Involving local people in the restoration of landscapes

Tropenbos International (TBI) established its landscape programme to better understand the role of trees and forests as providers of goods and services in these landscapes. Through the programme, TBI develops strategies to increase the benefits from multifunctional landscapes for food security, ecosystem services and human well-being.

Forest landscape restoration is one of the themes addressed within the landscape programme. In various TBI countries, governments involve local farmers in schemes to re-establish forest cover in degraded landscapes. In 2012, TBI and its partners published the results of two of these schemes, the Modified Taungya System (MTS) in Ghana and Forest Land Allocation (FLA) in Viet Nam.

Both systems are government strategies to restore forest cover on degraded lands, address timber deficits and contribute to rural livelihoods. Households receive use rights over small (0.5–3 hectares on average) areas of degraded forest land for 25 to 50 years. They can use these areas for establishing tree plantations and for growing crops in the early phases of plantation growth. More than 100,000 households participate in Ghana, and more than one million in Viet Nam. The Ghanaian households keep all of the agricultural harvest and receive 40% of the proceeds of the plantation. In Viet Nam, households are entitled to the full benefits from the crops and plantation.

Researchers from TBI partner universities in Amsterdam, Kumasi, Utrecht and Hue reported on the impacts of these schemes in 2012 (To and Tran 2012; Derkyi 2012; Insaidoo et al. 2012). In both countries, restoring forest cover by farmers was more successful than establishing government-sponsored plantations. In Viet Nam, the success of plantation establishment depended greatly on the presence of nearby markets for timber and pulp.

The livelihoods benefits were mixed. Researchers noted positive benefits in Ghana, where people had greater access to scarce crop land, increased food security and even earned enough money to afford better homes and an education for their children. The short period when growing crops is permitted (until the canopy of the timber trees closes, usually after three years) limits these benefits, however, and benefits from timber take much longer to be realized and are less secure. In Viet Nam, the relationship between FLA and livelihoods was found to be weak and indirect. Although there were examples of improved livelihoods, this strongly depended on social, cultural and political factors. FLA has assisted people with access to funds for investment, and people with power and education; weaker groups have benefited much less.

The researchers also formulated recommendations for adjusting policies. TBI Viet Nam organized a workshop in April 2012 where researchers and government representatives debated the results of FLA and discussed possible improvements. The recommendations were well received by government, but it will take time for changes to come into effect. In Ghana, the research findings will be used to support the case for re-establishing the MTS, which was abandoned for political reasons in 2010.
MTS and FLA are two examples of strategies that help establish multi-purpose land management systems in degraded landscapes. Critical evaluation of the costs, benefits and weaknesses of these strategies helps to guide policies aimed at promoting sustainable landscapes. Such landscapes provide livelihoods for rural communities, produce timber and other products that support local economies, and conserve or even increase the value of ecosystem services to a variety of people. TBI shares its experiences and lessons in networks such as the Global Partnership for Forest Land Restoration, and disseminates the findings both locally in the partner countries and at international meetings.