Adaptive governance in forest management

Adaptive governance is considered to be a key element of the transition to sustainable forest management. Numerous top-down and bottom-up initiatives have attempted to advance adaptive governance for sustainability, ranging from new formal policies and policy tools to non-governmental market-driven instruments. Many of the newer arrangements incorporate network governance design elements as an alternative to the hierarchical systems typical of previously dominant approaches. Despite widespread experimentation with new forest governance models, questions remain regarding best practices for encouraging learning and adaptation in varied contexts. This chapter synthesises recent scholarship on adaptive governance in forest management and presents examples of instruments, frameworks, and place-based initiatives designed to increase adaptation in diverse social-ecological systems. Particular focus is placed on the synergies and tensions between formal and informal institutions at various scales, power dynamics among different stakeholders, and the role of ‘champions’ in practicing adaptive governance on the ground.