Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
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6 • Robert Fisher, Ravi Prabhu and Cynthia McDougall<br />
the same time, empower weaker stakeholders with<strong>in</strong> these processes (e.g.,<br />
Wollenberg et al. 2001; Colfer et al. 1999). We make the assumption that<br />
better <strong>collaborative</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g can lead to better and fairer forest <strong>management</strong><br />
decisions, but this raises a serious question: Can <strong>collaborative</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
really address direct conflicts <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest? Us<strong>in</strong>g empirical evidence, we<br />
explore this question further <strong>in</strong> subsequent chapters.<br />
In the research project we discuss here, we used the terms ‘adaptive<br />
<strong>collaborative</strong> <strong>management</strong>’ (ACM) and ‘adaptive co<strong>management</strong>’ to signify<br />
<strong>management</strong> that merges the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples <strong>of</strong> scientific adaptive <strong>management</strong><br />
with <strong>collaborative</strong> <strong>management</strong>, as well as various pr<strong>in</strong>ciples <strong>of</strong> social<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g and participatory approaches. The concepts, elements and roots<br />
<strong>of</strong> ACM are exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> Chapter 2 <strong>of</strong> this volume.<br />
The practice <strong>of</strong> ACM seeks to create better (more equitable and more<br />
susta<strong>in</strong>able) ways <strong>of</strong> help<strong>in</strong>g the multiple <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> forest<br />
<strong>management</strong> make <strong>collaborative</strong> decisions. The assumption is that<br />
<strong>collaborative</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g various stakeholders, can lead to better<br />
and fairer <strong>management</strong> decisions.<br />
This book is based on the hypothesis that the provision <strong>of</strong> opportunities<br />
for <strong>collaborative</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g, negotiation and plann<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g different<br />
actors, can contribute to better <strong>management</strong> <strong>of</strong> complexity and better<br />
negotiation between people with differ<strong>in</strong>g and compet<strong>in</strong>g objectives for<br />
forest <strong>management</strong>. It presents an analysis aris<strong>in</strong>g from the <strong>Adaptive</strong><br />
Collaborative Management Research Project implemented by the Center<br />
for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) <strong>in</strong> three countries <strong>in</strong> <strong>Asia</strong>.<br />
The <strong>Adaptive</strong> Collaborative Management Research<br />
Project<br />
The ACM Research Project tested several approaches for promot<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
strengthen<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>stitutionalis<strong>in</strong>g active and <strong>collaborative</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
forest <strong>management</strong> <strong>in</strong> Nepal, the Philipp<strong>in</strong>es and Indonesia. The project<br />
was hosted and led by CIFOR and was carried out <strong>in</strong> partnership with<br />
multiple national, district and local partners and researchers <strong>in</strong> the three<br />
countries between April 1999 and September 2002. It was part <strong>of</strong> a wider<br />
ACM programme 2 that carried out similar research <strong>in</strong> Africa, Lat<strong>in</strong> America<br />
and Central <strong>Asia</strong>.