Management of forest ecosystems and sustainable

livelihoods: compatible?

Robert Nasi

CIFOR

GBF 16, The Hague, 5-7/04/02

• There are some circumstances under which forest management is unlikely to yield either sustainable livelihoods or sustainable biodiversity conservation (e.g.too little forest areas, too many dependant people)

• There are also conditions which favor both socioeconomic returns and conservation (e.g. forests rich in valuable timber or multiple resources, well-organized communities, and diversified resource use)

Land use intensification stages

Forest cover Economic return Cost of BD cons./area

Hunger, Poverty

You have to have at least one square meal a day to be an environmentalist

(Borlaug)

‘Non-missing’ Markets

• The illegal trade in endangered species is worth $5,000,000,000 / year

• A kg of Taxol (Taxus brevifolia): $11,900,000• A breeding pair of Lear’s Macaw: $260,000• Two Black Rhinoceros’ horns: $50,000• A kg of dry Bear gall bladder: $7,000• A kg of Tiger bones: $3,000• One Giant Panda pelt = a Chinese peasant’s

lifetime earnings

Harnessing Butterfly Biodiversity for Improving Livelihoods and Forest

ConservationThe Kipepeo project:• To change local attitudes by enabling the forest adjacent

community to get cash incomes from rearing forest butterflies for export to the live butterfly exhibit industry in Europe and America.

• Started in 1994 with $50,000 from GEF small grant program

• In 1999, butterfly sales account for 87% of all recorded revenues for the forest, with 10% coming from Forest Department licenses, fines and royalties for timber products and 2% from tourism.

• Replicable (e.g. Costa Rica currently exports around $1 million worth of live butterflies a year)

• Sustainable (Butterfly populations seem not affected but monitoring continues...)

Land use type

Total amount paidover a five

year period (US$ ha-1)

Annual payments as percentage of total for years 1-5

Commitment period(years)

1 2 3 4 5

Reforestation 565 50 20 15 10 5 15

Natural Forest Management

344 50 20 10 10 10 10

Forest Preservation or Regeneration

221 20 20 20 20 20 5

Payment of Environmental Services in Costa Rica

The logging case...

The use of tropical forests as a source of timber is a contentious and emotive issue (Bawa and Seidler 1998; Bowles et al. 1998; Rice et al. 1997, 1998; Struhsaker 1997; Salafsky et al. 1998; Cannon et al. 1998; Pearce et al. 1999; Putz et al. 2000b; Lugo 1999). However, for better or for worse, timber harvesting in many tropical forests looks set to continue (ITTO 1993, Global Forest Watch 2000) and making the best of this is a necessity.

Logging and livelihoods

• The good, the bad and the worse co-exist (CBFM to large scale illegal logging or poaching)

• Raise the issue of local vs. global stakeholders: who counts more? (forest dependent people vs. global conservation lobby)

• Local and national interests might conflict: who benefit from forest income? (Only communities in the forest or the whole Nation)

Conclusions?

• Management of forest ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods can be compatible

But:• There is no one-size-fits-all solution• An integrated landscape approach is essential• Relevant stakeholders must no feel like castaways• Principles should be translated into actions

• As well as probably a thousand of additional useful recommendations that I forgot....