INCLUSIVE LAND USE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE UPPER-SURINAME RIVER AREA: PARTICIPATORY SCENARIO MODELING WITH THE SAAMAKA COMMUNITY

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1 INCLUSIVE LAND USE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE UPPER-SURINAME RIVER AREA: PARTICIPATORY SCENARIO MODELING WITH THE SAAMAKA COMMUNITY Making knowledge work for forests and people Lisa Best, MSc 10 August 2016 International Congress on Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield, Georgetown, Guyana

2 Background Context No collective land rights No comprehensive spatial planning policies for the hinterlands Southwards expansion of forest exploitation The Upper-Suriname river area A productive landscape Saamaka tribal community: 60 villages Study area: 24 villages, two subregions FIGURE 1. STUDY AREA

3 Problem statement and research question Problem statement Lack of structural inclusion of local (traditional) social-ecological knowledge and perspectives in land use policies, planning and management of the area Need for minimalizing trade-offs for sustainable landscape management and development Specific question for this part of the research project What are the different development visions for the area and what trade-offs are associated with the different scenarios?

4 Participatory scenario development using a spatially explicit tool Figure 2. Natural capital approach for assessing ecosystem services (Rosenthal et al, 2015)

5 Participatory scenario development using a spatially explicit tool Interviews stakeholders Ws1: validation & quantification Ws 2: Feedback & adjustment Internal preparation Interview Questions Visual methodology and survey Analysis & writing Modelling Final WS: Validation & discussion Focusgroep: storyline, quantification, validation FG 2: Feedback & adjust FIGURE 3. METHODOLOGY

6 Scenarios / Characteristics Society (i.e. communities) Economic approach Infrastructure Governance Environmental conservation Tradition-based development (cluster 1+2) Business as usual Inclusive, sustainable development Accelerated exploration of natural resources Embracing new developments based on traditional values Struggling to balance modernization and conservation of culture Collaboration and sustainability Individualism over collectivity Collaboration, modernization and diversification based on traditional livelihoods More of the same (small-scale, conventional), slowly modernizing. Tourism-based, sustainable development. Integraded approach Strong emphasis on exploitation of natural resources No new roads. Improved social infrastructure Slightly improved social infrastructure, Road development One new road. Improved social infrastructure Two new roads. Improved social infrastructure Empowered local governance. Joint decision-making. Collective land rights No land rights. Clash between traditional and formal systems Decentralisation. Stronger institutions regionally and locally Decentralization, but still top down. One large community forest High priority Low priority High priority Low priority

7 Land cover change under different scenarios

8 Traditional and formal governance system Traditional governance structure: Chief of the tribe, Village authorities, Clans (Lö), Families (Beë; matriarchal) Formal governance for e.g. logging: community forest concessions awarded per village 120 Management of primary forest 160 Who takes decisions on: logging Responses 0 Community Household men Household women Beë Lö Both Lö/Beë and community I don't know 0 Me/individual Village authority and/or Granman Government Beë Lö Organized user group or association FIGURE 4. SURVEY RESPONSES REGARDING TRADITIONAL GOVERNANCE

9 Discussion (preliminary) Outcomes so far: osocial learning, fostering dialogue and mutual understanding oproviding a basis for change, via e.g. translation to action or development plans Bridging the gap between traditional (local) and formal governance: olinking different actors within a landscape ofinding a common ground while maintaining flexibility

10 Discussion (ctd) Scenario Generator (spatially explicit) tool: oabstract and sometimes complex quantification of storylines ospatial modelling inputs subjective to research team Next steps: 1. Final workshop for validation and debate on all scenarios 2. Analysis of all results and trade-off modelling 3. Communicating results to decision- and policy makers

11 Thank you! Questions? Lisa Best, MSc Researcher Sustainable Landscapes Tropenbos International Suriname