Governance and Institutional Arrangements for Sustainable Management of Miombo Woodlands

Abstract

In this chapter we examine the evolution and status of governance and institutional arrangements in the miombo woodlands, focusing on the nature, strengths, weaknesses, and emerging opportunities for the sustainable management of miombo woodland ecosystems and the delivery of anticipated socio-economic benefits. Countries in the miombo region have introduced promising and progressive national policies and laws in response to recent social and ecological changes. However, old and emerging population and market-based land-use dynamics continue to drive deforestation, woodland and environmental degradation, community marginalisation, and livelihood threats for millions of dependent miombo woodland residents, exacerbated by climate-change impacts. Most reforms have been driven by regional and international environmental governance paradigms, regimes, conventions (mainly climate change, biodiversity, and desertification) and initiatives, with a heavy dependence on decentralised/participatory governance arrangements. Emerging promising governance mechanisms include ecosystem-wide, market-oriented incentive mechanisms such as payments for ecosystem services, REDD+ and other UN carbon-trading instruments, and forest certification, but their effectiveness in generating local socio-ecological benefits sustainably remains uncertain. Areas for future consideration include enhancing the local performance of decentralised governance; creating and making emerging market-based incentives more locally relevant, effective and inclusive; embracing pluralistic governance models to enhance cross-sectoral coordination; and integrating adaptive management arrangements to address ongoing socio-ecological change.