Sammanfattning

The term degradation' is often used in the current discourse on carbon forestry. Tree planting projects primarily aimed at mitigating climate change frequently claim that they simultaneously reduce degradation. However, despite the centrality of degradation' in the forest carbon discourse, reference is rarely made to the significant body of literature questioning generalizations about degradation in Africa since the mid-1990s. Many studies have exposed biases and problematic underlying motives in claims of degradation in various African regions. Combining this literature with discourse analysis, we present a framework for analysing degradation narratives in order to explore the extent to which these are based on evidence or opinion. We acknowledge that environmental change is complex, and increasingly so today in the face of climate change, and we stress that narratives cannot be pinned down as true or false'. However, unconfirmed truths' about degradation being acute have resulted in significant, costly and far-reaching actions to halt it. Thus there is a need to scrutinize the empirical evidence using the best available knowledge. Our framework, designed to be easily applicable for practitioners, could facilitate increased engagement with and scrutiny of degradation claims in forest carbon interventions.

Nyckelord

deforestation; climate change; degradation; narrative; Africa

Publicerad i

Climate and Development
2017, Volym: 9, nummer: 6, sidor: 537-547

SLU författare

• Hajdu, Flora

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Fischer, Klara

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen

SDG15 Skydda, återställa och främja ett hållbart nyttjande av landbaserade ekosystem, hållbart bruka skogar, bekämpa ökenspridning, hejda och vrida tillbaka markförstöringen samt hejda förlusten av biologisk mångfald
SDG13 Vidta omedelbara åtgärder för att bekämpa klimatförändringarna och dess konsekvenser


UKÄ forskningsämne

Tvärvetenskapliga studier


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2016.1174663

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/79708