Making knowledge work for forests and people
Together we can achieve sustainable management of tropical forestlands for the benefit of people, conservation and sustainable development.
More informationWhen there is a will, there is a way. A group of Laman Satong village community members in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan have made their dream come true. This video shows how the community members of Laman Satong organized themselves and with help of Tropenbos Indonesia set up an ecotourism business “Laman Besolek” around the beautiful waterfall inside the deep forest of Gunung Palung National Park "Riam Berasap".
For local communities, the forest is not only a source of life (reservoir of resources, climate, fresh air, livelihoods, clean water etc.) nor a simple place to live, it is life. But forests now a days are more than ever threatened. In DR Congo forests are increasingly the subject of monopolization/grabbing by “big men”, often educated and urban, to the detriment of local populations.
Over the last couple of decades, many governments have formalized the forest rights of local communities and indigenous peoples, with the expectation that this would contribute to both conservation and sustainable development. With forest tenure reforms underway, this is a good time to reflect on the experiences so far: Have these reforms led to the desired outcomes? And, what are the conditions for success?
The TBI network has members in Indonesia, Vietnam, Ghana, DR Congo, Suriname, Colombia and the Netherlands. The members share a common vision and mission, as well as a common focus and approach, while tailoring their efforts to the specific local context