... Pyoe Pin is a programme aimed at strengthening civil society in Myanmar. The programme is supported by DFID, the British Department for International Cooperation and implemented through the British council in partnership with local NGOs. Community Forestry (CF) is a key element of the programme, as it is seen as pathway to increasing the participation of civil society in influencing policy and practice with regards to communities. access and sustainable use of forestry land. CF can also improve forestry conservation and enhance the livelihoods of
communities.

Over 200 participants including 134 international delegates from 20 countries convened on 8–9 August 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand, for two days of deliberations on the potential of community forestry to address some of the biggest challenges we face today. Be it persistent rural poverty, climate change, governance, deforestation, or rights of indigenous and local people, there were questions raised and solutions offered in several packed sessions ending in a Vision 2020 exercise and a Call for Action at the close of the Forum.

Dự án này do Hội đồng Nghiên cứu Kinh tế và Xã Hội Vương quốc Anh, có sự tham gia của các nhà hoạch định chính sách, các chuyên gia lâm nghiệp và người dân liên quan đến lâm nghiệp cộng đồng tại Việt Nam. Dự án này nhấn mạnh những vấn đề chính về quản lý rừng và vận động thay đổi chính sách ở cấp quốc gia về quyền hưởng dụng rừng cà quản lý rừng cộng đồng.

This is a review of a new book edited by Thomas Sikor and Johannes Stahl, Forests and People: Property, Governance, and Human Rights on the rights-based approach in forestry.

Available from: Earthscan, London and New York. Download the Introduction at left.

In Vietnam, forests have been under state stewardship for a long time. Degradation of forest resources under state management together with the high costs of forest protection has led to increased involvement of local people in forest management. Since the early 1990s, the Government of Vietnam (GOV) has been promoting the allocation of forest rights to local people as the foundation for development of community forest management (CFM). The initiative, known as Forest Land Allocation (FLA), has been undertaken in various parts of the country, with mixed results.

This publication is focused on oil palm expansion and land tenure in several Southeast Asian palm oil producing countries (the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia) and cross-compares their experiences with the facts and myths, stories and lessons learned from other palm oil producing countries, more specifically, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

How can REDD+ benefit from the lessons of community forestry? 

The Forest Governance Learning Group brought together 12 experts from India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam, and the UN-REDD Programme to discuss how community forestry strengths and shortcomings can influence the further development of REDD+. This booklet summarizes their responses to nine timely questions and provides recommendations for future steps.

Recognizing the important role that people living in and around forests play in forest management for poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, RECOFTC conducted a study for the ASEAN Social Forestry Network and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to provide a general overview of social forestry in the ASEAN region and its potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Special attention is given to Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Recognizing the important role that people living in and around forests play in forest management for poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, RECOFTC conducted a study for the ASEAN Social Forestry Network and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to provide a general overview of social forestry in the ASEAN region and its potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Special attention is given to Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

An important proportion of Latin America’s forests are located in indigenous territories, and indigenous peoples are the beneficiaries of about 85% of the area for which local rights to land and forest have been recognized in Latin America since the 1980s. Nevertheless, many of these areas, whether or not rights have been recognized, are subject to threats from colonists, illegal loggers, mining and oil interests and others, whose practices endanger not only the forests but also indigenous people’s territory as a whole.

In order to more effectively promote social forestry across the Southeast Asia region, the ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN) is developing a communications and networking strategy to facilitate cooperation and support exchange between diverse stakeholders. This brief outlines the goals and approach of improving methods for sharing information internally and externally.

The United Nations climate change talks in Cancun changed the shape of REDD+ negotiations and global forest policies. What effect will the decisions from the talks have on forests and forest users in Asia and the Pacific? Eleven climate change and forestry experts gathered to reflect on these issues, and this booklet summarizes their responses to 12 key questions.