Key factors which influence the success of community forestry in developing countries

Jack Baynes; John L Herbohn; Carl Smith; Robert J Fisher; David Bray

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.09.011

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Key factors which influence the success of community forestry in developing countries

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Key factors which influence the success of community forestry in developing countries

Jack Baynes, John L Herbohn, Carl Smith, Robert J Fisher and David Bray

Global Environmental Change, Vol.35, pp.226-238

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.09.011

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Abstract

community forestry

social capital

collective action

intra-community governance

causal diagram

While community forestry has shown promise to reduce rural poverty, improve reforestation and potentially offset carbon emissions, many projects have failed, either partly or completely. In order to understand why community forestry succeeds or fails, we examined in detail the literature related to community forestry from three countries, Mexico, Nepal and the Philippines. We also drew on experiences in other countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa. We identified five main interconnected factors which the literature suggests are often critical to the success of community forestry. To integrate the many ways in which community forestry projects can improve the state of these factors, we use the concept of 'bonding social capital', i.e. communities' ability to work together towards a common aim and 'bridging social capital', i.e. their ability to liaise with the outside world. To understand the interaction of the five success factors and the way in which improvements to bonding or bridging social capital may affect them, we developed a causal diagram which depicts the interrelationships between the success factors and the key points at which project inputs may be best applied. It is clear from our analysis that failing to appreciate both the complexity and interaction of the various influences may lead to project failure.

Details

Title: Key factors which influence the success of community forestry in developing countries
Authors: Jack Baynes (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
John L Herbohn (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
Carl Smith (Author) - University of Sydney, Australia
Robert J Fisher (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
David Bray (Author) - Florida University International University, United States
Publication details: Global Environmental Change, Vol.35, pp.226-238
Publisher: Pergamon
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.09.011
ISSN: 0959-3780
Copyright note: Copyright © 2015. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Organisation Unit: Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449190702621
Output Type: Journal article

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