Post on 08-Jan-2017
"Local Governance, Social Networks and REDD+:Lessons from Swidden Communities in Vietnam"
Moira Moeliono, Thu Thuy Pham, Ngoc Le Dung, Tien Nguyen, MaaritKallio, and Maria Brockhaus
ASFN Sixth Conference: Inle Lake, Myanmar, 1-6 June 2015
- dynamic vs static- linked through multiple social networks vs isolated- enhancing carbon stocks (below ground) vs driving
deforestation- adapting to change and new opportunities, e.g.
through migration and remittances
In this process communities also adapt, ignore,bypass and manipulate the various constraining rulesand thereby change and reproduce these
Swidden communities:perceptions, understanding, discourses
Means by which society (or in this case the swidden community)makes or shapes or implements decisions on how natural
resources are to be used and or managed
Formal structures: formal organizations and institutions, howhierarchy plays out
Informal structures: social relations, how people work togetherin practice creating a social network both include a set of rules and procedures that guide
objectives and outcomes
Environmental governance
Questions
What are key lessons for REDD+ and PES schemeswhen analysing
- the formal and informal structures in swiddencommunities
- the social networks in these communities throughwhich information and resources are exchanged
Data Collection
FGDs, gender disaggregated: what areimportant ‘governance systems’affecting your land use decisionmaking, drivers of changeEgo-network survey:• who are the three most influential
persons involved in the systems?• why and who are the most important
people with whom you most frequentlyexchange information and benefits?
• what types of information and benefitsdid you exchange?
Key informant interviewsWorkshops
Study sitesCharacteristic Lay village Que village
Main ethnicity Hmong TaiLocation(remote/relativelyeasy access)
Remote Remote but with thenew road moreaccessible
National park Core zone of the XuanNha National Park
Bordering, bufferzone of the Pu HuongNational Park
Swidden farmers (atleast partially)
80.4 91.5
Population (No. ofhouseholds)
96 84
No. of respondentsinterviewed
48 40
Most forests are rich in “natural” resources but theyare also rich because local groups have enrichedforests through their knowledge and practice.
THINKING beyond the canopy
Swidden systems and environmental governance: complexinstitutions, management rules, regulations and norms
SWIDDEN FALLOWADAT LANDADAT LAND
TEMBAWANGTEMBAWANG
THINKING beyond the canopy
Overall governance and mass-organisations
Vietnam’s formal governance structure follows theofficial administrative system of three tiers: province,district and commune- main actors in the local government is the Peoples
Committees- village head and village government
Mass –organization:- at commune and village level, most people belong
to mass organizations, observed changing role fromparty-extension to civil society organisations
Motivation to join mass-organisations
Village
Access tomicroloans
Access toin-kindbenefits(seedlingetc.)
Labourexchange
Informa-tionexchange
Enter-tainmentactivities
"Herdeffects"
Securityissues
Lay 9 0 7 20 0 2 5
Que 9 1 0 2 3 14 0
Security issues inthe remote villageSecurity issues in
the remote village
Taking part in swidden - and in massorganizations
ActorsPSD bankAgricultural extension officers (representing both the commune anddistrict agricultural boards)Forest rangers representing Forest Protection Board of the national parkStaff from the Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentCommune government and village leadersBorder security policeMass organizationsGoldminersCommune health clinicOutside and itinerant tradersVillage shop ownersAgents and traders from townOther ethnic peopleInternational NGO
Actors’ reputational power inswidden governance
Informalgovernance:
Linkagesoutside
village aremost
important
Informalgovernance:
Linkagesoutside
village aremost
important
Networks of swidden related informationexchange: Lay
Networks of swidden related informationexchange: Que
- almost all innovations (seeds, new techniques) andinformation (on new techniques, market prices, andopportunities) are brought in by outside traders in both cases
- Influence of informal actors might indicate a governancevacuum- government agencies presence limited (forest protection measures,
agriculture extension services)
traders might be door openers for large scale drivers of DD,however people rely heavily on these actors.
Simultaneously, government efforts on reforestation andreduce emissions so far did not consider diversity incommunities
Swidden, deforestation/degradation andsocial networks
THINKING beyond the canopy
Implications for REDD
REDD+/PES schemes require MRV (information sharing) andbenefit (and cost) sharing architectures
swidden communities and related governance systems arehighly diverse, formal and informal elements - dominance andrelevance depending on multiple factors
.. In a situation of formal governance: misconceptions ofswidden dominant, diversity not captured, lack ofconsultation may lead to misinformed policies.. In a situation of informal governance/absence of stateunbalanced power relations dominant, often to thedisadvantage of people and forests
THANK YOU!