Community Empowerment and Resilience in the Chinantla: Building Capacity for Locally-Led Forest Monitoring

Solution complète

by Barbara Vallarino, EcoLogic Development Fund

Community forest monitoring volunteers at work.

EcoLogic Development Fund

This solution responds to deforestation and habitat loss in the tropical forests in the mountainous Chinantla region of northern Oaxaca, Mexico, while improving the livelihoods of the region’s primarily indigenous residents. The ecologically significant forests of the Chinantla include the last remaining cloud forests and the third-largest rainforest in Mexico, and are part of the Mesoamerican global biodiversity hotspot. The Chinantla region is also recognized by the Mexican government as a Priority Region for Conservation. Both the landscape and its indigenous residents -- who have a long history of poverty and socioeconomic marginalization -- are growing increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Through a collaboration between EcoLogic Development Fund and its local partner, the Fondo Ambiental Regional de la Chinantla (FARCO), this solution focuses on forest restoration, reducing pressure on forest resources, community-led protection of land, capacity building, and sustainable forest income generation.

Dernière modification 16 Jul 2021

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Contexte

Challenges addressed

Drought

Extreme heat

Land and Forest degradation

Loss of Biodiversity

Ecosystem loss

Lack of alternative income opportunities

Physical resource extraction

Lack of technical capacity

Lack of public and decision maker’s awareness

Lack of food security

Unemployment / poverty

Environmental:

Loss of forest land to forest fires, illegal logging, and government seizure
Forest degradation
Local ecosystem increasingly vulnerable to effects of climate change, including droughts and extreme heat
Biodiversity and habitats threatened
Communities lacked the skills and capacities to collect the data necessary to qualify for national environmental stewardship incentive programs

Socioeconomic:

Pressures from outside groups to develop land for ranching and agricultural cash crops
Indigenous residents have long history of poverty and socioeconomic marginalization
Community members have limited choices for earning an income, and are often driven to income-generating activities that are harmful to the environment
Food insecurity
Lack of land sovereignty for indigenous residents living in or near forests

Scale of implementation

Local

Ecosystems

Agroforestry

Tropical evergreen forest

Thème

Adaptation

Mitigation

Restoration

Food security

Health and human wellbeing

Sustainable livelihoods

Indigenous people

Local actors

Traditional knowledge

Land management

Protected and conserved areas management planning

Agriculture

Forest Management

Emplacement

La Chinantla Region, Oaxaca, Mexico

Santa María Jacatepec, Oaxaca, Mexico

North America

Traiter

Summary of the process

We only work with communities who have asked for our help, so first we identify the communities that have expressed a need in terms of threats to their local ecosystems or livelihoods (BB1). We then work with the community to develop a contextually appropriate plan to address these environmental and livelihood needs (BB2). We help the communities gain access to training, tools, skills, and financial and technical support. We believe the local residents living in or near the threatened forests are in the best position to protect them, so through capacity-building we empower community members to take ownership and engage in community-led forest monitoring and protection (BB3). The “guardians” of the forests whom we train can share knowledge with and inspire their family members, neighbors, and community members to protect the forests. Agroforestry and forest restoration (BB4) are another key aspect of this plan. Reforestation helps restore degraded land, contributing to a more stable climate and better resilience against climate change. Agroforestry provides greater food security and increased economic opportunities, while resulting in better soil health and decreased pressure on forest resources and water sources.

Building Blocks

Participatory process of identifying beneficiary communities

This project is based on a philosophy of working with communities who have asked for support, so that the solution is driven by the priorities of the community rather than imposing outside goals or values. The first building block of identifying beneficiary communities through participatory processes is critical to the success of the project, as trust and collaboration will ensure better outcomes. Community investment and eagerness to engage in sustainable actions are also critical traits to identify in the beneficiary communities as they will be taking the lead on their ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts.