| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
BEYOND COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION: POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PARTNERSHIP IN FOREST BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
By James Gichiah Njogu
The emerging partnerships between stakeholders resulting from decentralisation and globalisation bring new challenges to forest conservation. Multi-stakeholder partnerships are increasingly shaping biodiversity conservation. Using the case of the Taita forest in Kenya, we aim to demonstrate how multi-level stakeholder and partnership arrangements can enhance community-based forest conservation and lead to sustainability.
We argue that combining a multi-stakeholder approach with the entitlement approach is a way of gaining more specific insight into the interests, values, attitudes and interactions between various stakeholders. Combining both approaches into one research framework allows us to be more specific about the potentials and constraints of partnerships in community-based forest conservation.
This goes beyond various forms of user-group participation that are based on a rather narrow conception of 'interest' and 'affectedness' in which inclusion and participations are largely confined to user groups proper. Indeed, a successful conservation strategy requires the integration of values and interests of a range of human stakeholders and actors well beyond the user group proper to those who knowingly or unknowingly enjoy ecosystem services. Although these people may occupy the same ecosystem or conservation area, they are very different as regards political and economic power, options and level of interest in a place and its resources. The fact that there are multiple interests and stakeholders in biodiversity and forest conservation and that they range from local people to distant outsiders cannot be ignored.
New actors
In the case of the Taita forest, considerable degrees of authority, including
those in forest management, are transferred to lower levels of government. In
this process, new actors in forest and biodiversity conservation came to the
fore. This not only means district and local governments, but also NGOs, forest
communities, individuals, community-based organisations (CBOs) and the private
sector. While decentralised forest administration creates space for greater
participation of these actors in the decision-making process in Kenya, the same
has not been addressed in forest law. Thus far, no provisions are available
for complaints of misuse and excessive clearing of forests. However, following
the challenges of the emerging partnerships, new laws are being made such as
the 'Environment Management and Coordination Act 2000' that is now being implemented
and a draft Forest bill which is yet to be enacted. These laws may allow integration
of stakeholders in forest management through social and economic incentives.
In forest and biodiversity conservation, the concept of stakeholder was evoked only recently for application in community-based conservation and co-management efforts. However, the use of this concept has no strong theoretical basis. In this article we define stakeholders 'as to include various institutions, social groups and individuals who possess a direct, significant and specific stake in the protected areas'. The stake may originate from institutional mandate, geographical proximity, historical association, dependence for livelihood, economic interest and a variety of other capacities and concerns. In this regard, we identify stakeholders based on three attributes:
Diverging interests
In view of the entitlement rights, the stakeholders have specific rights related
to ownership, use and management interventions. Nevertheless, not all stakeholders
are equally interested in conserving a resource, nor are they equally entitled
to have a role in resources management. It is convenient therefore to distinguish
between primary and secondary stakeholders. Primary stakeholders score high
on several counts, while the secondary stakeholders score high on one or two
counts only. In collaborative management processes, primary stakeholders would
assume an active role such as decision-making or holding a seat on the management
board, while secondary stakeholders would be involved in less active ways such
as holding a seat in a consultative body. In addition to the three attributes
of stakeholder identification, more detailed accounts form criteria for distinguishing
stakeholders. Based on the Taita forest case, these accounts include the following:
There is no clear line between these accounts, which are also very dynamic . However, they can be used conveniently to group various stakeholders. For these groups to be involved directly in forest resource and biodiversity management they must be organised accordingly and recognised through policies and by laws. Such organisation may include the district councils, the village council, a forest user's society or a local chapter of a union of indigenous people. The 'stakeholder-ship' of these organisations must be coordinated. This is the role of a national coordinating agency.
Challenge
The main challenge in the new policy and institutional arrangement relates to
the relationship between agencies in charge of forest conservation (which may
or may not be the coordinating agency) and its stakeholders. Often, the relationship
is not as good as would be desired. Criteria for analysing these relationships
need to be developed.
In conclusion, stakeholders in forest biodiversity management will generally fall into one or more of the following categories: those whose interests are affected by forests and/or by management strategies and action plans, as well as those whose activities significantly affect forests; those who control or influence management instruments relevant to the forest conservation; and those who possess important information or expertise and capacities needed to address forest issues and to develop management strategies and action plans.
Further information:
James Gichiah Njogu
AGIDS, University of Amsterdam
the Netherlands
P.O. Box 697
Ngong Hills
Kenya
E-mail: njogujg@yahoo.com