Decentralizing natural resource management: Emerging lessons from ICRAF collaboration in southeast Asia

The purpose of this paper is to share some emerging lessons concerning decentralization and devolution of forest management in Southeast Asia, drawing upon the collaborative work being undertaken by the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) and a wide range of partner institutions. The first section will briefly highlight recent developments related to decentralized approaches to forest policy and management in Indonesia, Vietnam, Lao PDR and the Philippines. The second section will present highlights, emerging lessons, and implications for scaling up from the perspective of three case-studies: 1) the damar agroforests in Krui, Lampung Province, Sumatra, Indonesia; 2) the municipal-level natural resource management planning process in Lantapan, Bukidnon Province, Mindanao, Philippines; and 3) the Landcare approach to conservation farming on sloping lands in Claveria, Misamis Oriental Province, Mindanao, Philippines. The last section will attempt to draw some general principles and lessons learned from ICRAF collaboration in Southeast Asia, particularly in light of how these may be applied for future scaling-up efforts to generate wider positive impact.