Forest Management

LIMITATION AND POTENTIALS OF

ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT

BY BEN SIMAIMBO CHANDA JR SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES

THE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

JULY 24, 2013

LIMITATION AND POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT 2013

BEN CHANDA Page 1

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 2

2. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................. 2

I CAMEROON ..................................................................................................................................... 2

1.0 LIMITATIONS FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CAMEROON ............................................ 2

I. Lack of financial sustainability ......................................................................................................... 2

II. Poverty and environmental degradation .......................................................................................... 3

III. Governance ..................................................................................................................................... 3

IV. Knowledge and technical guidance ................................................................................................ 3

V. Lack of serious intent by major stakeholders to improve forest management ................................. 3

2.0 POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CAMEROON ....................... 3

I. Management objectives .................................................................................................................... 3

II. Forest management plans ................................................................................................................. 4

III. Silviculture ...................................................................................................................................... 4

IV. Forest conservation measures ......................................................................................................... 4

V. Forest protection measures ............................................................................................................... 4

VI. Forest harvesting practices ............................................................................................................. 4

VII. Public participation in forest management .................................................................................... 4

II TANZANIA ...................................................................................................................................... 5

1.0 LIMITATIONS OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT ............................................... 5

2.0 POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN TANZANIA ......................... 5

III CHAD............................................................................................................................................... 6

1.0 Limitations for sustainable forest management ............................................................................. 6

I. Population increase and growing demand for resources 6

II. Decreasing crop yields entailing increased cropland 6

III. Negative consequences of current natural resource uses 6

IV. Insufficient knowledge of resources and low institutional capabilities 6

V. The need for an integrated and inter- sectoral approach and policies for forestry beyond forest

boundaries 7

VI. Poverty alleviation 7

VII. Social conflict 7

VIII. Conservation of biological diversity 7

IX. Maintenance of forest health and vitality 8

X. Control of land degradation and desertification 8

XI. Climate change – the big limitation 8

2.0 POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CHAD ................................. 8

I. Management objectives .................................................................................................................... 8

II. Forest management plans ................................................................................................................. 9

III. Forest protection measures ............................................................................................................. 9

IV. Public participation in forest management ...................................................................................... 9

3. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................ 9

4. REFERENCE ................................................................................................................................. 10


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1. INTRODUCTION

Forest is the management and use for human benefit of the natural resources that occur on or in

association with forest lands and other lands managed wholly or in part for similar purposes (James,

1981).

The forest in the world are under pressure arising from many factors, as a result this have led to over,

massive deforestation and other drastic calamities on the account of ecological imbalances, thus

threatening the life support system of the people. Because of these natural calamities it is therefore

important that forests are properly managed through the application of certain measures in line with the

forest management.

Many African countries today face growing destruction of forests in the wake of arbitrary occupation

of farmland by rural populations. Governments do not always have the financial or human resources

required to implement appropriate protection measures. Once the control exercised by the managing

institution becomes inefficient, the respective territory becomes an area of free access. One of the

disturbing features found in developing countries is that in many of them the government lacks an up-

to-date forest policy, and in even those countries that do have one there is a great disparity between the

fine goals of the policy and what actually happens in the forests (Poore, 1989). There is growing

awareness that sustainable forest management should include measures for the effective conservation

and management of resources in order to meet the actual and future needs of local people (Peters, 1996).

Continuing forest destruction results in habitat loss for faunistic and floristic elements, thus reducing

biodiversity, accelerated soil erosion with degraded agricultural productivity and, consequently,

deterioration of the livelihoods of rural people (FAO, 2006). If the forests are not completely cleared

and transformed into other forms of land-use, degraded or devastated vegetation cover remains. Ideally,

under undisturbed conditions and over the course of long time spans, succession gradually restores

forest-dominated ecosystems to something resembling the original composition.

Most nation states have implemented forest sector administrative reforms that give greater roles to

communities in forest management and recognize the importance of building partnerships between

communities and forest departments (Brown 1999).

