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Social Participation in Forest Restoration Projects: Insights from a National Assessment in Mexico

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Abstract

Ecosystem restoration is gaining momentum worldwide, but restoration projects frequently fall short of addressing the human dimension, notably through the involvement of local people. While social participation has been recognized to have a fundamental role in the success and sustainability of forest management projects, it is frequently not incorporated into restoration project planning. We gathered responses from a national assessment program regarding the status of terrestrial restoration projects in Mexico. We found that most of these projects were limited to the use of a local short-term work force in tree planting activities and were designed to alleviate short term local socioeconomic tensions, indicating that effective social participation is not well understood by managers.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Manuel Guariguata for his support during all of the phases of the project and for the financial support of the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID) by way of the CIFOR-KNOWFOR project and the CGIAR Forest, Trees and Agroforestry Research Program. We are also grateful to the Managing Editor, Ludomir R. Lozny, for his support in review and editing process. CM-G gratefully acknowledges logistical support from the Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM). EC is grateful for the support of PAPIIT IN300119.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria de la UAEM, Av. Universidad s/n, Circuito 2, PC 62210, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Eliane Ceccon

  2. Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación (CIByC), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Col. Chamilpa, PC 62209, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Moisés Méndez-Toribio & Cristina Martínez-Garza

  3. Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa PC 91070, Veracruz, Mexico

    Moisés Méndez-Toribio

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  1. Eliane Ceccon
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Correspondence to Eliane Ceccon.

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Informed Consent: All the participants in the survey were given an information sheet about the project and asked to provide informed consent in writing. Research was approved by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in compliance with its code of research integrity.

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Appendix 1: Survey used to collect the data

Appendix 1: Survey used to collect the data

  1. 1.

    During the restoration project:

    1. 1.1

      Did community members participate?

  1. a.

    Yes, b. No

    1. 1.2

      Did women participate?

  2. a.

    Yes, b. No

    1. 1.3

      Did vulnerable populations (e.g. children under 15 years old, elderly people, people with disabilities, or inmates) participate?

  3. a.

    Yes, b. No

    1. 1.4

      If the answer to 5.1, 5.2 or 5.3 questions is yes, in what phase of the process was the participation of each social group was incorporated?

  1. A.

    diagnosis (in process, management),

  2. B.

    planning (pending funding or approval),

  3. C.

    development and field establishment of the pilot project (experimental phase and / or investigation),

  4. D.

    person responsible for project execution,

  5. E.

    execution of the actions (land preparation, planting or field establishment),

  6. F.

    supervision of the actions (land preparation, planting or implementation),

  7. G.

    maintenance or research,

  8. H.

    subsequent evaluation and monitoring (monitoring),

  9. I.

    training and dissemination of the project.

  1. 2.

    What are the socioecological goals of project?

  2. 3.

    Did the project seek to generate local employment? (Does not apply to commercial plantings)

    1. a.

      Yes, b. No

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Ceccon, E., Méndez-Toribio, M. & Martínez-Garza, C. Social Participation in Forest Restoration Projects: Insights from a National Assessment in Mexico. Hum Ecol 48, 609–617 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00178-w

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