Southeast Asia

Abstract

Rich in biological and cultural diversity important for human survival, tropical forests in Southeast Asia provide a major management challenge. Loss and degradation of forests in the region are driven by a complex interplay of economic, social, cultural, political, and demographic factors. In rural areas, local communities have used traditional knowledge in the management of forest resources for centuries. The arrival of Western colonial rulers and the introduction of scientific forest management gradually marginalized traditional local forest management. Modernization and economic development continue to erode cultural diversity and traditional knowledge. In some communities, villagers have adapted to externally driven socio-economic changes emphasizing commercial economic activities; conversion to institutionalized religions (such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam); and formal education. In other societies, local communities continue to manage local natural resources based on traditional knowledge and governance systems. Post-colonial governments from the 1940s to the 1970s maintained policies that gave the state legal control over all, or nearly all, forest lands. In most countries local, traditional management systems are not legally recognised or accepted by state forest management authorities, and their role in sustainable forest management has not been recognized. To achieve long-term forest sustainability in Southeast Asia, new approaches involving empowerment of local communities to manage natural forests, along with selective combinations of traditional and modern scientific management practices, may prove to be a way forward.