The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Southeast Asia has released its new publications for July and August 2012. These publications aim to share the latest information and research on agroforestry related activities in Southeast Asia.
Several of the publications are highlighted below. All documents are uploaded on the Centre's website and can be downloaded freely.
Authors: Fredrich Kahrl” Yufang Su” Timm Tennigkeit” Andreas Wilkes” Xu Jianchu and Mei Yan
Abstract: This paper develops three scenarios for the management of an existing” lowproductivity” collectiveforest plot in SouthwestChina: continuation of the status quo” transition to sustainable forest management (SFM)” and conversion to a short rotation species for producing biomass for electricity generation. We examine how economic incentives vary across the three scenarios and how payments for CO2sequestration and offsets affect incentives. We find that SFM is risky for forest managers and is highly sensitive to revenues from initial thinning; that carbon revenues can lower some of the risks and improve the economics of SFM; but that carbon revenues are effective in incentivizing management changes only if yield response to thinning is moderately high. Energyproduction from stem wood is too low value to compete with timber” even with revenues from CO2 offsets. However” conversion of existing forests into short rotation species for timber rather than energy is more profitable than any scenario considered here” highlighting the need for regulatory innovations to balance incentives for timber production with conservation goals. The results underscore the importance of improved public sector regulatory” planning” extension” and analysis capacity” as an enabling force for effective climate policies in China’s forestry sector.
Participatory agroforestry development for restoring degraded sloping land in DPR Korea
Authors: Xu Jianchu” Meine van Noordwijk” Jun He” Kwang-Ju Kim” Kon-Gyu Pak” Un-Hui Kye” Jong-Sik Kim” Kwon-Mu Kim and Yong-Nam Sim
Abstract: Participatory approaches in agroforestry combine land” labor” and knowledge” by blending local experience with external expert support for sloping land restoration. We describe and analyze over a decade of bottom-up agroforestry development processes that today are influencing national policies. In the 1990s” after economic upheaval following the collapse of trade with the USSR (Soviet Union) rapid conversion of sloping lands to agriculture” in association with heavy rainfall events” caused widespread erosion and landslides. In response” pilot scale ‘user groups’ obtained rights-to-use” rights-to-harvest and rights-to-plan or access to sloping lands for tree products and food. All three rights were novel in the DPR Korea and jointly contributed to success” together with active research support. Innovations in double-cropping annual food crops together with non-competitive contour strips of valuable fruits (aronia berry: Aronia melanocarpa) and/or high-value timber (larch: Larix leptolepis) emerged as preferred local agroforestry systems. Broad support for agroforestry practices has now emerged within the Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection as well as a number of universities and research centres. Further development will require increased engagement with agricultural and horticultural agencies” while the social dimensions of participatory agroforestry continue to provide rich learning.
Authors: Do Trong Hoan” Delia Catacutan” Vu Thi Hien and Lai Tung Quan
Abstract: Most REDD+ initiatives such as UN-REDD and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) identify tenure reform as an important aspect of REDD+ readiness. In Vietnam” different forest land and forest tenure exist but are plagued with issues” which challenged many forest conservation projects. So” will this impede REDD+ efforts? Tenure also became important to Payments for Forest Environmental Services (PFES)” as payments could only be transferred to official ‘forest land tenants’” undermining many non-tenured forest protectors from accessing benefits. Two critical questions: Should tenure be first addressed for REDD+ to be functional? Or can it be a means for improving current tenure arrangements?
To read other publications from ICRAF” click here.