This document summarizes CIFOR's contributions to the ASEAN Social Forestry Network from 2014-2015. CIFOR conducted research on swidden systems and livelihoods to understand their relevance for REDD+ and how swidden communities can participate in and benefit from REDD+. Key research results included analyzing social networks and governance in swidden communities, mapping land use dynamics and carbon stocks, and understanding rural population movements through migration. Planned future activities include further research, policy reviews, knowledge sharing, and capacity building activities in Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam.

1. CIFOR’s contribution to ASFCC:
Research Results from 2014-2015
9th ASFN meeting, Lake Inle, 4-5 June 2015

2. CIFOR’s contribution to ASFCC
CIFOR is undertaking research on swidden systems and
livelihoods to understand their relevance for REDD+, and how
swidden communities can participate meaningfully in, and
benefit from REDD+.
 Provide solid evidence on social forestry systems and its
contributions to ASEAN countries’ social, economic, and
ecologic objectives in response to climate change.
 Generate new knowledge and understanding of social
forestry, food security and climate change.
 Share knowledge and contribute to capacity building in
ASEAN.

3. Approach and Methods
Generating new knowledge and understanding of forest and
fallow management, food security and climate change in swidden
systems by
 Providing a deeper understanding of how existing horizontal and vertical social
networks can serve to enhance opportunities and diminish obstacles for forest
communities to participate meaningfully in and benefit from REDD+ and/or PES
 Providing analysis of how the forest management systems of shifting cultivators
contribute to local people's livelihoods, food security and their implications for
carbon trajectories in the landscape
 Providing a deeper understanding of the migration and multi-locality of swidden
households and communities and how their existing social networks influence
information and resource exchange, and implications for REDD+
through social network analyses, land use change and carbon
stock mapping, livelihood assessments, policy network analysis of
adaptation and mitigation

4. THINKING beyond the canopy

5. Key research results (1): governance and
networks in swidden systems
• Swidden communities are experienced in responding appropriately
to external drivers of change
• Even seemingly remote rural households and communities are
embedded in multiple social networks that link people, institutions
and places
Moeliono et al. Local Governance, Social Networks
and REDD+ : Lessons from two swidden communities
in Vietnam, Submitted to journal.

6. Networks of swidden related information
exchange: Lay

7. Networks of swidden related information
exchange: Que

8. Key research results (1): governance and
networks in swidden systems
 Swidden communities are experienced in responding appropriately
to external drivers of change
 Even seemingly remote rural households and communities are
embedded in multiple social networks that link people, institutions
and places
 REDD+/PES schemes require MRV (information sharing) and benefit
(and cost) sharing architectures
 Swidden communities and related governance systems are highly
diverse, formal and informal elements - dominance and relevance
depending on multiple factors
Moeliono et al. Local Governance, Social Networks
and REDD+ : Lessons from two swidden communities
in Vietnam, Submitted to journal.

9. Key research results (2): Mapping land use
dynamics and carbon stocks in swidden
landscapes

10. The dynamism of swidden systems and their implications for
carbon stocks is not well understood
Land cover classes :
Swidden Bush Fallow
Young Fallow Mature Fallow
Forest Other

16. Implications of dynamic land use patterns of swidden
agriculture on carbon stocks
Without substantive
land use change to
permanent mono-crop
agriculture, swidden
landscapes can
maintain fairly stable
above-ground carbon
stocks.
The decline of total
carbon stocks from
conversion would be
more pronounced if
below-ground carbon
is included.
Anandadas et al. Spatio-temporal studies on land
use and land cover change and biomass in
swidden landscapes of Southeast Asia, in review.

