Community-based forestry
Broadly defined, CBF encompasses the management of forest lands and forest resources by or with local people, individually or in groups, and for commercial or non-commercial purposes. The concept covers a range of activities including indigenous management of sacred sites of cultural importance, smallholder forestry schemes, small-scale forest-based enterprises, company-community partnerships, as well as decentralised and devolved forest management.
CBF is a concept of sustainable forest management which is expected to achieve the conservation of forests while contributing to the general economic development and improvement of the livelihood of local people. Furthermore, it aims to empower those with a direct stake in forest resources to be part of decision-making in all aspects of forest management, including policy formulation processes
Types and characteristics of CBF
While some countries provide forest ownership to local communities, the majority of other countries do not relinquish ownership of the land and its resources, but may devolve some or full management rights to communities. Each form of CBF therefore, tends to have its own package of rights and responsibilities, and hence empowerment.
In most countries, communities are required to accept a range of responsibilities in exchange for the rights to manage their forests and share in the benefits. These are generally prescribed in the regulatory framework (policies, laws, regulations and rules, etc.) and can include: preparing management plans, carrying out forest inventories, obtaining approval from government officials to harvest, transport and/or sell forest products.
Different types of CBF regime can be categorized in terms of the rights and degree of participation, and hence potential empowerment, of communities in planning, implementation and benefit sharing.
Spectrum of generic types of community based forestry (adapted from ideas in O’Hara, 2013)
| Type of CBF | Generic description | Key characteristics | ||
| 1. Delegate | Participatory conservation | Some community responsibility to protect forests, but little authority to make decisions. Very few (or no) rights for local communities to access and use forest products. Pressure on use of forest products reduced by application of outside managed integrated conservation and development (ICD) approaches often in buffer zones of protected areas – includes encouraging alternative livelihoods and enforcing protection through external agents or by delegating protection functions to local people. Limited NTFP collection sometimes allowed. Indicative rights:
Rights to compensation-No rights to obtain compensation if rights are withdrawn | ||
| 2. Share | Joint forest management | Shared authority - Limited and highly prescribed rights for local people to access and use forest products. Forest products and related benefits from government owned forests shared between government and local communities to encourage communities to protect the forests. Employment in forest management activities sometimes available. Indicative rights:
Rights to compensation-No rights to obtain compensation if rights are withdrawn | ||
| 3. Partly devolve | Community forestry with limited devolution | Limited rights for defined local communities to manage forests and access and use forest products. Significant government authority and oversight. Rights to manage forests and use some forest goods, usually NWFPs and subsistence products, devolved to local communities, generally subject to the development of a management plan. Rights generally do not include selling timber into the open market, but selling NWFPs may be allowed. Indicative rights:
Rights to compensation-No rights to obtain compensation if rights are withdrawn | ||
| 4. Fully devolve | Community forestry with substantial or full devolution | Significant rights for defined local communities to manage forests and access and use forest products. Generally some government authority and oversight. Rights to manage and use forests devolved to local communities, generally subject to the development of a management plan. Rights include harvesting of timber and selling forest products into the open market. Indicative rights:
Rights to compensation-No rights to obtain compensation if rights are withdrawn | ||
| 5. Own | Private forest ownership | Most rights to access and use forest products held by forest owners. Government may or may not exercise authority over some aspects of forest management, including harvesting and marketing forest products. Ownership and use rights held by individuals, households, groups or communities to manage forests and receive benefits. (Includes smallholder forestry) Indicative rights:
Rights to compensation-May be rights to obtain compensation if rights are withdrawn | ||
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