Rainforest Foundation Norway FORESTS and RIGHTS - in the tropics Lars Løvold Rainforest Foundation...
-
Upload
shanon-hudson -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
0
Transcript of Rainforest Foundation Norway FORESTS and RIGHTS - in the tropics Lars Løvold Rainforest Foundation...
Rainforest Foundation Norway
FORESTS and RIGHTS - in the tropics
Lars Løvold
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Tropical forests - the situation:
• Cover: 17,9 million km2 (= USA x 2)
• Inhabited: 240 million people
• Being destroyed:
• Deforestation =158.000 km2/y (= 1/2 NOR)
• Damage =237.000 km2/y
• Widespread conflicts over control and use
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Conflict dimensions:
• Who has rights to the forests?
• Who should benefit from their use?
• How should they be used?
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Forests – for local communities:
• Source of livelihood (< $ 1)
• Spiritual attachment
• A heritage to be passed on
• Safety net
• Water, medicines, protection of soils, etc.
• Basis for development
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Forests – for non-locals:
• Source of quick profit (value = $ 31 billion)
• Source of power for elites (corruption)
• Source of income for rebels (weapon)
• Repository for biodiversity (conservation)
• Potential source of government revenue
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
The rights issue:
• ”Our forest” - collective ownership
• But: Belongs to the state!
• ”Indigenous peoples” have land rights
• Local communities often lack recognition
• Important: Recognition of land rights, user rights, prior informed consent = Empowerment
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Ideology vs practice
• Belong to the state• Serve the “common
good”• Create development
• Represented by elite• Benefits expropriated
and privatized• Short term boost – long
term ruin
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Forest environmental services:
• Biodiversity: rainforests = +50 % of species
• Nutrients and soils: stored and protected
• Freshwater: contained, stored and protected
• Carbon: billions of tons stored
• Climate – local and regional: regulated
• Climate – global: influenced
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Forest environmental services:
• COST:
• US$ 0
• VALUE:
• US$ Billions
Benefits? • Widespread• Direct and indirect• Large groups of people
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Progress:
• Brazilian Amazon: 1 million km2 to indigenous peoples (= 20 %)
• Developing countries: 20 % of forests to communities, small farmers, IPs (ownership or user rights)
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Deforestation BR Amazon 2001:
• Outside protected areas: 19 %
• Within state reserves: 7 %
• Within federal reserves: 1,5 %
• Within Indian territories: 1,1 %
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Resource management for development and peace:
• Recognize collective rights
• Discard the destructive logging / external benefit model
• Invest in community management
• Develop alternatives – together with empowered people
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Deforestation in the tropics1990-2000:REGION Natural forest
1990 (km2)Natural forest
2000 (km2)Deforestation
(km2)Deforestation
(percent)
Tropical Africa 6.848.000 6.295.000 552.000 8
Tropical Asia 2.900.000 2.334.000 564.000 19Tropical Oceania 362.000 349.000 13.000 4
Central America 825.000 723.000 102.000 12
The Caribbean 53.000 51.000 2.000 3
South America 8.509.000 8.158.000 351.000 4
Total tropics: 19.495.000 17.911.000 1.584.000 8