17.  Social networks and rural-urban linkages
(for example through migration) are key
for people to respond to a changing
environment and opportunities
 People migrate for jobs, to take part in
forest product and crop booms, state
policies (transmigration, upland
settlement)
 Review to understand how migration
affects labor availability and remittances,
and how this in turn affects forests and
land use
 Still remains an under-studied area
Key results (3): Understanding rural population
movements

18. Knowledge gaps for future research:
 How could remittances be redirected
towards rural landscape development
and forest management?
 In which ways do migration, remittances
and access to information and technology
contribute to/change swidden and
agriculture practices?
 How effective are migration and
remittances as risk-coping and adaptive
strategies for climate and other
environmental change?
Key results (3): Understanding rural population
movements

19. Knowledge sharing contributions to ASFN
events, ASFCC partner learning events,
international, national and subnational policy
arenas, and at the local level, to communicate
our research findings in collaboration with the
ASFN secretariat

20. Activities in 2014-2015
Policy development and capacity building
 Partnerships developed with REDD+ Office and National University
of Laos – scholarships provided to 2 MSc students
 Literature review on the relevant policies and measures influencing
social forestry initiatives in Indonesia (ongoing)
 Review of policies related to community forestry development in
Vietnam (ongoing)
• National Research to Policy Forum (Maize Commercialization and
Livelihood Transition in Huaphan Province, Lao PDR), Vientiane, Dec
17-18
• Contributions at ASOF

21. Activities in 2014-2015
Knowledge sharing and communication
 Carbon-Land-Property conference (Factors influencing swidden
farmers’ access to information and resources in Kalimantan,
Indonesia), Copenhagen, July 1-4
 APO/ASEAN Forum on Mitigating Negative Effects of Climate Change
on Agriculture (Linkages between Forests, Agriculture and Local
Forest Management for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation),
Bali, 30 Sept – 3 Oct
 Knowledge workshop at Universiti Tanjung Putra, Pontianak, May 28
 Contributions at ASFCC partner learning events

22. Activities in 2014-2015
Research and knowledge generation
 Analysis of existing data of how existing horizontal and vertical
social networks can affect local community participation in REDD+
or PES
– 1 paper submitted to journal (Moeliono et al.)
– Analyses ongoing for 3 papers
 Literature review of migration and remittances within rural
landscapes of SE Asia, “Reworking the Land” published as CIFOR
working paper (Cole et al.)
 Land use and carbon mapping of swidden landscapes across all
ASFCC sites completed – to be published as CIFOR working paper
(Anandadas et al.)

24. Activities planned for 2015-2016
Policy development and capacity building
 Complete reviews of social forestry policies in Vietnam and
Indonesia
 Formulate collaborative research partnership with Universiti
Tanjung Putra, West Kalimantan
 Contribute to ASOF
Knowledge sharing and communication
 Proposed communications training for ASFN partners and media
 Contribute to ASFCC partner learning events and country-level
knowledge sharing
 Presentation of research results at the World Forestry Congress,
Durban

25. Activities planned for 2015-2016
Research and knowledge generation on migration in
swidden systems and REDD+
Methods training, field work and data collection:
 Indonesia: review of selected traditional social forestry
systems, changing governance systems and flows of migration
and remittances
 Laos (i) assessments of migration and remittances, and (ii)
use of biodiversity (NTFPs) in swidden-fallow landscapes
 Vietnam: assessments of migration and remittances

26. CIFOR ASFCC team
Christine Padoch
Grace Wong
Maria Brockhaus
Moira Moeliono
Pham Thu Thuy
Indah Waty
Cynthia Maharani
Bimo Dwisatrio
Le Ngoc Dung
Robert Cole, PhD student, NUS
Maarit Kallio (currently with Univ
of Helsinki)
Willy Daeli, IPB
Kharisma Tauhid, IPB
Lao partners:
Kinnalone Phoummasack, DOF
Lamphoue Xayvongsa, NUOL
Saithong Phoummavong, NUOL
Khamphet Phoumany, NUOL
Indonesia partners:
Riak Bumi team
IPB
Vietnam partners:
Le Manh Thang. MARD
District forestry officers, village
and commune leaders in Nghe
An and Son La

27. THANK YOU!
For more information:
http://www.cifor.org/asfcc/