Abstract
Key messagesIn Sabah, social forestry (SF) is part of the state’s sustainable forest management (SFM) strategy to achieve environmental, economic and social objectives.SF and SFM can be compatible because both recognize the importance of community participation in achieving sustainable use of forest resources.However, there is a gap in translating the SF concept to activities within the SFM approach and a lack of continuity.To strengthen the role of local communities in SFM through SF, there is a need for a platform enabling open discussion among relevant stakeholders, increasing awareness about the benefits of SF and securing adequate funding to conduct SF activities.This brief examines social forestry within four local communities of Tongod District.
Highlights
Like many other forested tropical countries, Sabah’s forests are under threat
We explore three social forestry (SF) practices: 1) the Social Forestry Committee (SFC) established by the Sabah Forestry Department (Deramakot Forest Reserve Management Team), 2) the civil society organizationinitiated Community Learning Center (CLC), and 3) an introduction of cocoa as part of the government agricultural development project
Participation of local communities in forest management is crucial in achieving sustainable forest management (SFM) objectives
Summary
Like many other forested tropical countries, Sabah’s forests are under threat. Intensive logging in the 1990s depleted forest resources and large forest areas were converted to agriculture plantations. We explore three SF practices: 1) the Social Forestry Committee (SFC) established by the Sabah Forestry Department (Deramakot Forest Reserve Management Team), 2) the civil society organizationinitiated Community Learning Center (CLC), and 3) an introduction of cocoa as part of the government agricultural development project. Forest management with or by local communities is very important to address social equity and achieve sustainable use of forest resources. Three SF activities are discussed: a government-initiated Social Forestry Committee (SFC) as part of SFM, a Civil Society Organization(CSO)-initiated Community Learning Center (CLC) and the introduction of cacao. The SFC was established by the Sabah Forestry Department, by the Deramakot Forest Reserve Management Team as part of SFM and FSC certification. The Deramakot Forest Reserve is managed by the SFD under SFM principles that require social elements to be included in management planning. Available agricultural land is insufficient as it is limited to areas outside the forest reserve
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