The data contained in this document are intended to review:

Limitations of forest management

Potentials of enhancing forest management

2. DISCUSSION

The case study is based on three selected Central African Countries, which is Cameroon, Tanzania, and

Chad. The case study will look atthe limitations and potentials of enhancing forest management in

developing countries.

i CAMEROON

1.0 LIMITATIONS FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CAMEROON

I. Lack of financial sustainability

There are numerous limitations that limit the financing of sustainable forest management. The most

important is that many of the benefits of sustainable forest management do not generate revenue for

forest owners and managers (Rees 1990). Therefore, they have no incentive to produce the full range

of benefits from forests and continue to focus on production of timber and a few other marketed


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products. A second constraint is the complexity and generally higher costs and perceived risks of

sustainable forest management compared to other land uses, including unsustainable forest practices.

II. Poverty and environmental degradation

Poverty and environmental degradation are major problems in dryland sub-Saharan Africa, where

forests and trees contribute significantly to rural livelihoods (IUCN, 1997). Dryland people have

developed resilient and adaptive livelihood systems that enable their survival in difficult conditions.

Supporting these systems and promoting the sustainable use of resources are therefore key to reducing

poverty. Dry lands offer significant potential for socio-economic development, but despite their value,

these ecosystems are caught in a spiral of deforestation, fragmentation, degradation and desertification.

III. Governance

There has been a consistent disparity between the government's stated forest policies, published in 1912,

1946 and 1988 with goals of protection and sustainablemanagement, and its actual policies which since

1922 have mainly promotedunsustainable exploitation (Rees, 1990).Government policies are biased

against improved forest management (e.g., lack of credit and high transaction costs to process permits);

lack of serious governmental commitment to enforce forestry regulations; lack of tenure security or

unclear tenure and resource rights; and, weak institutional capacity to enforce the adoption of forestry

regulations and avoid encroachment. One of the disturbing features found in Cameroon is that the

government lacks an up-to-date forest policy, and in even those countries that do have one there is a

great disparity between the fine goals of the policy and what actually happens in the forests (Poore,

1989).

IV. Knowledge and technical guidance

Inadequate understanding of the benefits of adopting improved forest management practices; technical

prescriptions perceived by forest users as too complicated or not practical; perceptions of forest

abundance by the private sector (timber industries and local communities); lack of trained staff; and,

inefficiency and waste in the forest and along the market chain (McGregor, 1942).

V. Lack of serious intent by major stakeholders to improve forest management

In most instances of predatory use of natural resources, the question of willingness to manage is asked

both in the political and extractive industry arenas, but also by society in general. Basically, do

government policies and actor behaviors reflect the extent to which society values forests? The value

of forests to the public sector and to politicians generallyderives overwhelmingly from socio-economic

considerations (e.g., timber supply, state revenues, and employment) whereas environmental issues are

side lined (Jackson, 1986).

2.0 POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CAMEROON

I. Management objectives

Cameroon’s forestry policy objectives aim to “achieve sustainable development of the economic,

ecological and social functions of the forest in a context of integrated, participatory management so as

to ensure sustained and sustainable conservation and use of forest resources and ecosystems” (Djumo,

2001). Forest management in the permanent state-owned forests is based on retaining forest cover over

at least 30 percent of Cameroon’s territory in areas representative of the country’s biodiversity and

comprising forest stands where uses and management procedures follow specific management plans.


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II. Forest management plans

Excepting the national forests, all other categories of forest come under management or simple

management plans (FAO, 2001). The Special Forest Development Fund (FSDF) has been set up to

“ensure the financing of operations for the management, conservation and sustainable development of

forest resources”. Status and trends in forest management in Central Africa.As for the village

community forests, the forest service decides on and approves allcommunity forest management plans

and simple management plans and assists private citizens in the formulation and implementation of

these simple plans. Communities are entitled to request technical assistance free of charge from the

forest service to manage forest resources contracted to them by the State upon request. Technical

supervision is also provided (Deodatus,2000). Private individuals are also required to draw up and

implement simple management plans, also with assistance and technical supervision from the forest

service.

III. Silviculture

A number of reforestation and/or natural regeneration approaches have been adopted in Cameroon,

though natural regeneration techniques have virtually been abandoned since the1960s(FAO, 2001b).

