Towards decentralized

Transcription

1 Towards decentralized forest management in Lao PDR Yayoi Fujita Kaisone Phengsopha Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos Sept 2006

2 Aims of the paper Examines Land and Forest Allocation (LFA) programme in Laos through the notion of decentralized forest management by using Agrawal and Ribot (2005) Examines LFA in theory and practice to understand gaps between policy and the actual resource management practices on the ground Addresses the need to balance collective forest management and demand for privatization of resources

3 Lao PDR in a glance Heart of mountainous mainland Southeast Asia (MMSEA) Total area: 246,800 sq km Total population: 6 million (49 ethnic groups) GDP per capita 450 USD (2003) 18 provinces 42 percent forest cover (2003)

4 Periods Pre 1960s Socio-Economic Changes Colonial Intervention ( ) 1941) Post colonial independence Boundary Demarcation First Forest Cover Map (1930) Creation of Reserves (1955) 1960s- mid1970s Civil War ( ), 1975), Forest Reconnaissance Migration (1967) mid 1970s- Emergence of Socialist State Forestry Enterprise 1980s State (1975) (1980s) 1980s- present New Economic Mechanism (mid 1980s) National Reconnaissance Survey (1989) PA demarcation (1993) Land Forest Allocation (1996)

5 LFA in Laos Legal recognition of collective and private rights to use and manage land and forest resources. Making village organizations accountable and responsible for managing forests in village areas (deconcentration of responsibilities). Delineating forest boundaries to control expansion of shifting cultivation (collective forest management) Encouraging reforestation in degraded land and intensive agricultural land use (privatization of land).

6 LFA procedures Steps 1 Preparation Original LFA 2 Village consultation 3 Village data collection 4 Village meeting 5 Land survey 6 Land use planning 7 Extension 8 Follow-up Preparation Modified LFA Village boundary delineation Village data collection Land use planning Land allocation decisions Land survey 9 - Recording Agreement on village forest management Registration and issuance 10 - Follow-up and evaluation

7 Studies on LFA in Laos Shifting cultivation Reduced access to swidden resulting in shorter fallow cycle Land degradation Reduced rice yields Forest Decreasing swidden = increasing i areas of degraded d d and cover secondary forest areas NTFPs Livelihoods Relocation Resource tenure Reduction of NTFPs Increased dependence on NTFPs, cash crop production, and wage labor Increased internal migration Increased vulnerability Conflicting interests of state and communities over resources Increased competition over resources

8 LFA in Lao PDR Emphasis on forest conservation and protection (approximately 90 percent of village land) LFA aggravated poverty in some villages as it limited it expansion of swidden and access to resources, and induced resettlement. Local authorities have difficulties to continuously carry out all procedures of LFA (especially monitor and evaluation)

9 Comparison of LFA Aspects Leading agency Implementation of procedures Duration and budget Staff training Government-led DAFEO, village organization Incomplete (no extension and monitoring) 1-2 week with 100$ cost per village None Donor-led DAFEO, village organization, donor organization Mostly complete (with some extension, monitoring and evaluation) More than 2 weeks up to 2 month with sufficient budget supported by donor DAFEO, village organizations were trained Recording system No systematic recording Efforts to document process and record documents

10 Gaps in LFA practice Simplification of forest and land categories Singles out villages by delineating village and resource boundaries as exclusive unit of management. Unclear representation of village Collective forest management vs increasing demand for private land and resource management l h b l d h Local authorities responsibilities and their ability to resources to implement LFA

11 LFA in Laos from decentralization perspective LFA in Lao PDR legally recognizes individuals dua and local people s e use rights and has deconcentrated management responsibilities to them, but neither the local authorities nor village organization have the financial and political l power to make decisions i on resource management.

12 Emerging problem Rapid transition from subsistence to market oriented production system Transition from communal resource use and management to privatization Increased conflicts over land use rights: private investors vs. village, individual vs. individual id Need to balance collective forest management and privatization through h land use planning