Comparative study on decentralization and privatization of forest management in developing countries

这个研究项目的目标是找出体制方面与当地社会之间的相互关系，并审查权力下放对森林资源的影响。本文选取了以下国家作为案例：中央管理体制的中国、中央与地方并行管理体制的印度、由中央管理体制向分散管理体制过渡的印度尼西亚和加纳。虽然本项下的每项研究都侧重于不同方面和不同程度的权力下放，但总体上可以得出一些结论：1)中国在天然林保护和农田林地建设方面取得了数量上的成功，这源于中央政府扩大对林业部门的补贴，增加了非农部门的就业机会。2)国家森林政策的急剧变化导致森林联合经营的不断扩大，但实际成效取决于地方政府的能力。从喀拉拉邦的一个案例来看，明确划分林地、训练有素的护林员和非政府组织作为中介的重要性。3)从印度尼西亚的中爪哇、西爪哇和西加里曼丹的案例中可以得出结论，具有经济价值的森林对于那些有一些资本或剩余劳动力的人来说是一个商机，包括当地人。这样的企业虽然可以在当地自发开展，但随着成果的增长，很容易被权力更大的外来者控制。需要赋予脆弱的地方社会权力和地方政府能力建设，而不仅仅是向林业部门提供补贴。

The objectives of this research project are to find the interactive relations between institutional aspects and local societies and to examine the effect of decentralization on forest resources. Following countries were selected as the cases : China with the centralized administration system, India with the concurrent forest administration system between the central and local governments, and Indonesia and Ghana as the cases in transition from the centralized to decentralized systems. Though each study under this project focused on diverse aspects and diffierent level of devolution, some findings could be obtained as a whole :1)China is quantitatively succeeding in natural forest conservation and creation of woodlots on farmland, which is derived from expansion of central government subsidies to the forestry sector and increasing working opportunities in non-agricultural sectors.2)Drastic change in the National Forest Policy lead to successive expansion of Joint Forest Management, but the achievement on the ground depends on the capacity of local governments. From a case of Kerala, importance of clearly demarcated forestland, trained foresters and NGOs as intermediaries is suggested.3)From the cases of Central Java, West Java, and West Kalimantan in Indonesia, it can be concluded that forests with economic values have been functioned as a business chance for those who have some capital or surplus labor farce, including local people. Though such a business can be started under local initiatives, it easily falls under the control of outsiders with larger power in accordance with the growth of outcomes. Empowerment of fragile local societies and capacity building of local governments are required instead of a mere flow of subsidies into the forestry sector.