IV. Forest conservation measures

Determining the implementation procedures for wildlife management stipulates that protected areas

must be subject to management plans setting the time, place, nature and schedule concerning the

programme of work and studies for a specific protected areas. The plans may be prepared by the

administration in charge of wildlife or by private partners. In the latter case, management plans must be

approved by the administration. Protected area management also extends to the buffer zone, defined as

a “boundary area subject to agro-silvi-pastoral management essential to settle people on the land and

regulate their activities”(Kone, 2001). Cameroon is also setting up a trust fund to enable the DFAP

(Directorate of Wildlife and Protected Areas) to strengthen management capacity.

V. Forest protection measures

Concerning forest fires and erosion, Decree Law of 23 August 1995 establishesprocedures for the

implementation of forest law.Late-season burning is banned and early burning is regulated (Besong,

1996). A further official fire prevention regulation concerns the establishment of brushfire surveillance

teams and centres.

VI. Forest harvesting practices

Cameroon specifically stipulates forest-harvesting standards (Maloney, 1887). The new Cameroonian

legislation also declares forests off-limits after harvesting wherever the areas involved are toosmall to

ensure indefinite felling cycles. The felling cycle is set at 30years, and diameter can in no case be under

the minimum set by the forest service.Additionally “all silvicultural treatments other than diameter-

limit cutting must be such as toensure forest recovery after the close of each felling cycle”

(CIRAD,2001). These treatments must bedescribed in the management plan, five-year plans, and annual

plans of operation.

VII. Public participation in forest management

The new participatory forestry law of 1994 calls for public participation in the design and

implementation of forest management policy, enlisting the participation of all social partnersfrom the

governmental to the private sector and people living in and around the forest (CIRAD,2001). This

innovative new forest policy involves rural people in policy implementation through the promotion of

communal and community forestry, ensuring that state-owned production forest management consider

the interests of the rural public, according them substantial incentivebenefits to enhance the protection

of forest ecosystems.


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ii TANZANIA

1.0 LIMITATIONS OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

The contribution of forest to local livelihood and the Tanzanian economy as a whole is significant, but

is largely unrecorded and consequently unrecognised (Chidumayo, 1993). The difficult of examining

forestry in the context of economic growth arises because no market exists for ecosystem services

(Chidumayo, 1997). Many transactions related to forest products and services fall within the informal

sector or are undertaken illegally and are, hence not recorded (World Bank, 2005).

About 38% of Tanzanians’ total land area is covered by forests and woodlands that provide for wildlife

habitat, unique natural ecosystems and biological diversity, and water catchments. These forests are,

however, faced deforestation at a rate of between 130,000 and 500,000 hectares per year, which results

from pressure from agricultural expansion, livestock growing, wild fires, over exploitation, and other

human activities, mainly in the general lands. Pressure on natural resources has progressively escalated

and ecological degradation is evident, especially in arid and semi-arid areas (Clarke, 1996).

Land clearance for small scale subsistence farming is one of the major causes of forest cover loss,

largely due to increasing population and low intensity cultivation.

Dependence by resources-poor households on cash income from the sale of forest products, such as

charcoal, honey, wild fruits, and firewood appears to be another driver of deforestation (Nasi et al,

2008).

The need for firewood for curing tobacco and the recent influx of refugees from Burundi, the

Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda into the country has had severe environmental damage to

crop lands. An example of shinyanga is given which faces the worst challenges in Tanzania, situated in

north western of Tanzania. The area is predominantly semi-arid, with the average annual rainfall of 600

mm to 800 mm. Rainfall is eratic and poorly. Its low hills and plains are characterized by long dry

summers, and natural vegetation has historically consisted of extensive miombo woodlands and acacia

woodlands (Mathews, 2001). More than 90% of the regions’ population lives in rural areas and practices

agropastoralism, including subsistence agriculture for food and cash crops and livestock (FAO, 2003).

Many households keep livestock herds too large for their land to sustain and burn woodlands to create

more pasture (Cobertt & Jones, 2000).

