Deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 20% of the total annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, current approaches to address climate change include strategies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD). Even though REDD is still under discussion within the UNFCCC framework, many REDD pilot projects are being implemented across the tropics. Securing local communities’ tenure rights and their equitable access to forest conservation benefits are critical in REDD because local communities could be excluded from REDD benefits if their land and forest access rights are not adequately addressed. In Cambodia, two REDD pilot projects: Community Forestry Carbon Offset Project (CFCOP) in Oddar Meanchey province and the Seima Protection Forest Project (SPF) in Mundulkiri province, are being implemented. This study aims to contribute to the development of an effective REDD mechanism in Cambodia by examining land and forest tenures and benefit sharing arrangements under the two REDD pilot projects in Cambodia. The paper employs concepts of discourse coalitions and rules of the game to explain tenure rights and benefit sharing arrangements in the two projects. The study is based on literature review, analysis of key text documents and interviews with 19 respondents from government, civil society, donor community, community and private sector involved in the two REDD pilot projects and from outside. Results show that the two REDD pilot projects are being implemented in community forests and protection forests. In both projects, local communities are granted forest access rights. In addition, the projects have legitimized tenure rights of local communities in the project areas as provided for through the Land and Forestry Law in Cambodia. The study also indicates that revenues from carbon credits generated by the projects will be shared with the local communities. According to the Government Decision No.699, more than 50% of net revenues will be channeled to local communities in the CFCOP while the sharing of the revenues in the SPF is still under consideration. The study offers lessons that could guide other REDD projects in securing local communities’ forest access rights and their rights to benefits from forest conservation.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
1.0. Introduction
1.1. REDD in Cambodia
1.2. Problem Statement
1.3. Research Objectives and Research Questions
1.4. Thesis Outline
CHAPTER 2
2.0. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
2.1. Theoretical Framework
2.1.1. Resource Tenure: Use and Ownership Rights
2.1.1.1. Land Tenures
2.1.1.2. Forest Tenures
2.1.1.3. Carbon Rights
2.1.2. Indigenous People and Local Community Rights
2.1.3. Benefit Sharing
2.1.4. Discourse Coalitions
2.1.5. Rules of the Game
2.2. Conceptual Framework
2.2.1. Tenure, Forest Dependent Communities and REDD
2.2.2. Benefit Sharing and REDD
2.2.3. Discourse Coalitions
2.2.4. Rules of the Game
CHAPTER 3
3.0. Research Methodology
3.1. Research Strategy
3.1.1. Selection of Research Location
3.1.2. Stakeholder Analysis
3.1.3. Selection of Respondents
3.2. Method of Data Collection
3.2.1. The Telephone Interview
3.3. Data Analysis
3.4. Validity and Reliability
3.5. Limitation of the Study
CHAPTER 4
4.0. The Forestry Sector of Cambodia and Land Tenure Systems
4.1. National and International Significance of Cambodia’s Forests
4.2. Policies and Legislations Governing Cambodian Forestry
4.3. Land Tenure systems in Cambodia
4.4. Forest tenure systems in Cambodia
4.4.1. Permanent Forest Reserves
4.4.1.1. Production Forests
4.4.1.2. Protection Forests
4.4.1.3. Conversion Forests
4.4.2. Private Forests
4.4.3. Protected Areas
4.5. Forest Tenure in Cambodia vs the Sunderlin Classification
CHAPTER 5
5.0. Tenure Systems and Benefit Sharing Arrangements under the Two REDD Pilot Projects
5.1. Community Forestry Carbon Offset Project in Oddar Meanchey Province
5.1.1. Background
5.1.2. Land and Forest Tenures under the Project
5.1.3. Carbon Rights
5.1.4. Benefit Sharing Arrangements
5.1.5. Conflict Resolution Mechanism
5.2. Seima Protection Forest REDD Pilot Project in Mundulkiri province
5.2.1. Background
5.2.2. Land and Forest Tenures under the Project
5.2.3. Carbon Rights
5.2.4. Benefit Sharing Arrangements
5.3. Tenure Right Arrangement Analysis
5.4. Explaining Tenure Rights and Benefit Sharing Arrangements under the Two REDD Pilot Projects
5.4.1. Discourse Coalitions
5.4.2. Rules of the Game
CHAPTER 6
6.0. Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations
6.1. Discussion
6.1.1. Tenure Rights and REDD
6.1.2. Tenure Right Arrangements under the Two REDD Pilot Projects
6.1.3. Benefit Sharing Arrangements under the Two REDD Pilot Projects
6.2. Conclusions and Recommendations
6.3. Personal Reflection
6.4. Theoretical and Societal Relevance
Objectives and Scope
This study investigates the role of tenure rights and benefit sharing arrangements within two REDD pilot projects in Cambodia: the Community Forestry Carbon Offset Project (CFCOP) and the Seima Protection Forest Project (SPF). The primary objective is to contribute to the development of an effective REDD mechanism in Cambodia by analyzing how land and forest tenure influence community participation and benefit distribution. Key research questions explore the existing legal tenure arrangements, the extent to which these recognize local community rights, the mechanisms for benefit sharing, and the influence of discourse coalitions and established rules of the game on these processes.
