Forests Sourcebook - HCV Resource Network

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tenure adjudication and documentation. Policy analysis
of tenure issues also needs to take into consideration the
broader political economy and phasing of policies or
institutions affecting the sector (see further discussion
on tenure below).
Harvesting and marketing of forest products.Where communities
in forest areas are interested in economic use of
forest products, the objective of harvest and marketing
policies should be to maximize returns from forest products
to Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent
communities on an environmentally and fiscally sustainable
basis (see note 1.5, Making Markets Work for the
Forest-Dependent Poor, for points on what policy
reform should address).
Governance. Governance policies on transparency,
accountability, grievance mechanisms, and independent
review modalities are important to forest operations
involving Indigenous Peoples. Forest-rich countries,
where forest resources are being “mined” or exploited
extensively and exported, often involve significant rentseeking
and revenue leakage. Efforts to address these
challenging governance issues and associated vested
interests can be especially beneficial to most Indigenous
Peoples in forest areas, and inattention to these issues can
be especially harmful (see chapter 5, Improving Forest
Governance).
Fiscal policies. Government services and programs targeting
Indigenous Peoples in remote forest areas are often
poorly funded. In addition, the unit cost of service provision
is frequently higher, and there is limited availability
of expertise tailored for Indigenous Peoples contexts.
Public expenditure review and reform should address
these problems caused by market and policy distortions,
streamlining fund flow mechanisms, adjusting budget
parameters, providing incentive payments, and correcting
incentive distortions where necessary (see note 5.4,
Strengthening Fiscal Systems in the Forest Sector).
Community institutions and decentralization. Policies on
indigenous community institutions are important to
CBFM. Where indigenous communities are culturally
homogeneous with strong social cohesion, key issues
usually involve the extent to which the official structure
reflects and acknowledges traditional decision-making
systems and the extent of delegated authority and autonomy.
Where they involve heterogeneous groups and
interests, institutional systems and decentralization
efforts also need to include effective modalities to negotiate
the differing perspectives and relative levels of
empowerment.
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Values and attitudes of mainstream culture. Some countries
regulate forest use based on the attitudes and values
of the mainstream culture in ways that do not accommodate
traditional uses by Indigenous Peoples. Typical
issues of contention include communal ownership,
recognition or nonrecognition of sacred sites in forest
areas, regulation or prohibition of hunting, and prohibition
of shifting cultivation. Policy reforms may be
needed to recognize, and improve the level of understanding
by the majority culture of, Indigenous Peoples’
resource use and management practices. Improvements
in traditional practices that enhance sustainability and
natural resources while still recognizing Indigenous Peoples’
rights and cultures may be contemplated.
Use of sector analysis in investment and policy
lending. Sector analysis on Indigenous Peoples and forests
may provide useful information and dialogue opportunities
to inform investment and policy lending. The interactions of
Indigenous Peoples and forests have been increasingly taken
into consideration as part of broader country economic and
sector analysis and the development of country assistance
strategies. The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG,
formerly the Operations Evaluation Department) has
included Indigenous Peoples issues in forest sector country
case studies for Brazil (Uma and others 2000), India (Kumar
and others 2000), and Indonesia (Gautam and others 2000),
all noting the importance of access to land and natural
resources for Indigenous Peoples. More recently, analytical
efforts have also been associated with poverty reduction
strategies, as well as World Bank–wide reviews and
formulations of strategies on forests, rural development,
environment, and Indigenous Peoples. The degree of focus
on forests and Indigenous Peoples has varied considerably
across countries, depending on their relative extent and
importance, the receptivity of governments to policy
dialogue on these issues, World Bank staff expertise and
capacity, and the concern and commitment of regional Bank
management relative to other development issues. However,
given the important role that Indigenous Peoples can play in
the forest sector, and the risks to which they may be exposed,
it is essential that forest sector analysis include analysis of
Indigenous Peoples for countries where they are present.
Informed participation of Indigenous Peoples. Informed
consultation with and participation of Indigenous Peoples are
essential for successful forest-based activities. Their particular
rights, circumstances, and needs often render standard
development approaches and assumptions inadequate or
NOTE 1.3: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND FORESTS 41