Who Determines Biodiversity? An Analysis of Actors' Power and Interests in Community Forestry in Namibia

Forest Policy and Economics, 21 July 2012

Recent research has begun to question the efficacy of community forestry programs. In particular, analysis seems to reveal that devolution of power to the local resource user does not happen. Nevertheless, it also appears that community forestry programs do deliver some of their promises. Especially, the biodiversity of the resources involved is often improved. But who determines this, if not the local resource user? This article seeks to answer this by analyzing the biodiversity of 14 community forests in Namibia.