Forests Sourcebook - HCV Resource Network

[Indigenous Peoples’] rights of ownership, occupation, or
usage, as well as the need for long-term sustainable management
of critical ecosystems” (OP 4.10 paragraph 21). OP
4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement also includes provisions
for participatory natural resource management as well as
mitigation measures for impacts from involuntary restrictions
of access to legally designated parks and protected
areas. (See section II of this sourcebook for more guidance
on application of the World Bank’s safeguard policies.)
Forestry projects, including policy-based lending, investment
projects, and other types of projects affecting forest
areas where Indigenous Peoples live, are particularly sensitive
given the special relationship between Indigenous Peoples
and their lands and natural resources. Forests can play
a vital role in relation to livelihoods, sustainability of cultures,
and development of Indigenous Peoples. In turn,
Indigenous Peoples represent important stakeholders in the
sustainable management of forest areas, and their involvement
entails a range of challenges and opportunities that
need careful assessment, often in a site-specific context.
Finally, forest projects, if not properly designed and implemented,
can have a variety of adverse impacts on the livelihoods
and cultures of Indigenous Peoples. It is thus essential
that any forest-related project in areas with Indigenous
Peoples thoroughly assess and address any issues pertaining
to them and involve consultation with these communities.
OPERATIONAL ASPECTS
A key aspect of forest activities involving Indigenous Peoples
is to acknowledge that development practitioners
should not assume that indigenous world views about land
and natural resources, as well as development priorities, are
the same as those that may be commonly held by government
and development agencies. The analysis of and
approach to development in indigenous contexts must,
therefore, take into consideration the specific understanding
of the natural world among Indigenous Peoples and be
based on meaningful consultation with, and participation
of, local communities.
Indigenous Peoples’ Relationship to Land and
Natural Resources. Indigenous Peoples’ special
relationship with their lands and natural resources often
makes them vulnerable to development efforts. The special
relationship that Indigenous Peoples have with their land
and natural resources, along with their historical
marginalization, may also result in significant impacts from
development activities, which, again, may vary substantially
from those on other rural communities. Indigenous Peoples
historically have experienced unequal and inequitable
development and have frequently been economically,
politically, and socially marginalized. They often lack
entitlements in national legislation and development
processes as well as respect for their cultures, lifestyles,
livelihood models, and natural resource management
practices.
Moreover, Indigenous Peoples are often present in, and
claim ownership of, areas with rich forest and other natural
resources, leading to potential conflicts over such resources.
They may endure proportionally high impacts from
increased pressures on the land and resources as a result of
development interventions as well as from general trends of
agricultural expansion and resource extraction. In addition
to the risk of losing land and access to natural resources, the
languages, world views, social organization, cultures, and
values of Indigenous Peoples are in danger of further erosion
or disappearance when development interventions fail
to recognize the close link between Indigenous Peoples and
their lands and natural resources.
Forest-based projects and programs should be planned
with these opportunities, differences, and risks in mind.
They require special attention and measures to ensure that
the unique ties between Indigenous Peoples and their lands
are given full weight in the design of projects and programs.
This may result in specific activities to support and protect
Indigenous Peoples’ rights and well-being, developed in
consultation with the affected communities.
Use of policy analysis in investment and policy
lending. World Bank operations, both investment and policy
lending, involving forests and Indigenous Peoples require
careful policy analysis. This analysis frequently identifies
reform initiatives that would improve the overall policy
framework. Key policy issues for Indigenous Peoples include
tenure, harvest and marketing policies, governance issues,
fiscal policies, decentralization, attitudes of the dominant
culture toward forest uses, environmental and social policies,
and technical guidelines. Some of these are discussed below
(see also chapter 6, Mainstreaming Forests into Development
Policy and Planning: Assessing Cross-Sectoral Impacts).
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Tenure not only of forest land but also of rights to the use of
forest products. Indigenous Peoples’ cultural attitudes
toward claims of natural resource ownership and associated
stewardship responsibilities are important, as are
considerations involving individual versus community
forms of tenure, and existence of and requirements for
40 CHAPTER 1: FORESTS FOR POVERTY REDUCTION