Social Capital and Empowerment in Forest Governance: A Systematic Review of Southeast Asian Social Forestry Models
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social capital, empowerment, social forestry, forest governance, Southeast Asia, systematic literature review
Abstract
This systematic literature review investigates the role of social capital in the success and challenges of tropical forest governance and social forestry models in Southeast Asia. Amidst the climate and deforestation crises, understanding the factors that support legitimacy and sustainability is crucial, especially how social capital influences governance and community empowerment. Using a PRISMA-based systematic review approach, this study analyzes 15 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025. The results indicate that social capital, whether bonding, bridging, or linking, is critical to building local legitimacy in tropical forest governance, often more influential than formal authority in promoting sustainable empowerment. Social capital also functions as a multi-dimensional asset (cultural, political, and economic) but can reinforce inequalities. Theoretically, this study enriches the understanding of social capital by highlighting its role in power struggles. The results advance the scholarly debate by demonstrating how strategic investment in all three forms of social capital can transform social forestry policies toward genuine empowerment, sustainability, and equity. While the dominant focus on Indonesia limits generalizability, this study offers a significant comparative synthesis of tropical forest governance in the region.
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