rainforest foundation norway forests and rights - in the tropics lars løvold rainforest foundation...

Rainforest Foundation Norway

FORESTS and RIGHTS - in the tropics

Lars Løvold



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


Conflict dimensions:

• Who has rights to the forests?

• Who should benefit from their use?

• How should they be used?


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


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

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


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

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


Forest environmental services:

• COST:

• US$ 0

• VALUE:

• US$ Billions

Benefits? • Widespread• Direct and indirect• Large groups of people

Progress:

• Brazilian Amazon: 1 million km2 to indigenous peoples (= 20 %)

• Developing countries: 20 % of forests to communities, small farmers, IPs (ownership or user rights)


Deforestation BR Amazon 2001:

• Outside protected areas: 19 %

• Within state reserves: 7 %

• Within federal reserves: 1,5 %

• Within Indian territories: 1,1 %

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


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

rainforest foundation norway forests and rights - in the tropics lars løvold rainforest foundation...

Documents

recognition of land

source of livelihood

land rightslocal communities

brazilian amazon

indigenous peoples

state reserves

source of quick profit

collective rightsdiscard