Evidence-based Community Forestry Program in Biliran Province, Philippines Putting Research Findings into Practice

Transcription

1 Evidence-based Community Forestry Program in Biliran Province, Philippines Putting Research Findings into Practice N. Gregorio, J. Herbohn, S. Harrison, A. Pasa, A. Ferraren, J. Fernandez, R. Tripoli and B. Polinar

2 Background Community-based Forest Management (CBFM) Program launched in 1999 CBFM deemed as the ultimate strategy to rehabilitate denuded uplands and manage the remaining forest on a sustainable way CBFM implementation fraught with several problems (including social, economic, biophysical, technical, policy and governance issues) Factors limiting the success are widely reported yet very little attempt to improve the design and implementation

3 Burning question How can a community-based watershed rehabilitation program be designed and implemented such that it will effectively address the shortcomings of past communitybased reforestation initiatives?

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5 The pilot community-based reforestation program Applies the systems approach considers the complexity of community-based forestry system Evidence-based uses lessons from past watershed rehabilitation programs and improved methodologies and techniques based from scientific investigations Adopts the genuine participatory process in program design, implementation and monitoring

6 Some key references Results and experience of reforestation programs in the Philippines and other developing countries Including reports of Guiang et al (2001); Eslava (2004); Pulhin et al. (2007); Carandang et al. (2010); Israel and Lintag (2013) Results of series of ACIAR Smallholder Forestry projects in the Philippines Assessment of past reforestation programs and identify key drivers of success (e.g. Le et al. 2012; Le at al. 2014; Herbohn et al. 2014) Design and implementation of local nursery accreditation program (e.g. Gregorio et al. 2008; Gregorio et al. 2015) Silviculture of key species and mixed species plantation (e.g. Gregorio et al. 2012; Nguyen et al. 2012; Nguyen et al. 2014a,2014b) Research into extension methods (e.g. Baynes et al. 2011a, 2011b) Community dynamics, policy, social capital and livelihood issues (e.g. Harrison et al. 2008; Thomas et al. 2010, Baynes et al. 2015)

7 The pilot reforestation site 26 ha of upland in Kawayanon, Caibiran, Biliran Province Grassland, low soil fertility, rugged landscape, steep slopes, severe soil erosion and wind-affected ridges Poor community, swidden agriculture as major source of income and food Planted with trees under four national reforestation programs since the 1980s Regular fire occurrence decimated the trees Disbanded People s Organisation with less desirable experience from previous reforestation programs

8 Designing the program The DENR staff discussing the proposed pilot reforestation program Planning workshop with stakeholders Identified issues and problems in previous reforestation programs, and potential solutions Solicited inputs to program design and implementation A PO member presenting constraints in previous programs Identified species preference and compatibility to the site projects Identified livelihood options and designed implementation strategies The PO identifying livelihood

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12 The interventions 1. Adequate social preparation a. Substantial information campaign with the community - Meetings and public forum b. Rejuvenation of the PO - Renewal of membership, review of by-laws, creation of new set of officers c. Empowering the PO - Training and capacity building programs - mother tree selection, smallholder-based high quality seedling production and plantation establishment, maintenance and protection - Records keeping and financial management including production of minutes of meetings and reports - Drafting of PO resolutions - Skills training for livelihood implementation

13 2. Improving supply of high quality germplasm Identified and marked plus trees from the natural forest of Kawayanon A total of 310 trees of 15 premium timber species PO members measuring tree diameter and marking the identified mother tree

14 3. Production of high quality seedlings Smallholder-based technologies (easy and low-cost) Low-cost recovery chamber Quality seedlings on elevated hardening bed

15 3. Appropriate site preparation, plantation establishment, maintenance and protection Applied the best practice Divided the area into blocks according to land-use (i.e. production, protection and agroforestry) - Production zone (trees with high commercial value, will be harvested) - Protection zone (trees with high environmental value, no harvesting) - Agroforestry zone (fruit trees and agricultural crops for food production and income) Planting during the wet season Large planting holes Proper hauling of seedlings to the planting site Appropriate planting method Fertiliser application at optimum amount Removal of weeds Establishment of firelines Regular patrolling

16 Clear planting lines The reforestation site divided into planting zones Large planting holes Fireline along the boundary Optimum fertiliser Proper planting Proper hauling of seedlings

17 4. Sustainable livelihood projects and food security measures Nursery seedling production on the process of getting the accreditation from DENR as seedling supplier The agroforestry farm is being developed Planted crops along firelines Planting of fuelwood trees along the plantation boundary PO member harvesting cassava planted along the fireline

18 6. Program monitoring Research on the impact of the program to the site Established permanent plots to monitor seedling survival and growth After the meeting with top DENR Officials on March 2015 A member of the PO measuring seedlings 8 months after planting

19 The pictures that paint a thousand words Before planting 8 months after planting The plantation as seen about 1 kilometer from the national road

20 Some lessons Keys to promoting the success of community-based reforestation program 1. Appropriate project design 2. Adequate social preparation 3. Strong and honest PO leadership 4. Transparency in handling funds 5. Sustainable livelihood and food security measures 6. Adequate institutional arrangements and supportive policy environment 7. Security of land tenure 8. Support from extension workers 9. Major role of women in community forestry program

21 The Team A small group of ordinary people with a huge extraordinary dream