I’m not sure quite what I expected from this publication with the lofty title of Collaborative Governance of Tropical Landscapes but this collection of in-depth case studies and analyses by researchers from the Centre for International Forest Research (CIFOR) and their partners is full of surprises. It commences with an evocative imagining of journeys through the places studied, illustrating the profound relationship between the land and the people whose livelihoods shape, and are shaped by, these landscapes.
The introductory chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book with its remarkably frank account of the divergence between what the research teams had planned to do and what they were able to achieve in practice. The core of the book covers selected governance-related topics to illustrate each site’s particular characteristics while addressing issues with broader applicability.
One chapter examines the role of district government in managing landscape dynamics and livelihoods development in Jambi district of Sumatra, Indonesia. A subsequent chapter unpacks the complex issues arising from two very different examples of displacement: direct resettlement from areas bordering a national park in Laos; and economic displacement in the East Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. The Madagascar and Tanzanian case studies in particular yield interesting insights into the place of customary forest governance systems and institutions in the 21st century.
An exploration of the role of wild species concludes that despite the fact that many species of megafauna are reported to have strong cultural or religious beliefs attached to them, the ability of such values to shape contemporary governance practice remains largely unproven. The Cameroon case study examines the governance of value chains for non-timber forest products, clearly illustrating the economic and other links between even remote areas and the wider world in this era of globalization.
For readers with a particular interest in any of the landscapes studied, as I have for Indonesia, the research presented provides a fascinating picture of the complex, multi-level governance processes that play out in each of the local contexts. There is, however, also some more pragmatic content with wider relevance, including the presentation of a simple method for assessing governance indicators in forest landscapes and the benefits and challenges of applying such a tool in one of the case study sites.
The importance of taking a multi-disciplinary approach, of spending significant periods of time within the studied landscapes and communities, of recognizing and responding to the complexity of different contexts, are all stressed throughout the book. The humanity of the researchers shines clearly through both in their use of language and in their obvious empathy for the communities whose lives they have touched in the course of their work. References to ‘wicked problems’ (as defined in Wikipedia), to ‘minefields in collaborative governance’, and to the necessity of ‘muddling through’ all illustrate that these are researchers grounded in messy reality, rather than academics preaching from their ivory towers.
Of particular note for me is the ethical dilemma expressed by the authors of promoting collaborative governance systems that seek to bring closer to the state, communities who have, in many cases, maintained their cultural identity precisely because they have remained largely outside state control. If I was seeking to end on a pessimistic point, I could highlight the fact that the section entitled The Bad News in the final chapter is twice as long as that entitled The Somewhat Good News. But at the end of the day, I’m left with a feeling of at least partial optimism that there are people out there undertaking rigorous multi-disciplinary research, and supporting adaptive learning and collaborative management, with a genuine commitment to maintaining our planet’s rich biodiversity in a way that also protects people’s livelihoods and socio-cultural well-being.
