Local People’s Priorities for Tropical Forest Biodiversity ... and why they matter Douglas Sheil, Imam Basuki & Manuel Boissiere – COP 10, Nagoya – Japan 2010

Background (Key points) Views influence choices But views differ ….

Across tropics big choices often neglect local views

N.B. -Over one thousand million of the World’s poorest depend on tropical forest to some degree (World Bank 2005) -Poverty and tropical forests often coincide -Democracy is a global trend (but who hears the forest people?)

Scale of dependence (tropical forests)

Views are complex Local people care about biodiversity

Reflects more than needs

Can surprise

Mamberamo 78,000 km2

Pop:7,000

Background

Scale of influence •Most cultures have conservation friendly practices •Community protection in tropics >3,700,000 km2 ≈ Area under formal protection •Community managed >10,000,000 km2 (Molnar et al. 2004)

•Conservation value though mixed is +ve •E.g. Mamberamo mapping 5,000 km2

Boissiere et al., in prep. People priorities and perception. Towards conservation partnership in Mamberamo.

Malinau 40,000 km2

Pop:35,000

Background

“Indigenous knowledge” Many cultures have rich knowledge of biodiversity

Field results from Malinau Borneo (200 plots)

15,430 plant records, > 2,100 species

3,642 specific uses, 1,449 species

Sheil, D., van Heist, M., Liswanti, N., Basuki, I., & Wan, M. (2008). In: The decentralization of forest governance: politics, economics and the fight for control of forest in Indonesian Borneo. Earthscan.

Key point Knowledge ≠ choice or preference

Work on local knowledge does not necessarily give

insight about local preferences

Key point As the World becomes more democratic,

conservation and land-use choices must be acceptable to those impacted We require new ways to assess and respond to biodiversity needs and concerns across the tropics

Methods Local people’s priorities for biodiversity

Methods English, Indonesian, Spanish, & French

Available from CIFOR and online

What occurs where? How it matters? Implications?

Questions

Tested in: Indonesia, Mozambique, Bolivia, Cameroon, Gabon, Philippines, Vietnam, …

Understanding is built by joint activities

Data checking is a shared task

Assessing importance

Scoring Sheil, D. & Liswanti, N. (2006) Scoring the importance of tropical forest landscapes with local people: patterns and insight. Environmental Management, 38: 126-136.

Various ways to deal with space

Cunliffe, R., Lynam, T., Sheil, D., Wan, M., Salim, A., Basuki, I.& Priyadi H. (2007) Developing a predictive understanding of landscape importance to the Punan-Pelancau of East Kalimantan, Borneo. Ambio. 36: 593-599.

What occurs where? How it matter? Implications?

Sheil, D., R. Puri, M. Wan, I. Basuki, M. van Heist, N. Liswanti, Rukmiyati, Rachmatika I. & Samsoedin I. (2006) Local people's priorities for biodiversity: examples from the forests of Indonesian Borneo. Ambio 35: 17-24..

What are the most important species to local people in Malinau?

Overall

For food

Ulin (Eusideroxylon zwageri)

Bearded pig (Sus barbatus)

Sheil, D. et al. (2008). Biodiversity, landscapes and livelihoods: a local perspective. In: Moeliono, M, et al., eds. The decentralization of forest governance: politics, economics and the fight for control of forest in Indonesian Borneo.:61-90. Earthscan.

Local Campaigns Posters, cards, meetings, briefs, video Local school syllabus Encourage discussion of land use

1: Introduction 2: Important land types

3: Land use alternatives 4: Important species

Local Campaign: posters

Response villagers, townspeople and civil servants

Positive impact (agreement and knowledge)

Support for conservation and controls

Malinau now a ‘Conservation District’

Padmanaba, M. & Sheil, D. (2007) Finding and promoting a local conservation consensus in a globally important tropical forest landscape. Biodiversity and Conservation.

Applied in several sites Site Region Population

(households)Livelihoods References

Malinau Kalimantan, Indonesia

366 Farmers and hunter gatherers

Sheil et al. 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009

Gorongosa Mozambique 147 Farmers and fishermen

Cunliffe 2003

Ottotomo Cameroon 27 Farmers Sassen and Jum 2007

Palawan Phillipines 33 Farmers and hunter gatherers

Boissière and Liswanti 2006

Gunung Lumut Kalimantan, Indonesia

68 Farmers and hunter gatherers

Murniati et al 2007

Mamberamo Papua, Indonesia

152 Farmers, fishermen and

hunter gatherers

CIFOR 2004

Khe Tran Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam

20 Settled (ex-swidden) farmers

Boissière et al 2006

Ivindo NP Gabon 47 Fishermen, hunters, limited

farmers

Sassen and Wan 2006

Pando Bolivia 42 Farmers and hunter gatherers

Evans et al 2005

Lorentz NP Papua, Indonesia

650 Farmers and hunter gatherers

NewAbout 120 Asso, Elopere, Hilapok, Kalolik,

80 and 40 Siringueros

5000 Kwersa, Torweja, Kawijta, Batero, Werebo, Kwerba

20 Pahy, Khome, Kinh

500 in 3000 territory

Kota, Makina, Fang

30 Ewondo

60 Batak

300 Paser

Area (km2) Ethnic group

2000 Punan, Merap, Kenyah

400 Sena

Boissière, M., Sassen, M., Sheil, D., et al. (2010) What can we learn from the MLA surveys? A comparison of 10 case studies. Pages 113-141 in Taking Stock of Nature. Edited by A. Lawrence. Cambridge University Press

Conclusion People may be “part of the problem” but must also be “part of the solution” • Democracy is a +ve global change … • Local people already protect nature in vast areas • Vast opportunity to work with local people

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