Publication

This paper examines how the implementation of environmental protection initiatives can be undermined by the responses of local stakeholders whose interests and livelihoods are affected by specific forest protection programs and projects. Following a brief assessment of attempts by the Philippine government to reverse forest destruction and promote community-based forestry, the author presents four case studies which focus on different types of forest protection initiatives and sets of actors. The case studies describe large commercial interests which use political and bureaucratic connections to subvert government attempts to curb unsustainable logging and conserve watersheds, NGOs that do not have the necessary community organizing skills, and grassroots organizations that lack cohesion and external support. Beyond analyzing the politics of project failure, the author also identifies key factors that have served to counter such negative experiences.