Developing community-based forest ecosystem service management to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

At the site level, communities who manage and conserve forests are parties influencing as well as affected by deforestation and forest degradation. Hence, understanding their roles in supporting or avoiding deforestation and forest degradation is important to support national effort in reducing carbon emissions from forest. This study is aimed at: (1) examining communities' needs for forest products and services; (2) analysing communities' interests towards REDD + activities in reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation activities; and (3) analysing options to be developed into management plans for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It examines 9 communities in the provinces of Papua, Central Kalimantan, and Riau. It employs a qualitative approach through stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. The study found that communities face some constraints in managing forest ecosystem services that impede their role in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation that can be expected from the utilisation of non-timber forest products and ecosystem services. Communities' interests in joining programs to reduce emission from deforestation and forest degradation are diverse, but their capacity in planning and in systematic forest use, in including carbon conservation programs are relatively low. Hence, strengthening community-level organisational structures and developing robust plans for sustainable management of forest ecosystem services are needed to support communities' participation in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.