COMMUNITY BASED FOREST GOVERNANCE

This 2008 briefing from Friends of the Earth International defines Community-based forest governance (CFG) as a collective-communal approach to forest conservation and sustainable use. The document contrasts CFG's reliance on traditional knowledge with 'forest science' and outlines the diverse actors capable of implementing CFG, as well as the specific organizational and legal characteristics necessary for its success.

• Community-based forest governance (CFG) is defined as a collective-communal system of regulations and practices for forest conservation and sustainable use. It prioritizes traditional knowledge over 'forest science', which the document claims is based on simplified models and has led to 'forest devastation as well as severe social injustice'. CFG is presented as a means for communities to achieve political control over their resources through horizontal decision-making, transparency, and accountability.
• The scope of actors involved in CFG extends beyond traditional forest-dwelling villagers to include various rural and urban entities. Potential actors include Indigenous villages (both those with and without communal territory), rural communities owning communal or private forest parcels, and urban communities that conserve forest areas. The document notes that CFG can be applied not only to existing forests but also to the restoration of original ecosystems.
• Successful CFG is characterized by several decisive factors: clear area boundaries to prevent conflict; precise community knowledge of resource characteristics (including biology and climate); and a long-term vision for future co-existence to avoid unsustainable short-term use. Additionally, success requires participatory design of resource-use regulations, systems for vigilance and flexible monitoring, and the capacity for creative and transparent internal conflict resolution.
• The document asserts that CFG requires legal recognition by the state and state legislation to be normalized and legalized. It frames community governance not as a challenge to state power, but as a decentralizing action that supports the state by promoting sustainable resource use. Furthermore, the entities responsible for CFG must possess basic administrative and decision-making tools to manage innovation and change.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2008). COMMUNITY BASED FOREST GOVERNANCE. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/manejo-comunitario-ingles-final.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. COMMUNITY BASED FOREST GOVERNANCE. 2008. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/manejo-comunitario-ingles-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=COMMUNITY BASED FOREST GOVERNANCE |date=2008 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/manejo-comunitario-ingles-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2008community, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{COMMUNITY BASED FOREST GOVERNANCE}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2008}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/manejo-comunitario-ingles-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }