Community Based Forest Governance and Institutions in the context of REDD+ in Tanzania (2014)

Contact full name: 
Meghan Cornwall
Project Status: 
Project in Progress
Year project was Completed: 
2014
Client Organization: 
International Forestry Research Center
Client Website: 
International Forestry Research Center
Client is confirmed: 
yes
SNRE Faculty Advisor: 
Arun Agrawal
Advisor Confirmed: 
yes
Master Students Involved in Project: 
  • Karen Azeez, MS Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Meghan Cornwall, MS Envrionmental Policy and Planning
  • Katie O'Gara, MS Conservation Ecology 
  • Brian Schapp, MS Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Louis Vayo II, MA Economics/MS Environmental Policy and Planning
City: 
Ann Arbor
Contact Phone: 
(952) 913-2422
Contact e-mail: 
macornwa@umich.edu
State or Country: 
MI
Contact information: 
I am an SNRE student
Project Location : 
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Summary of Project Idea: 

Tanzania's Participatory Forest Management (PFM) program is cited as a model strategy for developing countries to better protect forests and alleviate rural poverty. But clear evidence and drivers of PFM impacts, differences between outcomes, and the mechanisms through which positive outcomes across PFM's three distinct objectives can be attained are not well-understood. Our project will evaluate the impact of Tanzania's PFM strategy across its three objectives of improved local livelihoods, governance, and forest conditions. We will do so by focusing on Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) governance strategies and comparing them to existing research on Joint Forest Management (JFM) strategies.

The master's group will work with existing IFRI research institutions in Tanzania to study PFM and CBFM. The project students will conduct a literature review, collect data, and carry out analysis necessary to identify the conditions under which community forestry can contribute to sustainable livelihoods in Tanzania. The project will include fieldwork in Tanzania over the summer, most likely occurring over three months. The project will look at the social, economic, and institutional factors that shape successful community forest outcomes. The review and analysis will examine the role of social capital and governance in community forest management and their effects on livelihoods and forest conditions.

This research will provide local NGOs and decision makers with recommendations that strengthen PFM, whether it is through CBFM strategies or JFM strategies.

Skills/Expertise Needed: 

Skills/Expertise Necessary:

  • Strong writing skills
  • Project planning and organizational skills
  • Natural science (ecological components): knowledge of terrestrial ecosystems
  • Social science (social and economic components): knowledge of poverty issues, community-based forestry management strategies, and governance institutions and issues
  • Basic GIS skills
  • Statistical analysis skills
  • Flexibility and cultural understanding/sensitivity
  • Desire to spend at least 2-3 months in Tanzania over the summer

Desired Expertise:

  • Fluency in Kiswahili
  • Experience working with NGOs in a developing country
  • Experience working in East Africa
SNRE Program Areas: 
Conservation Ecology (Aquatic Sciences, Terrestrial Ecosystems, and Conservation Biology)
Environmental Policy and Planning
Environmental Informatics
Environmental Justice
Sustainable Systems
Professional Career Development Benefits: 

Participants will gain experience:

  • working with NGOs and other partners in a developing country
  • creating and conducting household level and government level surveys
  • applying potential carbon mitigation strategies using forests
  • analyzing both ecological and social data to understand forest and community interactions
  • working with community-based resource management through social institutions and governance
  • creating public presentations or writing peer-reviewed journal articles
Funding Sources: 

International Forestry Resources and Institutions research network.  Applications planned to be submitted to Rackham, SNRE, and the Department of Afro-American Studies.

Identify expected products/deliverables: 

The project will culminate in a summary report outlining the degree to which Participatory Forest Management arrangements are meeting the three stated objectives of improving local livelihoods, contributing to effective forest governance, and enhancing forest conditions. The report will also assess the current state of REDD+ preparation and implementation in Tanzania, making recommendations to national policy makers concerning the ways in which REDD+ project implementation can build upon the strengths of the current PFM structure for community-based forest management.