Paper short abstract:

I explore delivery of livelihood projects from a village perspective. Engagement of REDD+ with local governance structures had far-reaching consequences for perceptions and participation. Communication modes, value systems and geographic remoteness should be key concerns for conservation programmes.

Paper long abstract:

International efforts to address climate change emphasise the role of forests through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) programmes. These use carbon credit sales to finance sustainable forest management and aim to address livelihood needs of forest-dependent communities alongside conservation and climate goals. A key challenge is how to distribute benefits equitably and promote social development. This requires an implementing organisation, with its own ideologies and resources, to engage effectively with local governance and resource management systems, which have their own power structures, networks of influence, rules of engagement and value systems. Building a relationship that can deliver REDD+ goals in a way that satisfies all parties is therefore challenging and requires solutions be tailored to the local context. Using a case-study in Gola forest, Sierra Leone, I examine the programme-community relationship from the perspective of forest-edge communities that are beneficiaries of REDD+ financing through livelihood support programmes. I show that perceptions of benefit sharing processes can be instrumental in determining attitudes and participation in wider programme activities. Important factors include the way information is shared within and between groups, the values and meaning assigned to different types of ‘benefit’ and the social and practical consequences of geographic remoteness. The findings add to arguments that conservation-development initiatives such as REDD+, should consider carefully how an implementing organisation engages with existing social systems. Specifically, communication and negotiation approaches must suit local settings, and project design and delivery must be based on clear understanding of communities’ perceptions and values.