- Analysis of existing land and forest tenure systems in Cambodia.
- Evaluation of tenure rights and benefit sharing in two specific REDD pilot projects.
- Application of the "discourse coalitions" and "rules of the game" conceptual frameworks.
- Identification of barriers and opportunities for integrating local communities into REDD.
- Formulation of recommendations to improve REDD implementation and governance in Cambodia.
Auszug aus dem Buch
5.1.1. Background
Oddar Meanchey province shares a 224 km border with Thailand, and within Cambodia it borders Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces (Bradley, 2009). This province is one of the remaining strongholds of the post-1979 Khmer Rouge (KR) guerilla force and was formally established in 1999. The province’s 6,158 square kilometers are divided into five districts: Samraong, Banteay Ampil, Chong Kale, Anlong Veng and Trapeang Prasat. Originally, 75% of the project area was covered by evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous forests. However, due to high demand for timber and land for agriculture and settlement, these forests have dwindled with an annual deforestation rate of up to 2.1% (Poffenberger et al., 2009). Because of the high deforestation rate, the area was selected for the Community Forestry Carbon Offset Project.
The Community Forestry Carbon Offset Project (CFCOP) involves thirteen community forestry sites located in the Northwestern part of Oddar Meanchey Province (Figure 9). Originally initiated by the Community Forestry International (CFI), the project aims to protect 60 000 ha of forest and thereby enhance storage and sequestration of carbon (Bradley, 2009). The CFI is a California-based NGO dedicated to protecting the world’s forests and the rights of the people who live near and depend upon them for their livelihoods. The project has a target goal of sequestering some 7.1 million tons over the next 30 years. The primary goal of this project is to successfully enhance storage and sequestration of carbon in the natural forests of northwest Cambodia under emerging REDD initiative and to assess a climate-related payment mechanism for forest conservation. The secondary goals include supporting the implementation of the national community forestry program, securing long-term tenure rights for forest-dependent communities, responding to rural livelihood needs, conserving biodiversity, and supporting hydrological regimes (Poffenberger et al., 2009).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: Provides the political history of the REDD mechanism, introduces the context of Cambodia, and states the problem, research objectives, and outline of the study.
CHAPTER 2: Discusses the theoretical framework, including resource tenure concepts, benefit sharing, discourse coalitions, and rules of the game.
CHAPTER 3: Explains the research methodology, including the research strategy, stakeholder analysis, and methods for data collection like telephone interviews.
CHAPTER 4: Describes the forestry sector in Cambodia, existing policies, legislations, and classification of land and forest tenure systems.
CHAPTER 5: Analyzes the tenure rights and benefit sharing arrangements within the two chosen REDD pilot projects and explores the influence of discourse coalitions and rules of the game.
CHAPTER 6: Presents the discussion of findings, draws conclusions regarding REDD implementation in Cambodia, and provides recommendations for future policy and research.
Keywords
REDD, Tenure rights, Benefit sharing, Community Forestry Carbon Offset, Seima Protection Forest, Cambodia, Forest governance, Sustainable forest management, Forest land concessions, Discourse coalitions, Rules of the game, Carbon rights, Forest policy, Indigenous rights, Deforestation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines the relationship between land/forest tenure rights and benefit sharing arrangements in Cambodia's REDD pilot projects, assessing how these factors impact local and indigenous communities.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in this study?
The study covers forest tenure regimes, the carbon credit market in Cambodia, the role of local and indigenous institutions in forest management, and the policy landscape of REDD implementation.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The objective is to contribute to the development of an effective and equitable REDD mechanism in Cambodia by analyzing how current tenure arrangements either support or hinder the rights of local communities to forest resources and carbon benefits.
Which research methodology does the author apply?
The author uses a qualitative case study approach, involving literature review, analysis of key legal and project documents, and in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with 19 stakeholders from various sectors.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body provides an in-depth analysis of Cambodia’s forest sector, details the specific design and implementation challenges of the CFCOP and Seima Protection Forest projects, and applies theoretical concepts to explain stakeholder behavior and policy outcomes.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The most important keywords are REDD, Tenure rights, Benefit sharing, Cambodia, Community Forestry, Carbon rights, and Forest governance.
How does the project design in Oddar Meanchey aim to include local communities?
The CFCOP project aims to secure long-term tenure rights for local communities through a 15-year renewable lease and guarantees that at least 50% of the net revenues from carbon credits will be channeled to the participating communities.
What role do "discourse coalitions" play in the author's analysis?
Discourse coalitions are used to identify groups of stakeholders who share similar interpretations of how REDD should work, which helps explain the consensus or conflict regarding tenure and benefit distribution in the pilot projects.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Donal Yeang (Autor:in), 2010, Tenure Rights and Benefit Sharing Arrangements for REDD, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/156550
