Suchergebnisse

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+) requires harmonizing different policy sectors and interests that have impacts on forests. However, these elements have not been well-operationalized in environmental policy-making processes of most developing countries. Drawing on five cases—Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam, this article aims to determine whether emerging governance arrangements help REDD+ development by delivering participatory mechanisms for policy coordination. Building upon literature on environmental governance and stakeholder participation, the article examines national governance structures for REDD+ and identifies who participates where, and what decision-making powers they have. Despite structural differences between the countries, our analysis illustrates that REDD+ potentially encourages a new form of environmental governance promoting a cross-sectoral approach and stakeholder participation. Cohesiveness of the structures within a broader governance system is key to defining the capacity of REDD+ governance. The result also poses a question as to the inclusiveness of the state actors involved in order to tackle the different pressure on forests. Considering structural inequalities, the analysis further suggests a need of policy support for those who are affected by REDD+ to ensure that their voices could be heard in decision-making processes.

The global challenge of moving toward a low-carbon energy system heightens the tension between states' economic development efforts and environmental concerns. In Vietnam, increasing energy demand has led to a boom in hydropower development in recent decades. For local communities, dam construction has brought displacement, involuntary resettlement, deteriorating income and living standards, and rising poverty. However, from the central government's perspective, the negative local impacts of hydropower projects are negligible compared to their national benefits. This study uses the construction of the Bản Vẽ hydropower plant to illustrate how government entities expand their control of villagers' livelihoods in the name of environmentalism. Spanning nearly twenty years, our case study reports on changes in the Vietnamese approach to authoritarian environmentalism. The authorities initially promoted voluntary relocation with a brochure depicting the high quality of resettlement areas. When the remaining locals hesitated, because they had heard that the promised new homes had various problems, the authorities forced them to move.
Overall, the case study shows the Vietnamese authorities deploying different instruments to implement their will, engaging in little meaningful dialogue with local people. Moreover, when locals sought alternative income from acacia plantations, the authorities cited environmental concerns to justify confiscating their forest holdings.