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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42 • Ravi Prabhu, Cynthia McDougall and Robert Fisher<br />
if recognised and addressed, can engender adaptiveness and collaboration<br />
and create space for effective action, but it can be unforgiv<strong>in</strong>g: if the<br />
<strong>management</strong> system cannot or does not respond with enough flexibility<br />
and swiftness—for example, as <strong>in</strong> the case <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational efforts to stem<br />
global warm<strong>in</strong>g—material outcomes will very likely fail to meet people’s<br />
needs and expectations.<br />
Enabl<strong>in</strong>g environment. An ‘enabl<strong>in</strong>g’ environment is the space available<br />
to local actors to practice or develop an ACM approach. Here, we exam<strong>in</strong>e<br />
an enabl<strong>in</strong>g environment <strong>in</strong> the political, social and economic contexts<br />
with<strong>in</strong> which ACM groups exist, and specifically, the exercise <strong>of</strong> power<br />
from external forces or actors on these groups. Power <strong>in</strong> governance<br />
and <strong>management</strong> has been def<strong>in</strong>ed and analysed by numerous <strong>in</strong>sightful<br />
theorists. Giddens (1984), for example, def<strong>in</strong>es power <strong>in</strong> the sense <strong>of</strong> the<br />
capability to ‘make a difference’ to a preexist<strong>in</strong>g state <strong>of</strong> affairs or course<br />
<strong>of</strong> events. Galbraith (1984: 13) suggests that ‘the exercise <strong>of</strong> power, the<br />
submission <strong>of</strong> some to the will <strong>of</strong> others, is <strong>in</strong>evitable <strong>in</strong> human society:<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g whatever is accomplished without it … Power can be socially<br />
malign; it is also socially essential’.<br />
Tak<strong>in</strong>g a broader view, Sen (1999) differentiates five <strong>in</strong>strumental freedoms<br />
that constitute an enabl<strong>in</strong>g environment: political freedom, economic<br />
facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees and protective<br />
security. On a practical level, these freedoms would all contribute to an ACM<br />
group’s ability to generate its desired material outcomes. The reason we<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude this po<strong>in</strong>t here, however, is a more fundamental one: development is<br />
the process <strong>of</strong> expand<strong>in</strong>g human freedom. This is an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g perspective<br />
from which to consider approaches to natural resource <strong>management</strong><br />
and governance. If we see <strong>management</strong> and governance as <strong>in</strong>tertw<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> development—rather than technical tasks—then they are also<br />
necessarily focussed on the unfold<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> human freedom. With this as the<br />
ultimate goal <strong>of</strong> material action, then the environment <strong>of</strong> a <strong>management</strong><br />
group must enable more than good <strong>management</strong> decisions: it must enable<br />
creative processes that create mean<strong>in</strong>gful space for all forest-dependent<br />
people and generate ongo<strong>in</strong>g, effective, long-term decision mak<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
people and natural systems.<br />
Capacity. Capacity is a composite variable compris<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>management</strong><br />
system’s attributes (norms, rules, <strong>in</strong>stitutions, leadership), as well as such<br />
resources as knowledge systems, relationships, skills, f<strong>in</strong>ancial capital and<br />
any other assets that can be used to help a group achieve its goals. In