Browsing by Author "Brockhaus, Maria"

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Advocacy Coalitions, REDD+, and Forest Governance in Papua New Guinea: How Likely is Transformational Change?
(2014) Babon, Andrea; McIntyre, Daniel; Gowae, Gail Y.; Gallemore, Caleb; Carmenta, Rachel; Di Gregorio, Monica; Brockhaus, Maria
"Tropical forests in developing countries are increasingly being valued for their role in carbon sequestration. Such interest is reflected in the emergence of international initiatives for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). REDD+ requires addressing both tropical forests as complex social-ecological systems and the multiple sectors involved in tropical forest resources, which may necessitate transformational change away from business-as-usual approaches to forest governance. We studied the potential for REDD+ to mobilize an influential coalition of actors promoting transformational change in forest governance in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a leading proponent of REDD+ internationally. Combining policy network approaches with the advocacy coalition framework, we identified four advocacy coalitions in the REDD+ policy domain in PNG and estimated the influence of each coalition. We found the most influential advocacy coalition is promoting the status quo rather than governance reforms capable of reducing deforestations and forest degradation, leading us to suggest that business as usual is the dominant perspective in the REDD+ policy domain in PNG. This may explain why, despite the large amount of REDD+ rhetoric, there has been only modest change in formal policy or practice in PNG to date. However, we did find influential coalitions calling for transformational change. Although these are currently minority coalitions, we identified several pathways through which they could increase their power to realize transformational change."
Information Networks and Power: Confronting the 'Wicked Problem' of REDD+ in Indonesia
(2014) Moeliono, Moira; Gallemore, Caleb; Santoso, Levania; Brockhaus, Maria; Di Gregorio, Monica
"Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a priority issue for forest and climate policy in Indonesia, and REDD+ policy-making activity has been characterized by considerable public consultation. Despite this engagement, discussions on REDD+ in Indonesia are reported to have remained top-down, a disconcerting pattern when adaptive governance and transformational change require cross-scale and cross-sectoral communication. Explicitly modeling the patterns of information exchange related to REDD+ can clarify these claims and help identify potential barriers to the transformational change needed to implement REDD+. We used data obtained through semistructured and structured interviews held in 2011 with representatives from a broad range of organizations (N = 64), formally or informally involved in the national REDD+ policy processes in Indonesia, to study REDD-related information exchange. Adopting a social network analysis approach, we found that (1) organizations perceived as most influential in REDD+ policy formulation, often, but not exclusively, those with institutional authority over particular aspects of REDD+, tend not to seek information from other actors and (2) organizations exchange information primarily within three clusters of similar organizations, with weak connections between clusters. This evidence suggests weak information exchange between the national government, national civil society, and transnational actors. We contend that the emergence of brokers able to connect these different clusters will be crucial for effective and inclusive REDD+ governance in Indonesia."
Is Adaptation to Climate Change Gender Neutral? A Case Study Among Communities Depending on Livestock and Forest in Northern Mali
(2011) Djoudi, Houria; Brockhaus, Maria
"The growing risk of vulnerability under climate change will first and foremost affect poor people, particularly women, as it tends to widen existing inequalities. In the Lake Faguibine area in Northern Mali the social, political and ecological conditions have drastically changed in the past 30 years decades. We conducted 6 single- gender participatory workshops using PRA in two communities to assess vulnerability and adaptive strategies to climate variability and change for livestock and forest-based livelihoods. Our results show divergences in the adaptive strategies of men and women. Migration represented one of the most important strategies for men. Women perceived this strategy more as a cause of vulnerability than an adaptive strategy, as traditionally male activities have been added to the workload of women (e.g. small ruminant herding). The historical axes show that development projects targeting women have not integrated climate change and variability into their planning. Most activities have been built around small-scale agriculture. With the drying out of Lake Faguibine, those water- dependent activities are no longer relevant. Women have developed their own adaptive strategies based on newly emerged forest resources in the former lake area (e.g. charcoal production). However, loss of manpower in the household, unclear access to natural resources, lack of knowledge, financial resources, and power as well as limited market opportunities for women hinder them from realizing the potential of these new activities. Even though women’s vulnerability is increasing in the short term, over the long term the emerging changes in women`s roles could lead to positive impacts, both societal (division of labor and power, new social spaces), and economic (market access, livestock wealth). Locally specific gender-sensitive analysis of vulnerability is needed to understand dynamics and interaction of divergent adaptive strategies. Societal and political change at broader scales and beyond rhetoric’s is needed to realize potential benefits for women in the long term."
