Published in association with the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Based on research and case studies in Brazil, Central America, Nepal, and Tanzania, as well as other work dealing with wider themes and regions, argues that most current discussions of increased rates of deforestation and perceived accompanying environmental crises are overly simplistic--the central issue being not how to halt deforestation but rather how to manage forest areas and natural resources in order to meet social goals on a more equitable and sustainable basis. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Experiences from incentive-based forest management are examined for their effects on the livelihoods of local communities. In the second section, country case studies provide a snapshot of REDD developments to date and identify design features for REDD that would support benefits for forest communities.

The social dynamics of deforestation and of forest protection are the ongoing interactions amongst social actors and processes that determine the use and management of forests. Based on a vast amount of research and detailed case-studies in Brazil, Central America, Nepal and Tanzania as well as several papers dealing with wider themes and regions, this book argues that most current discussions of increased rates of deforestation and perceived accompanying environmental crises are overly simplistic. Institutional reforms and policy measures that have been undertaken in developing countries usually failed to protect either the forests or people's livelihoods. Technical solutions to deforestation are only one element in what are essentially political questions. The central issue is not how to halt deforestation but rather how to manage forest areas and natural resources in order to meet social goals on a more equitable and sustainable basis. Conventional wisdom that attributes deforestation primarily to peasant ignorance and population growth is questioned as are other single factor explanations such as market and policy failures.

A global assessment of potential and anticipated impacts of efforts to achieve the SDGs on forests and related socio-economic systems. This title is available as Open Access via Cambridge Core.

Restoration ecology, as a scientific discipline, developed from practitioners’ efforts to restore degraded land, with interest also coming from applied ecologists attracted by the potential for restoration projects to apply and/or test developing theories on ecosystem development. Since then, forest landscape restoration (FLR) has emerged as a practical approach to forest restoration particularly in developing countries, where an approach which is both large-scale and focuses on meeting human needs is required. Yet despite increased investigation into both the biological and social aspects of FLR, there has so far been little success in systematically integrating these two complementary strands. Bringing experts in landscape studies, natural resource management and forest restoration, together with those experienced in conflict management, environmental economics and urban studies, this book bridges that gap to define the nature and potential of FLR as a truly multidisciplinary approach to a global environmental problem. The book will provide a valuable reference to graduate students and researchers interested in ecological restoration, forest ecology and management, as well as to professionals in environmental restoration, natural resource management, conservation, and environmental policy.

This volume is concerned with analyzing deforestation processes, their impact on local livelihood systems, and social constraints and opportunities for sustainable forest use and protection in developing countries. It is based on a review of related litera