Forest Governance Innovations: Pro-Poor & Dem. Governance - Cameroon Philippines

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Ruben de Koning

Tropical forests tend to attract poverty. The state is often weak and outsiders frequently exploit resources without considering local communities. The last ten years governments of many tropical forest countries have, together with development partners, implemented innovative forest governance solutions to counter these trends. Whether governance innovations are pro-poor and democratic is not always obvious though. This discussion paper highlights some of the limiting factors with the help of two case studies: Community Based Forest Management in Cameroon, and Multi-sectoral Forest Protection Committees in the Philippines. Both cases demonstrate that commercial forest exploitation is crucial to deliver any pro-poor effect. Cameroon has better prospects in this regard. In turn, local and national demand for reform is crucial to achieve necessary checks and balances in the management system. Here the Philippines experience appears more promising.