Do the Poor Benefit from Devolution Policies? Evidence from Malawi’s Forest Co-Management Program
Bibliography B1385
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| Author(s) | Jumbe, C.B.L. Angelsen, A. |
| Date | 2005 |
| Reference type | Paper |
| Pages | 41 pp. |
| Publisher | Department of Economics and Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences |
Summary
This paper asks: do local people and in particular vulnerable groups benefit from the devolution of forest management? Although there are many studies that indicate village-level organisations have an impact in resource conservations, few have analysed the net benefits. This study is based on household data obtained from two forest reserves in Malawi. The results of the study are mixed, with forest co-management in one area showing a marginally increased forest revenue, and drastically reduced incomes in the other. However, the study does provide strong evidence that the forest devolution programme does raise revenue for female and low-income participants, although most benefits are ultimately gained by men and high-income groups due to discrimination and productivity differences. The devolution of forest management may therefore not be a panacea for addressing poverty and environmental problems in different socioeconomic settings. Forest co-management may indeed not be appropriate in areas where forests are necessary for daily livelihoods unless programmes are designed to provide other sources of income. However, seen in totality, the paper concludes that forest co-management can increase the contribution of forests to rural livelihood and poverty reduction.
Themes
Government Policy
Community Conservation
Geographic coverage
Malawi
Available from
http://www.umb.no/ior/jumbe2.pdf