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A global analysis of the social and environmental outcomes of community forests

Author

Listed:
  • Reem Hajjar

    (Oregon State University
    University of Michigan)

  • Johan A. Oldekop

    (University of Michigan
    The University of Manchester)

  • Peter Cronkleton

    (Center for International Forestry Research, La Molina)

  • Peter Newton

    (University of Michigan
    University of Colorado Boulder, Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community)

  • Aaron J. M. Russell

    (Center for International Forestry Research, Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede
    Global Green Growth Institute)

  • Wen Zhou

    (Yale University)

Abstract

Community forest management (CFM) has been promoted for decades as a way to merge environmental conservation with economic development and natural resource rights agendas. Yet many of these initiatives have also led to substantial socioeconomic and environmental trade-offs. We present a comprehensive global analysis of environmental, income and natural resource rights outcomes of CFM, using data from 643 cases in 51 countries. We find that while the majority of cases reported positive environmental and income-related outcomes, forest access and resource rights were often negatively affected by policies to formalize CFM, countering one of CFM’s principal goals. Positive outcomes across all three dimensions were rare. We show that biophysical conditions, de facto tenure rights, national context, user-group characteristics and intervention types are key predictors of joint positive outcomes. These findings highlight key conducive conditions for CFM interventions, which can inform CFM design to ensure positive outcomes across multiple sustainability dimensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Reem Hajjar & Johan A. Oldekop & Peter Cronkleton & Peter Newton & Aaron J. M. Russell & Wen Zhou, 2021. "A global analysis of the social and environmental outcomes of community forests," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(3), pages 216-224, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:4:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1038_s41893-020-00633-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-00633-y
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Smith, Alexander C. & Hurni, Kaspar & Fox, Jefferson & Van Den Hoek, Jamon, 2023. "Community forest management led to rapid local forest gain in Nepal: A 29 year mixed methods retrospective case study," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    2. Valerie Hagger & Thomas A. Worthington & Catherine E. Lovelock & Maria Fernanda Adame & Tatsuya Amano & Benjamin M. Brown & Daniel A. Friess & Emily Landis & Peter J. Mumby & Tiffany H. Morrison & Kat, 2022. "Drivers of global mangrove loss and gain in social-ecological systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Tiffany H. Morrison & W. Neil Adger & Arun Agrawal & Katrina Brown & Matthew J. Hornsey & Terry P. Hughes & Meha Jain & Maria Carmen Lemos & Lucy Holmes McHugh & Saffron O’Neill & Derek Berkel, 2022. "Radical interventions for climate-impacted systems," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(12), pages 1100-1106, December.
    4. Peter Woods Ellis & Aaron Marr Page & Stephen Wood & Joseph Fargione & Yuta J. Masuda & Vanessa Carrasco Denney & Campbell Moore & Timm Kroeger & Bronson Griscom & Jonathan Sanderman & Tyson Atleo & R, 2024. "The principles of natural climate solutions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. T. Romi Marnelly & Tengku Dahril & Zulfan Saam & Nofrizal Nofrizal, 2023. "Ecological and Socio-Economic Factors on the Rate of Participation and Sustainable Forest Management," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(3), pages 92-101, May.
    6. Rachel A. Neugarten & Ranaivo A. Rasolofoson & Christopher B. Barrett & Ghislain Vieilledent & Amanda D. Rodewald, 2024. "The effect of a political crisis on performance of community forests and protected areas in Madagascar," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Kumeh, Eric Mensah & Bieling, Claudia & Birner, Regina, 2022. "Food-security corridors: A crucial but missing link in tackling deforestation in Southwestern Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    8. Cook, Nathan J., 2024. "Experimental evidence on minority participation and the design of community-based natural resource management programs," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    9. Mawa, Christopher & Babweteera, Fred & Tumusiime, David Mwesigye, 2022. "Livelihood outcomes after two decades of co-managing a state forest in Uganda," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    10. Arts, Bas & Brockhaus, Maria & Giessen, Lukas & McDermott, Constance L., 2024. "The performance of global forest governance: Three contrasting perspectives," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    11. Hajjar, Reem & Newton, Peter & Ihalainen, Markus & Agrawal, Arun & Alix-Garcia, Jennifer & Castle, Sarah E. & Erbaugh, James T. & Gabay, Monica & Hughes, Karl & Mawutor, Samuel & Pacheco, Pablo & Scho, 2021. "Levers for alleviating poverty in forests," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    12. Oldekop, Johan A. & Gabay, Monica & Humphreys, David & Kamoto, Judith F.M. & Mutta, Doris N. & Song, Conghe & Timko, Joleen & Rasmussen, Laura Vang & Stoian, Dietmar, 2021. "A framework for analysing contextual factors shaping forest-poverty dynamics," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    13. Kusters, Koen & de Graaf, Maartje & Ascarrunz, Nataly & Benneker, Charlotte & Boot, René & van Kanten, Rudi & Livingstone, John & Maindo, Alphonse & Mendoza, Heidi & Purwanto, Edi & Rodríguez, Carlos , 2022. "Formalizing community forest tenure rights: A theory of change and conditions for success," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    14. Di Girolami, Erica & Kampen, Jarl & Arts, Bas, 2023. "Two systematic literature reviews of scientific research on the environmental impacts of forest certifications and community forest management at a global scale," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    15. Rana, Pushpendra & Fleischman, Forrest & Ramprasad, Vijay & Lee, Kangjae, 2022. "Predicting wasteful spending in tree planting programs in Indian Himalaya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    16. Sullivan, Abigail, 2022. "Bridging the divide between rural and urban community-based forestry: A bibliometric review," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    17. Ullah, S M Asik & Tani, Masakazu & Tsuchiya, Jun & Rahman, M.Abiar & Moriyama, Masao, 2022. "Impact of protected areas and co-management on forest cover: A case study from Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).

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