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Ecotourism and Recreation in Nearby Forests

Part of Learning Guide: Social Equity Considerations for Cities’ Decision Making Related to Inner, Nearby, and Faraway Forests

2. Cities4Forests – Commitment to Social Equity

5. Processes to Enhance Social Equity

6. Social Impacts of Equitable Policies and Programs

7. Other Benefits and Considerations for a Social Equity Approach

8. Policy Commitments for Social Equity

9. Use of Socioeconomic Information

10. Stakeholder Identification

11. Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement

12. Equal Employment Opportunities

13. Equity in Spatial Distribution of Inner Forests

15. Affordability Considerations in Inner Forests

16. Accessibility and Safety Considerations in Inner Forests

17. Ecotourism and Recreation in Nearby Forests

18. Cities’ Engagement with Faraway Forests

19. Community Forest Management in Faraway Forests

20. Faraway Forest Protection and Use Policies

21. Promoting Social Standards in Procurement

24. Selected Resources Part II

Activities in nearby forests such as watershed management, ecotourism, and recreational services can provide co-benefits such as new employment opportunities to forest-reliant communities. However, when communities are not engaged in decisions, it may endanger their access to the watershed’s resources or ability to utilize non-timber forest products and services.^1,³⁴ Kenya Forest Service provides a positive example though their Participatory Forest Management Plans, which have guidelines on local community engagement and allows for them to harvest honey, grass, fuel wood, and medicinal herbs in forest areas with ecotourism programs.

In some cities, access to ecotourism and recreation may be affected by costs related to gear, equipment, and travel.²¹ The government can potentially alleviate these challenges by partnering with private entities and introducing subsidized recreational programs targeting low-income communities.