1. Rainforest Foundation Norway FORESTS and RIGHTS - in the tropics Lars Løvold Rainforest Foundation Norway

2. Tropical forests - the situation: Cover: 17,9 million km 2 (= USA x 2) Inhabited: 240 million people Being destroyed: Deforestation =158.000 km 2 /y (= 1/2 NOR) Damage =237.000 km 2 /y Widespread conflicts over control and use

3. Rainforest Foundation Norway

6. Conflict dimensions: Who has rights to the forests? Who should benefit from their use? How should they be used?

7. Rainforest Foundation Norway Forests – for local communities: Source of livelihood (< $ 1) Spiritual attachment A heritage to be passed on Safety net Water, medicines, protection of soils, etc. Basis for development

8. Rainforest Foundation Norway Forests – for non-locals: Source of quick profit (value = $ 31 billion) Source of power for elites (corruption) Source of income for rebels (weapon) Repository for biodiversity (conservation) Potential source of government revenue

9. Rainforest Foundation Norway

11. The rights issue: ”Our forest” - collective ownership But: Belongs to the state! ”Indigenous peoples” have land rights Local communities often lack recognition Important: Recognition of land rights, user rights, prior informed consent = Empowerment

12. Rainforest Foundation Norway Ideologyvspractice Belong to the state Serve the “common good” Create development Represented by elite Benefits expropriated and privatized Short term boost – long term ruin

13. Rainforest Foundation Norway

14. Forest environmental services: Biodiversity: rainforests = +50 % of species Nutrients and soils: stored and protected Freshwater: contained, stored and protected Carbon: billions of tons stored Climate – local and regional: regulated Climate – global: influenced

15. Rainforest Foundation Norway Forest environmental services: COST: US$ 0 VALUE: US$ Billions Benefits? Widespread Direct and indirect Large groups of people

16. Rainforest Foundation Norway

18. Progress: Brazilian Amazon: 1 million km 2 to indigenous peoples (= 20 %) Developing countries: 20 % of forests to communities, small farmers, IPs (ownership or user rights)

19. Rainforest Foundation Norway

21. Deforestation BR Amazon 2001: Outside protected areas: 19 % Within state reserves: 7 % Within federal reserves: 1,5 % Within Indian territories: 1,1 %

22. Rainforest Foundation Norway

24. Resource management for development and peace: Recognize collective rights Discard the destructive logging / external benefit model Invest in community management Develop alternatives – together with empowered people

25. Rainforest Foundation Norway

28. Deforestation in the tropics 1990-2000: REGIONNatural forest 1990 (km 2 ) Natural forest 2000 (km 2 ) Deforestation (km 2 ) Deforestation (percent) Tropical Africa6.848.0006.295.000552.0008 Tropical Asia2.900.0002.334.000564.00019 Tropical Oceania362.000349.00013.0004 Central America825.000723.000102.00012 The Caribbean53.00051.0002.0003 South America8.509.0008.158.000351.0004 Total tropics:19.495.00017.911.0001.584.0008