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From State-controlled to Polycentric Governance in Forest Landscape Restoration: The Case of the Ecological Forest Purchase Program in Yong’an Municipality of China

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Abstract

Forest landscape restoration is emerging as an effective approach to restore degraded forests for the provision of ecosystem services and to minimize trade-offs between conservation and rural livelihoods. Policy and institutional innovations in China illustrate the governance transformation of forest landscape restoration from state-controlled to polycentric governance. Based on a case study of the Ecological Forest Purchase Program in Yong’an municipality, China’s Fujian Province, this paper explores how such forest governance transformation has evolved and how it has shaped the outcomes of forest landscape restoration in terms of multi-dimensionality and actor configurations. Our analysis indicates that accommodating the participation of multiple actors and market-based instruments facilitate a smoother transition from state-centered to polycentric governance in forest landscape restoration. Governance transitions for forest landscape restoration must overcome a number of challenges including ensurance of a formal participation forum, fair participation, and a sustainable legislative and financial system to enhance long-term effectiveness.

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Notes

  1. In China, an administrative village is a basic unit for community autonomy, however de facto, as well as for administrative purposes, often comprises a number of natural villages or villagers’ groups. A natural village may have one villagers’ group, but the larger ones may also be divided into several villagers’ groups (Zhong 2005).

  2. 1 USD = 8.2766 RMB in December 31, 2001; 1 USD = 6.4936 RMB in December 31, 2015.

  3. The price of timber paid by EFPP differs according to tree species and size of timber. In 2015, the average price for Chinese fir (4 m × 12–18 cm) and Masson pine (4 m × 20–28 cm) were 1200 RMB/m3 and 1000 RMB/m3, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank James Reed (Centre for International Forestry Research) and Mirjam Ros-Tonen (University of Amsterdam) for editorial support. This research was supported by the projects of “Development intervention, natural resources management, and rural transformation from the perspective of actor-oriented approaches” funded by Renmin University of China, and the project of “Study on local forest governance transformation from a decentralization perspective” funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

    Hexing Long

  2. School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

    Jinlong Liu, Chengyue Tu & Yimin Fu

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  1. Hexing Long
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Correspondence to Jinlong Liu.

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Long, H., Liu, J., Tu, C. et al. From State-controlled to Polycentric Governance in Forest Landscape Restoration: The Case of the Ecological Forest Purchase Program in Yong’an Municipality of China. Environmental Management 62, 58–69 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0972-7

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