"Local Governance, Social Networks and REDD+: Lessons from Swidden Communities in Vietnam"

Moira Moeliono, Thu Thuy Pham, Ngoc Le Dung, Tien Nguyen, MaaritKallio, and Maria Brockhaus

ASFN Sixth Conference: Inle Lake, Myanmar, 1-6 June 2015

‐ dynamic vs static ‐ linked through multiple social networks  vs isolated‐ enhancing carbon stocks (below ground) vs driving deforestation

‐ adapting to change and new opportunities, e.g. through migration and remittances 

In this process communities also adapt, ignore, bypass and manipulate the various constraining rulesand thereby change and reproduce these

Swidden communities: perceptions, understanding, discourses

Means by which society (or in this case the swidden community) makes or shapes or implements decisions on how natural 

resources are to be used and or managed

Formal structures: formal organizations and institutions, how hierarchy plays out 

Informal structures: social relations, how people work together in practice creating a social network

both include a set of rules and procedures that guide objectives and outcomes 

Environmental governance

Questions

What are key lessons for REDD+ and PES schemes when analysing 

‐ the formal and informal structures in swiddencommunities 

‐ the social networks in these communities through which information and resources are exchanged

Data Collection

FGDs, gender disaggregated: what are important ‘governance systems’ affecting your land use decision making, drivers of changeEgo‐network survey:• who are the three most influential 

persons involved in the systems? • why and who are the most important 

people with whom you most frequently exchange information and benefits? 

• what types of information and benefits did you exchange? 

Key informant interviewsWorkshops

Study sitesCharacteristic Lay village Que village

Main ethnicity Hmong TaiLocation (remote/relatively easy access)

Remote Remote but with the new road more accessible 

National park Core zone of the Xuan Nha National Park

Bordering, buffer zone of the Pu Huong National Park

Swidden farmers (at least partially)

80.4 91.5

Population (No. of households)

96  84 

No. of respondents interviewed 

48 40

Most forests are rich in “natural” resources but they are also rich because local groups have enriched forests through their knowledge and practice.

THINKING beyond the canopy

Swidden systems and environmental governance: complex institutions, management rules, regulations and norms 

SWIDDEN FALLOWADAT LAND

TEMBAWANG

THINKING beyond the canopy

Overall governance and mass‐organisations

Vietnam’s formal governance structure follows the official administrative system of three tiers: province, district and commune‐ main actors in the local government is the Peoples Committees 

‐ village head and village government

Mass –organization: ‐ at commune and village level, most people belong to mass organizations, observed changing role from party‐extension to civil society organisations

Motivation to join mass-organisations

Village

Access to micro loans

Access to in‐kind benefits (seedling etc.)

Labour exchange

Informa‐tionexchange

Enter‐tainmentactivities

"Herd effects"

Security issues

Lay 9 0 7 20 0 2 5

Que 9 1 0 2 3 14 0

Security issues in the remote village

Taking part in swidden - and in mass organizations

ActorsPSD bankAgricultural extension officers (representing both the commune and district agricultural boards) Forest rangers representing Forest Protection Board of the  national parkStaff from the Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentCommune government and village leadersBorder security policeMass organizationsGoldminersCommune health clinicOutside and itinerant tradersVillage shop ownersAgents and traders from townOther ethnic peopleInternational NGO

Actors’ reputational power in swidden governance

Informal 

important

Informal governance: Linkages outside 

village are most 

important

Networks of swidden related information exchange: Lay

Networks of swidden related information exchange: Que

‐ almost all innovations (seeds, new techniques) and information (on new techniques, market prices, and opportunities) are brought in by outside traders in both cases 

‐ Influence of informal actors might indicate a governance vacuum‐ government agencies presence limited (forest protection measures, 

agriculture extension services) 

traders might be door openers for large scale drivers of DD, however people rely heavily on these actors. 

Simultaneously,  government efforts on reforestation and reduce emissions so far did not consider diversity in communities  

Swidden, deforestation/degradation and social networks

THINKING beyond the canopy

Implications for REDD

REDD+/PES schemes require MRV (information sharing) and benefit (and cost) sharing architectures

swidden communities and related governance systems are highly diverse, formal and informal elements - dominance and relevance depending on multiple factors

.. In a situation of formal governance: misconceptions of swidden dominant, diversity not captured, lack of consultation may lead to misinformed policies.. In a situation of informal governance/absence of state unbalanced power relations dominant, often to the disadvantage of people and forests

THANK YOU!