2.0 POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN TANZANIA

The Forest Policy and Forest Act both provide a strong foundation and legal basis for community

involvement in forest management which is described as participatory forest management, which

consist of two approaches joint forest management is a collaborative management approach, which

divide forest management responsibility and returns between government either central or local and

forest adjacent communities (FAO, 2001). It takes place on land on land reserved for forest management

such as National Forest Reserves (for catchment, Mangrove, or production purposes). It is formalized

through the signing of a joint management agreement between villagerepresentatives and government

(either District Council or Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism). Community based forest

management takes place in forest on village land. Villages take full ownership and management

responsibility for an area of forest within their jurisdiction that has been declared by village and district

government as a village forest reserve (Dubois & Lowore, 2000). Thus, villagers gain the rights to

harvest timber and forest product, collect and retain forest royalties and undertake patrol (including

arresting and fining offenders). Villagers are also exempted from local government taxes known as cess

on forest products regulations regarding ‘reserved tree’ species, and not obliged to remit any part of

their royalties to either central or local government.


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In the case of shinyanga, in 1986, Tanzanias’ government dramatically shifted tactics and launched the

people-centred, community based shinyanga soil conservation programme in Swahili meaning ‘Hifadhi

Ardhi Shinyanga’ By 1987, HASHI, had attracted additional long term support from the Norwegian

Development Assistance Agency. Such a long-term investment and partnership commitment between

the governments has been a critical component of the success of forest restoration, as it has enabled the

taking of a long term empowering approach (World Resource Institute, 2002).

iii CHAD

1.0 LIMITATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

I. Population increase and growing demand for resources

Chad is an area of fast population increase. Rapid urban development in Chad has created large human

concentrationswith high demand for natural resources. Increased reliance on forests for energy, food

and otherproducts, from medicines to household items, constitutes a growing threat to the physical

integrity,richness, biological diversity and productivity of woodlands and forests. Grazing, cultivation

forsubsistence and sometimes industrial forest exploitation place intense, competing demands on

theremaining natural landscapes. Organizing and planning responses to this challenge is a prerequisite

for development among the concerned communities. A comprehensive knowledge and planned and

managed utilization of the available resources, particularly forest and woodland resources, have

becomepressing needs. Assessment and sustainable management of natural resources is a foundation

forsustainable rural development in sub-Saharan Africa (FAO, 2006)

II. Decreasing crop yields entailing increased cropland

Rainfed agriculture is dominant in the region,and supports many rural livelihoods. Rainfall is scarce

and unreliable in drylands, and long dry spellsthreaten crop production (Nkem et al, 2007). Agricultural

land is becoming scarce, as more is needed for subsistence.Fallow periods are being shortened, and far

greater pressure is being exerted on forests, woodlands andrangelands as agricultural frontiers are

extended(Foahom, 2005b). Fallow crops are becoming less valuable or in the bestcases leguminous

species dominate agroforestry parklands, where single isolated trees render valuableenvironmental,

social, socio-economic and cultural benefits.

III. Negative consequences of current natural resource uses

Forest resources utilized as described in theprevious paragraphs become fragmented into scattered

remnants that are impoverished and susceptibleto further selective exploitation and felling. As habitat

quality reduces, wildlife becomes prone tomigration or extinction (ICTSD, 2007).Woodlands, tree

savannahs and steppes continue to degrade into poor fallowsand wastelands, and can no longer serve as

a buffer during drought-related crises or offer food, fuel andfodder alternatives for communities (ITTO,

1990). The mechanisms described in the previous paragraphs can becomeself-perpetuating, aggravating

deforestation and loss of biological diversity and leading to increasedpoverty and ultimate migration

(Malagnoux, 2007).

IV. Insufficient knowledge of resources and low institutional capabilities

Forestry administrationsdo not have differentiated forest inventory and forest management services.

The figures used toenumerate forest resources are often old – generally more than ten years – and

inadequate, and theprocesses affecting resources are accelerating, leaving many negative impacts

undetected. All countriesin dry sub-Saharan Africa need enhanced knowledge and expertise for the

systematic assessment,inventory and monitoring of forest and woodland resources and processes

(MINEF, 1995). There are insufficient humanresources to satisfy the huge needs for trained foresters,

silvopastoralists and other rural developmentspecialists in the dry zones. Institutions in charge of forest


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and woodland management are often weakand isolated. Progress in changing this situation has been

slow, although much improvement is startingto be made.

