Forest Governance Learning Group

About this project

Background 

The Forest Governance Learning Group is an informal alliance of in-country groups and international partners currently active in eight African and three Asian countries. We aim to connect those marginalised from forest governance to those controlling it, and to help both do things better. Since 2003 we have been carrying out focused studies, developing tactics and tools, holding learning events, and working as a group to effect change.

Location 

Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam

Aims 

The FGLG aims to improve governance of forest resources internationally and in 11 countries through:

  • Forest rights and small forest enterprise. Policy reforms, investment decisions and institutional arrangements in favour of secure forest rights and small forest enterprise.
  • Legitimate forest products. Strategies to improve legality of forest products institutionalise citizen engagement and contribute to broader forest governance improvement.
  • Pro-poor climate mitigation forestry and adaptation forestry. Initiatives to combat climate change through action in the forest sector contribute to pro-poor forest governance and sustainability.
  • Trans-national learning and preparedness. Understanding improved in international networks and processes about effective action for improved social justice in forestry.

Impacts 

Assessment by country teams shows that FGLG’s policy research, tool development, advocacy, media and networking have already produced substantial impact. For example: 

  • a legal timber partnership agreement between the EC and Ghana has been shaped in favour of community forestry and enterprise
  • parliamentary action in Malawi is de-criminalising charcoal production and pushing more sustainable livelihoods for the first time
  • high-level action has been taken on illegal logging and unscrupulous Chinese investment in Mozambique
  • the President in Uganda has been forced to stop the give-away of forest reserves to exploitative agribusiness
     

This impact bodes well; it breeds confidence that a ‘critical mass’ of concerned opinion formers and policy makers can be created for scaling up impact over a concerted second phase of the initiative.

Partners 

The partners who convene a team in each of the countries where FGLG is currently active are:

Burkina Faso University of Ouagadougou

Cameroon African Model Forests Network

Ghana Civic Response

India Enviro Legal Defence Firm

Indonesia Centre for International Forestry Research

Malawi Center for Development Management

Mozambique Center for Public Integrity

Niger SOS Sahel International Niger

South Africa Forestry South Africa

Uganda Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment

Vietnam Independent researcher, Nguyen Quang Tan

Contact 

James Mayers james.mayers@iied.org

Funded by 

European Union and Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The contents of this webpage are the responsibility of IIED and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of its donors.