Decentralization and Devolution of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory or any area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. ISBN: 974-7946-02-5 Citation: Enters, T., Durst, P.B., and M. Victor (eds). 2000. Decentralization and Devolution of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific . RECOFTC Report N.18 and RAP Publication 2000/1. Bangkok, Thailand. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise - without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Senior Forestry Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, 39 Phra Athit Road Bangkok 10200, Thailand and to the Executive Director, Regional Community Forestry Training Center, Kasetsart University, P.O. Box 1111, Bangkok 10903, Thailand. FAO and RECOFTC 2000 Foreword Governments throughout Asia and the Pacific region are creating exciting and innovative opportunities for achieving sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation goals by decentralizing authority and responsibility for resource management. The trend to decentralize is driven by a range of factors, including efforts to reduce central bureaucracies and cut budgets, a history of government forest management failures, increased economic liberalization and market orientation, and growing commitment to more equitable forest management. Throughout the region, innovative legislation and policies are strengthening the hands of local governments and communities in managing forest resources. The various initiatives have led to greater access and control of forest resources by local people. In turn, forest protection and management have often improved and resource pressures been reduced. While the decentralization trends are very promising, many programs have encountered major challenges, disappointments and setbacks. To explore the issues and challenges facing various decentralization and devolution initiatives, the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources/Forest Management Bureau (DENR/FMB), the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO/RAP), and the Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC) jointly organized the "International Seminar on Decentralization and Devolution of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific". This publication is a result of the seminar. The seminar was convened in Davao City, Philippines, from 30 November to 4 December 1998. The importance of forest management decentralization and devolution issues is underscored by the large number of participants that attended the meeting and the broad support given to the seminar by various international organizations. More than 180 participants from 21 countries participated in the five-day seminar, which included a day of field visits to various sites on the island of Mindanao where many of the experiences from the Philippines in decentralization and devolution can be observed. The main objectives of the seminar were to: • Critically review decentralization and devolution experiences in forest management; • Discuss emerging issues associated with different approaches to adaptive forest management; • Identify and analyze constraints and opportunities in recent efforts; • Examine gaps between policy and implementation in the field; and • Explore how successful pilot efforts can be scaled up to generate wider impact. One of the main issues that arose from the seminar was the recognition that decentralization and devolution are two very distinct processes. Experiences in the region indicate that decentralization does not automatically result in devolved forest management. Many of the papers in this publication indicate the need for greater understanding of how these policies are actually implemented at the local level and how these policies affect local forest management efforts. Experience reveals that local government units or local forest bureaucracies are often given responsibility to undertake activities but not the authority or appropriate budget resources to make meaningful decisions. For decentralization policies to have significant impact, those who are delegated responsibility need greater authority and decision-making power to implement programs. Discussions and presentations at the seminar pointed out that it is not only a lack of human and financial resources at the local level that has led to slower acceptance of decentralized forest management policies, but reluctance within forest and other government bureaucracies to relinquish control. On the other hand, increasing democratization throughout the region has led to the emergence of numerous alliances among local organizations and networks attempting to create opportunities for more meaningful decision making for local people. There is a need to bridge the gap between governmental reform (decentralization) and the exciting changes taking place at the local level. Only then will decentralization policies have their intended affect of spurring rural development and promoting forest conservation. We hope this publication will assist those in charge of formulating and carrying out forest management policies to better understand the key issues and challenges that underlie effective implementation of decentralized forest management. Somsak Sukwong Ram B. Singh Executive Director Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative RECOFTC FAO/RAP Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, Thailand Acknowledgments This publication is based upon papers that were presented at the International Seminar on Decentralization and Devolution of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific. The editors would like to acknowledge Ms. Janice Naewboonnien and Mr. Jeffery Bornemeier who assisted in proofreading many of the papers. The international seminar was made possible because of the outstanding efforts of many organizations and individuals who worked together in excellent and close partnership. FAO/RAP and RECOFTC are especially grateful to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources/Forest Management Bureau (DENR/FMB) of the Philippines, which was a co- organizer of the seminar and played a key role in making the seminar a success. Particular thanks go to Ms. Mayumi Ma. Quintos, Chief of the Forest Economics Division and her team at FMB who worked countless hours to ensure that all necessary arrangements within the Philippines were made to the complete satisfaction of all participants. Outstanding assistance was also provided by the USAID-funded Natural Resources Management Program (NRMP), and the Development Alternatives, Inc. team that supports NRMP, in organizing the field trips on the island of Mindanao, assisting with local arrangements, providing Secretariat support, and financing the participation of many of the Filipino participants. The organizers would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Mr. Steffan Weidner who worked countless hours to ensure the international seminar was a success. Core financial support for the seminar was provided by the USDA Forest Service, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Community Forestry Unit of FAO. The large number of participants who received financial support to attend the seminar highlighted the great importance that many organizations are giving to decentralization and devolution in forest management. The organizers would like to thank all these organizations for providing the necessary financial support for participants and their follow-up work in preparing papers for this publication. Finally, FAO and RECOFTC thank all the participants who made presentations and actively participated in the seminar, and the authors who prepared papers for this publication. Overview of Themes and Issues in Devolution and Decentralization of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific by R.J. Fisher, Patrick B. Durst, Thomas Enters and Michael Victor Decentralization and devolution are dominant themes in contemporary discussions of forest policy and management throughout the world. Many countries have drafted legislation or policies for implementing decentralization and devolution in one way or another. Nevertheless, between the policy, rhetoric and implementation there are obvious gaps, and there is little conceptual clarity about the meaning of decentralization and devolution. The "International Seminar on Decentralization and Devolution of Forest Management in Asia and the Pacific," held in Davao, Philippines, from 30 November to 4 December 1998, explored experiences and issues surrounding the implementation of decentralization and devolution approaches in the region. This introduction reflects on some of the key themes and issues that emerged from the seminar. Differentiating Decentralization and Devolution There are diverse definitions of decentralization and devolution, and the two terms are often even treated as equivalent. It is useful, however, to distinguish between them. Decentralization can be defined as the relocation of administrative functions away from a central location, and devolution as the relocation