Rehabilitation and Restoration Of Degraded Forests (PDF) - IUCN

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Chapter 5: When and where to intervene An example of this last scenario is found in Nepal. Community interest in small-scale local reforestation efforts was an important indicator in deciding where to use scarce resources. If there was little local interest, experience indicated that success would be unlikely, in spite of the outside perception of importance or need (Gilmour and Fisher 1991). Further, success tends to breed success. Once the benefits of restoration have been demonstrated, previously disinterested communities frequently develop a strong interest in becoming involved, although there have to be tangible benefits to compensate for their efforts. In Nepal, a small external stimulus was able to trigger a significant local involvement; over a decade this turned into a largescale undertaking that transformed the landscape across much of the Middle Hills region of Nepal. Another successful restoration initiative was carried out in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania in East Africa, where there was a significant improvement in local benefits and in ecological integrity (see Case Study 8.12). 5.2.1 Likelihood of change The extent to which planned interventions are likely to lead to changes (real or perceived) in local communities’ access to existing natural resources is an important factor. An example of this comes from Papua New Guinea, where most land is owned by traditional land owners. It is difficult for government agencies or other external bodies to undertake any form of reforestation, even on clearly degraded grassland sites, because land owners are suspicious that this is the first stage in a government attempt to seize control of their land. Under these circumstances any approach to reforestation to overcome degradation necessitates extensive negotiation. 5.2.2 Impact of the intervention on local livelihoods Imperata grasslands are found throughout the tropics. The species is widely regarded as a useless weed, and these grasslands often become the target of reforestation projects. Many local communities do get some benefit from these grasslands, however (Dove 1986). Reforestation that reduces the amount of grasslands may have a negative impact on local communities unless there is compensation of some sort. 29
REHABILITATION AND RESTORATION OF DEGRADED FORESTS 5.2.3 Equity considerations Local communities may not be the major beneficiaries of restoration activities. The real beneficiaries may be downstream water users, or national or international urban dwellers who value the enhanced biodiversity resulting from the restoration. In fact, the adjacent communities may bear many of the costs associated with the restoration, and thus become worse off. Equity aspects of restoration initiatives need to be addressed from the outset. 5.2.4 Additional risks It also has to be determined if local communities are likely to be exposed to additional risks, such as increased fire hazard, potential reduction of dry season water supply, increased predation of crops by wildlife, or increased threat to life or property by increases in large animal populations. While landscape and site benefits of restoration activities may be acknowledged and monitored, adverse impacts or unintended consequences can also occur and tend to be overlooked. This relates to some extent to the equity considerations mentioned previously. Frequently, local people bear the costs and risks of restoration activities, while the benefits accrue elsewhere. This needs to be taken into consideration in planning and implementing restoration activities. Restoration should ideally be considered in a landscape context, particularly to address landscape-scale problems such as salinity and loss of biodiversity. While this may be possible in a planning sense, it is much more difficult to implement activities on a landscape scale because on-the-ground activities are commonly constrained by patterns of land ownership. Consequently these are often tackled in a piecemeal fashion that limits success. 30
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