries

• GDP pc in high income countries 30x that of low income countries

• Global GDP expected to grow 5x from US$60 to US300 trillion by 2030

• Emerging economies will contribute 2/3 of global growth by 2030

Economic power shifting from “West” to “East” notably to Asia 2 billion forest dwelling people among the poorest, with unmet expectations of justice and development

AFRICA

ASIA

EUROPE (with Russia)

CARIBBEAN

CENTRAL AMERICA

NORTH AMERICA

OCEANIA

SOUTH AMERICA

WORLD

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Contribution of the Forestry Sector as a Percentage of GDP in the

World by Subregion,2006

Percentage of GDP

Source: FAO 2011

East Asia12.4%

South Asia61.3%

Southeast Asia4.4%

Central Asia 0.4%

Western Asia 0.5%

Russian Federation

4.3%

Rest of the World16.8%

Employment in primary production of forest goods, 2005

Demand for Land for Food, Fuel, Carbon

• 7 billion people (2011); projected 9.1 billion by 2050• 2.7 billion people using biomass energy for fuel• 4.9 billion hectares of agricultural land (2009)• 2.2% growth in agricultural production (1997 – 2007)• Agro-industrial plantation on community and indigenous lands Since 2008, about 1000% increase in “land-grabbing”-- over 240 million hectares, mostly in forest lands (ILO 2011; RRI 2012)

Call for more integrated approach to landscape management

Climate change put forests back on the global agenda

• Recognition of the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation

• Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD)

• Reversed declining donor funding for forests– Adaptation funding doubled since 1990 but make up only 3% of total aid commitment– Funding over-estimated, mostly relabeling and repackaging of aid

Source: Michaelowa (2011)

Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples and Forest Communities• Expansion of area under control of Indigenous Peoples and

communities– Globally, from 10% in 2002 to 15% today– In developing countries, from 21% in 2002 to 31%

• Over 50 laws recognizing rights since 1992, mostly in Latin America

• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007); FAO Guidance on Tenure Reform (2012)

• Representation in international bodies, steering committees and governing boards

But still gap between rhetoric and implementation

Source: RRI (2012)

Deforestation continues but at a slower pace

• 13 million hectares of forest lost per year from 2000 to 2010• Increase in planted forests, especially in Asia-Pacific • Expansion of protected areas

Net forest loss of 5.2 million hectares annuallySource: FAO

Africa

Asia-Paci

fic

Euro

pe*

Latin Ameri

ca an

d the C

aribbea

n

Near E

ast

North Ameri

ca0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

Area of Forests in the World by Subregion, 1990, 2000, and 2010

Series1Series2Series3

Subregion

Area

(100

0 ha

)

Africa

Asia-Paci

fic

Euro

pe*

Latin Ameri

ca an

d the C

aribbea

n

Near E

ast

North Ameri

ca0

40000

80000

120000

Area of Planted Forests in the World by subregion, 1990, 2000, and 2010

Series1Series2Series3

subregion

Area

(100

0 ha

)

East

Asia

South Asia

Southea

st Asia

Centra

l Asia

West

ern Asia

Russian

Federa

tion0

100002000030000400005000060000700008000090000

100000

Area of Planted Forests in Asia, by subregion, 1990,

2000, and 2010

Series1Series2Series3

subregion

Area

(100

0 ha

)

• Asia-Pacific has 18% of global forest area

• Forests in China, Australia, India, Indonesia and Myanmar account for 70%

• Annual deforestation of 0.7 million hectares/ year (1990)

• Forest planting, regeneration 1.4 million hectares annually (2000-2010)

• Gain in forest cover in China, India, Vietnam, Philippines and Bhutan

Forest Trends in the Asia Pacific Region

Granting tenure and rights key factor in forest planting and regeneration

Administered by government -

67%Designated for use

by communities and indigenous groups -

3%

Owned by communi-ties and indigenous

groups - 24%

Owned by individuals and firms - 6%

Distribution of Forest Land TenureAsia-Pacific, 2008

Administered by government

Designated for use by communities and indigenous groups

Owned by communities and indigenous groups

Owned by individuals and firms

Source: Dahal et al (2011); RRI (2012)

Central Asia

East Asia

South Asia

Southeast Asia

Western Asia

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

Contribution of the Forestry Sector as a Percentage of GDP in Asia by Sub-

region,2006

Percentage of GDP

Source: FAO 2011

East Asia12.4%

South Asia61.3%

Southeast Asia4.4%

Cen-tral Asia 0.4%

Western Asia

0.5%

Rus-sian Fed-era-tion4.3%

Rest of the

World16.8%

Employment in primary produc-tion of forest goods, 2005

• Asia-Pacific fastest growing region since mid-1970s, has largest and fastest growing middle class

• Sovereign wealth funds ($3.6 trillion in 2010) expected to be increasingly invested in Emerging Economies

Opportunities for Community Forestry

• Move towards “Green Economy”– Appropriate scale not economies of scale– Localization of economy not globalization– Cooperation for the best not competition for the

cheapest

• Greater attention to social-environmental safeguards, expected flow of investment funds

• Bonn Challenge (UNCBD/UNFCCC/IUCN)– Goal of restoring 150 million hectares degraded forests

by 2020– Require doubling rate of afforestation, regeneration and

agroforestry

Conditions for Success of Community Forestry in Asia and Elsewhere

• Protection and enforcement of rights • Strengthened policies and systems of support

for CF and CF enterprises

• Capacity and opportunities for investment and reinvestment in CF

• Pro-poor governance reforms

• Equitable sharing of benefits of SFM/ CF

Making CF a Viable Business Model• Secure tenure over land and resources

• Removing discriminatory barriers against CF and small producers

• Access to finance, markets, technology, assistance with contracts, information

• Scaling up through partnerships, federations, associations and hybrid models

Thank You