V. The need for an integrated and inter-sectoral approach and policies for forestry beyond

forestboundaries

Forest management is not regularly practised, and is strongly dependent on externalassistance. Forest

management should be conceived and planned within a larger framework forsustainable land

management (Jung, 2005). Forests have multiple functions, and there are considerable overlapsamong

agricultural, pastoral, urban/rural and forest systems, requiring integrated and multiple

forestusemanagement. Dryland forest systems are fragile and easily affected by erosion, fires,

overgrazing andbrowsing, and human pressure from agriculture and rural and urban development; forest

managementinitiatives should consider these factors if they are to have any chance of success (World

Bank, 2008). Forestry must be partof comprehensive and sustainable land-use planning and

management, and there is an urgent and clearneed for the forestry sector to work with other relevant

sectors to improve and design appropriatepolicies and establish appropriate mechanisms. Policies are

still not sufficiently comprehensive, but theimpact of international policy frameworks and the work of

social groups is improving this situation.

VI. Poverty alleviation

Chad are economically poor (one of the world’s poorestcountries are in the Sahelian and Sudan zones)

(IUCN, 2007). Dryland forest resources may contribute greatly toalleviating poverty and sustaining

communities by responding to many of their subsistence needs, whichadds to the difficulty and

complexity of managing these resources (UNEP, 2002). Demonstrating the ways throughwhich forestry

contributes to increasing income and reducing poverty, particularly in the dryland areas of Chad, would

lend additional weight and relevance to forest management initiatives.During implementation, surveys

should monitor changes in the well-being and living standards ofbeneficiary communities. However,

forests and forestry alone cannot address the major challenge of poverty alleviation; other mechanisms

and solutions are needed to complement their contributions.

VII. Social conflict

Social turmoil, disorder and armed conflict have affected several parts of the region,with negative

economic and social consequences resulting in the depletion of resources (FAO & Near East Forestry

Commission,2009). In some cases,however, the isolation imposed by these conflicts may give forest

and tree formations some respite,allowing their regeneration.

VIII. Conservation of biological diversity

Forest management has to be informed by biological andecosystem inventories that show the biological

richness of forests and attached lands (Van Den Berg & Biesbrouck 2000). This objective isnot new but

has been strengthened by the processes that emerged from the United Nations Conferenceon

Environment and Development (UNCED), where the United Nations Convention on

BiologicalDiversity (CBD) was signed. CBD’s objectives are the conservation of biological diversity,

thesustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from

useof genetic resources (CBD/UNEP, 2001). CBD has developed programmes of work on forests and

on dry and sub-humilands to address these objectives in these ecosystems. In this context, forest

management should makefurther efforts to save the rich but delicate biological diversity of dry forests

and other tree formationsin Chad.


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IX. Maintenance of forest health and vitality

The vigour of forest ecosystems should not be compromised by the use models established under

management plans (FAO, 1997). Forestry has to be more sensitive to theconsequences of all techniques

when translating management objectives into forest operations. It must also react more quickly to

threats to forest health and vitality. The control of invasive pests and themanagement of destructive

bushfires should be prominent in management plans(FAO, 2000).

X. Control of land degradation and desertification

Forest management has always been sensitive to landdegradation and has envisaged measures for land

rehabilitation, particularly since the United NationsConvention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

was signed in Paris in 1994 (Gonzalez, 2001). Good forest managementoptions make a measurable

contribution to the control of land degradation and desertification.

XI. Climate change – the big limitation

Climate change is emerging as a driving force behind many of thecurrent issues facing natural resources,

and is likely to intensify the already dramatic transformations andproblems arising across Africa. The

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predictedsignificant increases in annual mean

surface air temperatures and decreases in precipitation over thesubtropics and tropics, from Africa to

Indonesia, affecting drier subtropical regions in particular (IPCC, 2002). Theonly areas likely to see

increased annual mean rainfall are East Africa, the Sahel, the Guinean coast andthe southern Sahara,

with a high level of uncertainty (IPCC, 2007). The subtropics contain some of theworld’s most

important biodiversity hotspots, which are highly sensitive to climate change under a widerange of

climate change scenarios (Albrecht & Kandji, 2003). Projections suggest that 40 percent of the

biodiversity of subtropicalforests could be lost, even under stable climate scenarios (Fischlin et al.,

