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BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THE MDGS: THE INTERNATIONAL MODEL FOREST NETWORK
By Brian Bonnell, Christa Mooney and Peter Besseau
Model forests are platforms through which individuals and organizations representing a diversity of values can work together to address the sustainable management of large landscapes. Model forests draw together stakeholders with an interest in their region’s natural resources — including those who do not generally work together or agree with one another. Through a typical model forest partnership, stakeholders come together to set priorities, assess alternatives, and demonstrate innovative approaches to sustainable landscape management and use that are locally acceptable and nationally relevant. The process focuses on achieving sustainable development in tangible ways from field to policy levels.
Model forests typically represent stakeholders with legal authority over the land, as well as local and indigenous communities and representatives from research, conservation and academic fields. Participation is voluntary and the partnership model recognises that there are shared problems requiring shared solutions, as well as a willingness to try new ideas.
In the early 1990s, the question of how to involve different interest groups as active partners in sustainable forest management led to the creation of Canada ’s Model Forest Program. Today, with 40 model forests operating in 18 countries, the network continues to grow. Membership in the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) creates opportunities for learning and sharing of knowledge and innovative techniques between model forests.
The characteristics that define a model forest (including broad-based partnerships, large landscapes, voluntary participation, and diverse activities) have generated many positive impacts over the past decade, including a number that respond directly to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The model forest combination of place, partnership and process has resulted in a greater integration of sustainable development principles in locally driven development initiatives. Local communities have been able to engage as full partners in implementing practical solutions to the multiple challenges of sustainability.
IMFN experience has shown that in developing countries, priorities identified by local stakeholders for achieving sustainability include addressing issues of governance (participatory processes) and reducing poverty. In the context of the MDGs, model forests play an active role in ensuring environmental sustainability (goal 7) and developing a global partnership for development (goal 8) through the IMFN. We will consider the relevance of model forests to the MDGs in further detail below.
MDG 1 and poverty reduction
As poverty and natural resource degradation are intrinsically linked, many model forests — particularly in Africa , Asia and Latin America — identify goals such as poverty alleviation and how to balance conservation and biodiversity values with local economic needs. For example, China ’s Lin’an Model Forest (312,000 ha) has worked with marginalized groups, including disabled farmers, to improve their economic situation. Training has been provided for more than 30,000 households in cultivation and processing techniques for bamboo, hickory and tea. Free seedlings have also been provided as part of a larger forest management plan.
The Western Formoseño Model Forest (800,000 ha) is located in one of the poorest and most isolated regions of Argentina where unsustainable activities have left the soil compacted and degraded. Local farmers who depend on livestock as their principle source of income have been affected, as well as indigenous Wichi and Toba peoples who live by hunting and gathering in the area. One of the Model Forest ’s projects seeks to introduce principles of sustainability to current activities (including livestock grazing, timber extraction, honey production and fuelwood collection) by recovering the capacity of the soil. This is being achieved by allowing the growth of native grasses and reforestation.
Population growth, poverty and the lack of an integrated management framework are three of the most pervasive underlying causes of forest degradation throughout the Congo Basin . The flexibility of the model forest concept recently motivated the government of Cameroon to join the IMFN and support the creation of two model forests — Dja et Mpomo (700,000 ha) and Campo Ma’an (768,445 ha). With access to decision-makers, stakeholders hope to work toward a common vision of sustainable development while addressing longstanding poverty issues faced by many forest-dependent groups.
MDG 7 and environmental sustainability
Model forests support conservation efforts and the stewardship of natural resources by encouraging collaboration between protected areas, industry and communities. The world’s watersheds play an important role in assuring the quality and quantity of water available to human and wildlife populations and plant life. In the Ulot Watershed Model Forest (87,536 ha) in the Philippines unregulated wildlife collection, illegal logging and slash and burn agriculture was leading to the degradation of the forest. To address these problems, a diverse range of stakeholders (including the State forest department, the army, nongovernmental organizations, academics and local communities), has come together to prepare an integrated watershed plan. The participatory planning process helped widen stakeholders’ perspective on the landscape, as well as their own roles in overall watershed management.
MDG 8 and developing a global partnership for development
A fundamental attribute of model forests is the commitment to sharing knowledge, experiences and lessons. Model forests primarily carry out this work through networking, professional exchanges, workshops, web-based tools, seminars and educational programs. This exchange of knowledge works to increase the chances of each model forest succeeding, and at the same time strengthens global partnerships for development.
Conclusion
The partnership and landscape-level approach upon which model forests are based encourages good governance and local capacity building for sustainable development. As long-term processes that begin by tackling the social aspects of sustainability, model forests can provide a solid foundation for making effective and lasting progress toward the Millennium Development Goals.
Further information:
Brian Bonnell
International Model Forest Network Secretariat
E-mail: imfns@idrc.ca
Web site: http://www.imfn.net