Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR
A key challenge for reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries is to balance the power of various stakeholders in decision making. This study explores the forms of stakeholder participation in the implementation of three pilot projects in Laos, with a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2017-04-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/8/5/150 |
| _version_ | 1811289216339935232 |
|---|---|
| author | Saykham Boutthavong Kimihiko Hyakumura Makoto Ehara |
| author_facet | Saykham Boutthavong Kimihiko Hyakumura Makoto Ehara |
| author_sort | Saykham Boutthavong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A key challenge for reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries is to balance the power of various stakeholders in decision making. This study explores the forms of stakeholder participation in the implementation of three pilot projects in Laos, with a focus on who actually makes decisions on project activities. We found that stakeholder roles in making decisions were imbalanced. The central government and development partner organizations were the ones who actually fulfill the roles of decision-makers in most project activities. Although local communities were not the key stakeholders in decision making in most activities, their roles seem to have increased in the activities where participatory approaches were applied. Participation of the private sector, non-governmental organizations, academic and research institutes and mass organizations was limited. Opportunities to reach decision-makers regarding project activities came through service contract agreements. Our findings suggest that an understanding of who fulfills the key roles will support a decentralization of decision making by balancing power and redistributing the roles from dominant to weaker stakeholders. In addition, the private sector’s participation may enhance opportunities to harmonize their investments for supporting REDD+ development and reduce the negative impacts on the forests and the environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:52:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-336bea562885496d9fd4f96919268443 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:52:03Z |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-336bea562885496d9fd4f969192684432022-12-22T03:03:48ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072017-04-018515010.3390/f8050150f8050150Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDRSaykham Boutthavong0Kimihiko Hyakumura1Makoto Ehara2Faculty of Forestry Sciences, National University of Laos, P.O. Box 7322 Dong Dok Campus, Xaythany District, Vientiane, Lao PDRInstitute of Tropical Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City 812-8581, JapanCenter for International Partnerships and Research on Climate Change, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, JapanA key challenge for reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in developing countries is to balance the power of various stakeholders in decision making. This study explores the forms of stakeholder participation in the implementation of three pilot projects in Laos, with a focus on who actually makes decisions on project activities. We found that stakeholder roles in making decisions were imbalanced. The central government and development partner organizations were the ones who actually fulfill the roles of decision-makers in most project activities. Although local communities were not the key stakeholders in decision making in most activities, their roles seem to have increased in the activities where participatory approaches were applied. Participation of the private sector, non-governmental organizations, academic and research institutes and mass organizations was limited. Opportunities to reach decision-makers regarding project activities came through service contract agreements. Our findings suggest that an understanding of who fulfills the key roles will support a decentralization of decision making by balancing power and redistributing the roles from dominant to weaker stakeholders. In addition, the private sector’s participation may enhance opportunities to harmonize their investments for supporting REDD+ development and reduce the negative impacts on the forests and the environment.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/8/5/150stakeholder participationdecision-making powerREDD+collaborative projectCliPADPAREDDSUFORD-SULaos |
| spellingShingle | Saykham Boutthavong Kimihiko Hyakumura Makoto Ehara Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR Forests stakeholder participation decision-making power REDD+ collaborative project CliPAD PAREDD SUFORD-SU Laos |
| title | Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR |
| title_full | Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR |
| title_fullStr | Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR |
| title_short | Stakeholder Participation in REDD+ Readiness Activities for Three Collaborative Projects in Lao PDR |
| title_sort | stakeholder participation in redd readiness activities for three collaborative projects in lao pdr |
| topic | stakeholder participation decision-making power REDD+ collaborative project CliPAD PAREDD SUFORD-SU Laos |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/8/5/150 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saykhamboutthavong stakeholderparticipationinreddreadinessactivitiesforthreecollaborativeprojectsinlaopdr AT kimihikohyakumura stakeholderparticipationinreddreadinessactivitiesforthreecollaborativeprojectsinlaopdr AT makotoehara stakeholderparticipationinreddreadinessactivitiesforthreecollaborativeprojectsinlaopdr |