Lessons for REDD+ from Cameroon's Past Forestry Law Reform: A Political Economy Analysis
(2014) Dkamela, Guy Patrice; Brockhaus, Maria; Djiegni, Felicien Kengoum; Schure, Jolien; Mvondo, Samuel Assembe
"Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) is gaining traction in Cameroon. However, given the deep-rooted trans-sectoral drivers of forest loss, enforcing REDD+ policies will require major policy change and reform both within and beyond the forestry sector. In this paper, we view the REDD+ policy arena in Cameroon within a political economy framework and conduct policy network analysis to explore the factors that will enable or hinder efforts to implement the broad policy change required to realize REDD+. As the REDD+ context is shaped by the history of Cameroon’s forestry sector, we draw lessons for REDD+ from the forestry law reform undertaken in 1994. We focus our analysis on three factors considered necessary for REDD+ success: (i) autonomy of the nation state from interests behind deforestation and forest degradation, (ii) national ownership over reform processes, and (iii) inclusiveness of policy processes. We find that the REDD+ policy process in Cameroon is repeating the weaknesses of the earlier forestry law reform, as seen in the minimal ownership of REDD+ by national actor groups and low inclusiveness among domestic actors at both national and local levels, as well as the absence of a national coalition for REDD+. Furthermore, politics and private agendas are compromising state agencies’ autonomy in making decisions about forest resources. Our findings suggest that responses to these weaknesses, as well as to inconsistencies between sectoral policies and to competition over forest resources, will determine whether REDD+ can induce change within and beyond Cameroon’s forestry sector."
Multi-level Governance and Adaptive Capacity in West Africa
(2012) Brockhaus, Maria; Djoudi, Houria; Kambire, Hermann
"In most regions in West Africa, livelihoods depend heavily on forest ecosystem goods and services, often in interplay with agricultural and livestock production systems. Numerous drivers of change are creating a range of fundamental economic, ecological, social and political challenges for the governance of forest commons. Climate change and its impacts on countries’ and regions’ development add a new dimension to an already challenging situation. Governance systems are challenged to set a frame for formulating, financing and implementing adaptation strategies at multiple layers, often in a context of ongoing institutional changes such as decentralisation. A deeper understanding of actors, institutions and networks is needed to overcome barriers in socio-ecological systems to adaptation and enable or enhance adaptive capacity. In this paper, we explore the relationship between governance and adaptive capacity, and characterise and assess the effects of a set of variables and indicators related to two core variables: Institutional flexibility, and individual and organisational understandings and perceptions. We present a comparative analysis with multiple methods based on a number of case studies undertaken at different levels in Burkina Faso and Mali. One of the key findings indicates the importance and influence of discourses and narratives, and how they affect adaptive capacity at different levels. Revealing the ideological character of discourses can help to enable adaptive capacity, as it would break the influence of the actors that employ these narratives to pursuit their own interests."
Multiple Levels and Multiple Challenges for Measurement, Reporting and Verification of REDD+
(2013) Korhonen-Kurki, Kaisa; Brockhaus, Maria; Duchelle, Amy E.; Atmadja, Stibniati; Thuy, Pham Thu; Schofield, Lydia
"REDD+ is a multilevel endeavour. Global demands, national and subnational structures and local peoples needs and aspirations must all be linked in efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. We use Brockhaus and Angelsens (2012) framework of Institutions, Interests, Information and Ideas (4Is) to analyse the multilevel governance of REDD+ through one of its core elements: measurement, reporting and verification. We present the multilevel dimensions of REDD+ and the risks if they are disregarded. We analyse the flow and interplay of information, institutions and interests across levels in REDD+ measurement, reporting and verification and examine which multilevel governance mechanisms enable this flow. To support our analysis, we provide anecdotal evidence of challenges and opportunities from three countries: Brazil, Vietnam and Indonesia. Our analysis shows that it is essential to enhance and harmonize information flows between local and national levels for measurement, reporting and verification to be accountable. Furthermore, sound information flows between levels can increase the negotiation power of disadvantaged groups and ensure a more effective, efficient and equitable REDD+. To reduce the risk of conflict, REDD+ multilevel governance systems should match incentives and interests with transparent institutions. Effective multilevel governance mechanisms, such as novel cross-scale institutional arrangements, uniform regulations on the rights, responsibilities and procedures for monitoring information flows, and participation across levels, will provide tools for both information flow and greater matching of different interests across levels."
