Social Science Research Council

"The Scramble for Property Rights: Renegotiating Livelihoods and Sustainability after Uganda’s Forest Governance Reform"

There is growing consensus among donors and conservation-minded organizations that forest conservation and poverty alleviation are mutually attainable goals. Proponents of this “win-win” outcome always cite improved governance of forests, generally understood as the devolution or democratic decentralization of rights and responsibilities, as a central element of policies focused on conservation and poverty reduction. However, the processes and conditions under which governance reforms lead to win-win outcomes are poorly understood. Using the case of a major forest sector governance reform undertaken by the Ugandan government in 2003, this research explores how institutions have been renegotiated at the local level in response to national reform. Specifically three interlinked questions are explored: (1) Since the forest sector governance reform, how have rights to forest resources and forest products been (re)negotiated at the local level? (2) Has the contribution of forests to the livelihoods of local resource users been affected by the governance reform? (3) Since the forest sector reform, how have forest cover and forest quality changed?

The project employs a multi-scale empirical approach to understanding the institutional factors that influence the likelihood of poverty alleviation and conservation outcomes. It utilizes pre- and post-reform quantitative data; and draws on a large sample in different settings, which allows for studying some of the finer aspects of institutional changes and their impacts. A growing body of evidence suggests that forests offer limited opportunities to be utilized as a pathway out of poverty. What may be more important is ensuring that changes in rights do not adversely affect the ability of people to use forests as safety nets for coping with idiosyncratic and covariate shocks, or to support current consumption. In addition, as other nations embark upon governance reforms, understanding the role of institutional choice and the factors that strengthen or mitigate desired policy outcomes for local resource users is of critical importance.