ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry Strategic Response Fund (ASRF) under the ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change Phase III
Background
The ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change (ASFCC) supports the ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF), formerly known as ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN), in addressing three interrelated issues confronting the region---food insecurity, poverty, and climate change. This partnership program with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), envisions to integrate social forestry into the climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies of ASEAN and its member states. It promotes the inclusion of communities, women, and vulnerable groups in social forestry and climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.
The AWG-SF Strategic Response Fund (ASRF) is designed to provide AMS Leaders and Focal Points seed fund to respond to immediate needs or catalyze strategic action to address emerging issues, opportunities or other situations that may not have been anticipated but to which the AMS and AWG-SF's response is critical. Its important features are flexibility, adaptiveness, and timeliness. SEARCA implemented the ASRF Project for more than five years from Phase 1 (April 2014 to February 2017) and Phase II (March 2017 to February 2020), that addressed the following objectives:
- Enable the AMS Leaders and Focal Points to quickly respond to emerging issues and challenges and articulate policy recommendations and directions on social forestry as it relates to climate change, food security, and poverty alleviation; and
- Support regional/ASEAN-level initiatives of developing policy frameworks and guidelines for cross-sectoral collaboration in support of the ASEAN Multisectoral Framework on Climate Change: Agriculture and Forestry towards Food Security (AFCC) 2016-2025, and the ASEAN Vision of Regional Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (ASEAN-FAF) 2016-2025.
Key Accomplishments
Download ASRF Accomplishment Report
Outcome 1:
A coordinated social forestry framework
Institutional capacities of AWG-SF focal points and network partners, and key institutions are developed to effectively reach and influence the relevant decision makers and key stakeholders within ASEAN and Member States
A total of 28 projects (19 projects in Phase I and 9 projects in Phase II) under Grant I were undertaken that contributed to social forestry (SF) goals. The supported projects include consultations to enhance existing policies, assessment studies to support policy formulation, study tours to areas where best practices in SF have been proven, and research studies that further explore the potential of non-timber forest products.
Outcome 2:
Local, national, and regional knowledge creation and sharing
AWG-SF focal points and network partners take active leadership in the working group and take the lead in knowledge creation and sharing, capacity development, and SF implementation.
- Enhanced capacities of ASEAN member states (AMS) leaders and focal points on social forestry through provision of grant support to participate and present their work in conferences through the Program's Grant II. A total of six (6) Travel Grants were awarded to AMS leaders and focal points from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and Myanmar
- Increased program visibility through dissemination of news releases, as well as publication of learning notes, activity briefs, and monographs on relevant topics in social forestry
- Strengthened partnership with AWG-SF, AMS leaders and focal points, and other key partners through collaboration in conferences, meetings, and workshops; and conduct of learning events such as Donor Round Forum, Regional Learning Exchange, and Knowledge Sharing Workshop
Outcome 3:
Identified strategic issues/topics and AWG-SF supported interventions
Thematic issues relating to locally appropriated adaptation and mitigation actions identified through multi-stakeholder processes are investigated, analyzed, shared and addressed.
The Program contributed to ASEAN as well as to AWG-SF's supported interventions through the development of:
- ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Framework for Climate Change: Agriculture and Forestry towards Food and Nutrition Security and Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
- ASEAN Guidelines on Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (FAF)
- Stocktaking Paper on Tracking the Implementation of SDGs under ASEAN Cooperation in FAF
- Analysis of Gaps and Strategic Interventions on Social Forestry in the ASEAN Region
Completed Projects under Grant 1 (9 Projects)
| Country | Project Title | Implementing Agency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambodia | Community Forestry in Cambodia: A Review of Community Forestry Contribution to Livelihoods after 25 Years of Development | Department of Forest and Community Forestry, FA-MAFF | Apr 2018 to Mar 2019 |
| Indonesia | Developing Mangrove Forest Environmental Education Program for the Ecotourism of Juru Sebrang Community Forest in Belitung, Indonesia | The National Forestry Council (DKN) | Nov 2018 to Mar 2019 |
| Lao PDR | Improvement of Training Guide on Village Forestry Management Planning (VFMP) | Village Forestry Division of the Department of Forestry | Feb 2018 to Jan 2019 |
| Malaysia | Conservation and Consumption Goods & Nature-Based Recreation: A Community-Based Ecotourism Project in Malaysia | Forest Research Institute Malaysia | Mar 2018 to Feb 2019 |
| Myanmar | Assessment of non-timber forest products in mountainous regions of Myanmar towards community forestry development | Forest Research Institute (FRI), MONREC | Feb 2018 to Jan 2019 |
| The Philippines | A Study on the Existing Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms in the Philippine Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) | Forest Management Bureau, DENR | Mar 2018 to Mar 2019 |
| Thailand | Assessing Forest Biodiversity and Utilization of Non-Timber Forest Products in Community Forest for Rural Livelihood and Conservation in Thailand | PhD Student, Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University | Mar 2018 to Feb 2019 |
| Thailand | Assessing the Potential of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) for Value Chain and Community Forestry Enterprises Development in Northern Thailand | Department of Forest Management, Kasetsart University | Mar 2018 to Feb 2019 |
| Vietnam | Review and Evaluation of the Status of Forest Allocation Policies to Produce Recommendations to Policymakers | Forest Protection and Management Division, Forest Protection Department | Mar 2018 to Feb 2019 |
Downloadable Knowledge Materials
- Social Forestry in the ASEAN Region: Gaps and Strategic Interventions
- Building networks for sustainable community-based forest management: Lessons from the assessment of selected CBFM projects in the Philippines
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 1: Capacity Assessment for Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKm) Extension Workers in Lampung Province
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 2: Strengthening Multi-stakeholder Engagement to Accelerate Social Forestry Development
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 3: Linking Forest, Water, and Energy: Assessing Socio-economic and Environmental Impacts of Forest Management
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 4: Development of Planning Process for Mukim Forest Recognition: Preparatory Phase
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 5: Strengthening the Community Forestry Program Coordination Committee at Sub-National Level to Enhance Community Forestry Development
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 6: Resource Trends Assessment and Feasibility Study on Sustainable Harvesting, Rehabilitation, and Marketing of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Siem Reap
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 7: Lessons Learned from Crafting the Technical Guidelines on the Forest-based Income Generation Models in Vietnam
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 8: Management of Watershed Protection Forest Based on the Muong Minority Ethnic Communities in Da Bac District, Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 9: Social Network Analysis of Selected Community-based Forest Management (CBFM) Projects in the Philippines
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 10: Enhancing Technical Guidelines on Village Forestry Management Planning through Stakeholder Consultation
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 11: Technical Study Tour on Social Forestry to Enhance Capacity Building through Knowledge Sharing of Malaysian Delegates
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 12: Development of a National Roadmap on Social Forestry in Malaysia
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 13: Enhancing Community Forest Performance in Myanmar by Reviewing Community Forestry Instructions (1995) through Stakeholders' Consultation
- ASRF Learning Notes No. 14: Enhancing Agroforestry Implementation through Study Tour on Agroforestry-based Livelihood Improvement