National REDD+ Policy Networks: From Cooperation to Conflict
(2014) Brockhaus, Maria; Di Gregorio, Monica
"Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is a financial mechanism aimed at providing incentives to reduce carbon emissions from forests and enhance carbon stocks. In most forest-rich developing countries, policy actors, i.e., state and nonstate as well as international and national, are designing national REDD+ policies. Actors’ interests and beliefs shape patterns of interactions, ranging from cooperation to conflict, and these interactions influence a country’s direction and progress in REDD+ policy formulation and implementation. We used a comparative policy network approach to analyze the power structures in national REDD+ policy domains in seven countries. We drew on the typology of power structures defined by two dimensions, namely the distribution of power in the policy arena and the dominant type of interaction, cooperative or conflictual, among actors, and we mapped the progress of national REDD+ decision-making processes against these power structures. We tested three hypotheses and found that (1) national ownership over the policy process is a prerequisite for progress. In addition, (2) the level of concentration of power in an actor group can facilitate progress in REDD+; however, particularly when concentration of power is high, progress will be possible only if the interests of the most powerful are aligned with the objectives of REDD+ and address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Furthermore, (3) although cooperation is perceived as ideal in any collective decision-making setting, a certain level of conflict is necessary for progress in REDD+ decision making. This applies particularly in more advanced national REDD+ domains, where, following a honeymoon phase during which most policy actors embrace the broad idea of REDD+, policy decisions must deal with difficult realities associated with negotiating established business-as-usual interests, which entails high political costs."
The REDD+ Policy Arena in Vietnam: Participation of Policy Actors
(2014) Pham, Thuy T.; Di Gregorio, Monica; Carmenta, Rachel; Brockhaus, Maria; Le, Dung N.
"Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) has gained increasing global attention because of its potential to reduce carbon emissions and improve forest governance. Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation requires successful inclusive decision making and accountability. However, there have been limited empirical studies that examine the effectiveness of the current participatory mechanism used in REDD+. Our research analyzes the participation of policy actors in the development of the REDD+ instrument in Vietnam. We are interested in how the political context and the different interests of actors influence the degree of participation in national REDD+ policy decision making. We explored participation through the analysis of the mechanisms, e.g., how actors involve and participate in decision making, and dynamics of participation, e.g., highly centralized policy event vs. donor led event. The study aims to answer three research questions: (1) Who is involved in national REDD+ policy making and what are their interests in participating in core political events? (2) What level of participation do the different political actors have in core political events? and (3) To what extent do the outcomes, e.g., regulations and strategies, of REDD+ policy events incorporate different preferences of policy actors? Our findings highlighted the dominant role of government agencies in REDD+ policy making, which leaves limited political space for nonstate actors, e.g., NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs), in Vietnam to exert an influence on the final policy outputs. Even in this highly centralized context, however, we found evidence to suggest that some political space in decision making is given to nonstate actors. Within this space, such actors are able to propose alternative policy options. Ensuring inclusive decision making and accountability in the Vietnam context requires a shift in current governance from traditional top-down approaches to a more participatory form of decision making."
Who Should Benefit from REDD+? Rationales and Realities
(2013) Luttrell, Cecilia; Loft, Lasse; Gebara, Maria Fernanda; Kweka, Demetrius; Brockhaus, Maria; Angelsen, Arild; Sunderlin, William D.
"Benefit-sharing mechanisms are a central design aspect of REDD+ because they help to create the necessary incentives to reduce carbon emissions. However, if stakeholders do not perceive the benefit sharing as fair, the legitimacy of REDD+, and support for the mechanism, will be weakened. In this paper, drawing on data from CIFOR’s Global Comparative Study on REDD+, we analyze national policy processes in 6 countries and incipient benefit-sharing arrangements in 21 REDD+ project sites. Through our analysis of current practices and debates, we identify six rationales that have been put forward to justify how benefits should be distributed and to whom. These rationales encompass a range of perspectives. Some hold that benefit sharing should be related to actual carbon emission reductions or to costs incurred in achieving the reduction of emissions; others emphasize the importance of a legal right to benefit, the need to consider aspects such as poverty reduction or the appropriateness of rewarding those with a history of protecting the forest. Each rationale has implications for the design of benefit-sharing mechanisms and the equity of their outcomes. We point out that, given the wide range of rationales and interests at play, the objectives of REDD+ and benefit sharing must be clearly established and the term 'benefit' defined before effective benefit-sharing mechanisms can be designed. For stakeholders to support REDD+, the legitimacy of decision-making institutions, consideration of context, and attention to process are critical. Building legitimacy requires attention not only to fair distributional outcomes but also to consensus on relevant institutions’ authority to make decisions and to procedural equity."