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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Benefits of Community-Based Forestry in SE Asia

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

May 12, 1995

OVERVIEW & SOURCE

The following item originated from the Voice of America, and

reports on the benefits of Community-based Forestry in SE Asia.

They conclude that to insure forests in Asia are managed

sustainably and conserved, "they need to not only be just

technically managed, but they have to be managed for the benefit

of the people who are living in and around the forests. "

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Date: Mon, 06 Mar 95 16:36 CDT

From: "James V. Riker" <JRIKER@macc.wisc.edu>

Subject: FYI: Benefits of Community-based Forestry in SE Asia

DATE=3-2-95

TYPE=CURRENT AFFAIRS FEATURE

NUMBER=3-21097

TITLE=SOCIAL RESOURCE PRESERVATION (L)

BYLINE=PAUL FRANCUCH

TELEPHONE=

DATELINE=ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

EDITOR=VO'HS

CONTENT= (INSERTS IN AUDIO SERVICES)

INTRO: A PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WORK IN THE MIDWEST CITY OF ST.

LOUIS, MISSOURI HAS STUDIED BOTH GOVERNMENT POLICIES FOR MANAGING

FORESTS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE EFFECTS THOSE

POLICIES HAVE HAD ON VILLAGERS LIVING BOTH IN AND NEAR THE

FORESTS. VOA'S PAUL FRANCUCH REPORTS THAT THE SOCIAL WORKER

FOUND THAT GETTING VILLAGERS INVOLVED IN THE MANAGING OF THE

FORESTS OFTEN HELPS SUSTAIN THE NATURAL RESOURCE.

TEXT: PROFESSOR GAUTAM YADAMA (GOW-TOM 'YAH-DAH-MAH) OF THE

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS DOES

RESEARCH INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST

ASIA. HE HAS DONE SPECIAL STUDIES INTO HOW FOREST MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMS IN SEVERAL NATIONS OF THE REGION AFFECT THE LIVES OF

VILLAGERS WHO DEPEND ON FORESTS THAT ARE SUDDENLY PUT OFF-LIMITS

BY GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS. BECAUSE FORESTS ARE SO LARGE AND HARD

TO POLICE, PROFESSOR YADAMA SAYS VILLAGERS OFTEN SLIP INTO THE

WOODS TO TAKE WHATEVER THEY CAN, SOMETIMES ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT

IF THEY DO NOT TAKE IT, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL. BUT HE ALSO FINDS

THAT WHEN VILLAGES IN OR ADJACENT TO THE FORESTS MANAGE RESOURCES

ON A COMMUNAL LEVEL, THERE IS LITTLE INCENTIVE TO POACH.

TAPE: CUT ONE -- YADAMA (:32)

"IF YOU TAKE AWAY, THROUGH POLICIES, THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS

TRIBAL GROUPS ... WHO HAVE LIVED AND EXISTED IN THOSE FORESTS,

WHAT HAPPENS? YOU UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY OF THOSE LOCAL TRIBES.

AND THE MOMENT YOU UNDERMINE, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO (DO) IS REMOVE

THE INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY ABIDE BY A SET OF RULES AND

GOVERNING PRINCIPLES THAT, THROUGH CUSTOMARY LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN

PASSED DOWN, THAT THEY'VE BEEN USED TO."

TEXT: MR. YADAMA CITES THE GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN AS AN EXAMPLE.

HE SAYS IT PUT RESTRICTIONS ON FORESTS, BUT LATER BEGAN EASING

THOSE RESTRICTIONS ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS TO SEE IF JOINTLY

MANAGING FORESTS WITH LOCAL VILLAGERS WOULD WORK BETTER. MR.

YADAMA SAYS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TOLD COMMUNITY LEADERS ...

TAPE: CUT TWO -- YADAMA (:32)

"LOOK, WE WANT YOU TO HAVE CONTROL OF THESE ... COMMUNITY FORESTS

BACK. AND THEN WE WILL IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF RULES, A SYSTEM OF

SANCTIONING RULES AND SO ON, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE LEGAL

AUTHORITY TO PROTECT AND MANAGE THESE FORESTS. AND BHUTAN HAS

DECIDED THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THEY'RE GOING TO

FOLLOW -- AMONG A BUNDLE OF STRATEGIES, NOT JUST THAT (ONE) --

AS A WAY TO VIABLY MANAGE THOSE FORESTS THAT SURROUND THE

COMMUNITIES AND VILLAGES."

//OPT// TEXT: THE ST. LOUIS SOCIAL WORKER BELIEVES THAT WHEN A

LOCAL COMMUNITY HAS A VITAL STAKE IN PRESERVING A SHARED

RESOURCE, SOCIETAL PRESSURES CAN KEEP INDIVIDUALS FROM EXPLOITING

IT FOR THEIR OWN GAINS.

TAPE: CUT THREE -- YADAMA (:38)

"IF WE'RE GOING TO INSURE THAT FORESTS IN SOUTH ASIA AND

SOUTHEAST ASIA ARE MANAGED SUSTAINABLY AND CONSERVED, THEY NEED

TO NOT ONLY BE JUST TECHNICALLY MANAGED, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE

MANAGED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN AND

AROUND THE FORESTS. ONCE WE INSURE THAT FORESTS ARE MANAGED ALSO

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE, AND THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT ALIENATED

THROUGH POLICIES AND LAWS FROM THE FORESTS, I THINK WE HAVE A

CHANCE OF ... STEMMING THE TIDE OF DEFORESTATION." //END OPT//

TEXT: SOCIAL WORKER GAUTAM YADAMA SAYS SUCH RULES OF BEHAVIOR NOT

ONLY APPLY TO THE VILLAGES AND TRIBES HE HAS STUDIED IN PARTS OF

ASIA, BUT ALSO TO OTHER COMMUNITIES -- SUCH AS POOR, BIG CITY

NEIGHBORHOODS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE THE SOCIAL

STRUCTURE IS UNDERMINED AND THE POPULATION IS TRANSIENT. IN THIS

SITUATION, CONDITIONS IMPROVE AFTER THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD

ORGANIZES ITSELF WITH RULES OF BEHAVIOR AND SETS COMMUNITY

STANDARDS WHICH ALL MUST OBEY.

02-Mar-95 3:31 PM EST (2031 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###

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