2009). Many forestspecies live in highly fragmented environments and are therefore at particular risk

of extinction, withsubsequent negative impacts on the livelihoods of forest-dependent people. Changes

induced by climatechange are likely to result in species range shifts and altered tree productivity, adding

further stress toforest ecosystems. For example, warmer and drier conditions on Kilimanjaro in East

Africa have ledto increased incidence of forest fires, degrading the environment and inducing a

downward migrationof animal and plant species (Agrawala et al., 2005). In regions with large forest-

dependent populations,such as sub-Saharan Africa, decreased rainfall and increased severity and

frequency of drought can beexpected to exacerbate current exploitation pressures on forest and the

impact of agricultural expansioninto forest lands (ECOWAS/FAO, 2007). This can be expected to

impose additional stresses on people in these locations whodepend on fuelwood for their domestic

energy needs and on non-wood forest products for theirlivelihoods. There is great concern that many

sub-Saharan African countries are already in a precariousposition regarding food production and

agriculture, and that climate change is likely to have a far greaterhuman impact in these countries than

in more temperate regions (Mansourian, Belokurov, & Stephenson, 2009).

2.0 POTENTIALS OF ENHANCING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CHAD

I. Management objectives

The forest service is currently pursuing four broad lines of strategy. These are: protection and

regeneration of ecological resources, including the restoration of forest and grasslandpotential;

enhanced plant resource management and soil protection; the design of a national land use planning

scheme; beefing up institutional staff resources and strengthening the legal framework; and improving

plant and animal production systems (Murphy, 2004). The country also wishes to expand and reinforce

the amount of protected areas.


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II. Forest management plans

Law stipulates that forest in the State domain may be leased in concession for the benefit of a local

authority, rural or village community, or national enterprise, under conditions and procedures defined

by decree(McNeely & Schroth, 2006). All forest harvesting operations are subject to a list of

specifications spelling out the technical conditions concerning exploitation of the products involved,

which must be preceded by an inventory. The area allocated to a single lease may not exceed 50 000

hectares. Physical and moral persons are the owners of trees/forests planted on land they own. The

owners of private forests may obtain a license for their forests upon request from the forestry

administration in their prefecture (Anon, 1991).

III. Forest protection measures

No formal evaluation of damage from wildfires or diseases has been carried out in Chad. It isquite likely

that over 80 percent of the forest and woodlands are affected by brushfires every year (FAO/UNEP,

1982). Protection measures in forest plantations consist of the establishment of weeded firebreaks. Fire

protection in natural formations is centered on awareness-building among local populations through the

media, especially rural radio. Forest harvesting in the domain forests is done under state control by the

forest administration or else subject to an authorization granted by the forest administration.

IV. Public participation in forest management

The historical forest policy orientation in Chad with respect to forest conservation made nomention of

the public, and people tended to be rather suspicious of foresters, who were regarded as agents of

repression (Besong, 1996). The development of rural forestry is hampered by a failure to adapt existing

legislation. The laws still on the books are in fact repressive, offering few incentives for the public.

There is no law giving people secure access to forest harvesting,even when they have actually planted

the trees in question. Nonetheless, the new forest code does allow title to be granted in rural areas to

land reforested or regenerated by private citizens. Moreover, the recent Law stipulates that any citizen

acting as an individual or in the context of traditional local institutions or associations is responsible for

working with the State and the decentralized local communities to ensure resource sustainability and

combat environmental degradation.

There have also been participatory forest projects, such as the 1989-1996 “Rural forestry andforest

management”, which was basically designed to make rural people and local community structures

responsible for local forest management in their area through the formation of village forest

management associations. Efforts have been made to motivate and inform rural people as to the benefits

of the participatory approach via rural radio, and by the Chad multi-media anti-drought and

desertification committee.

3. CONCLUSION

The definition used in Africa to designate the area of managed forests is “the area of forests which is

managed for various purposes (conservation, production, other) in accordance with a formal, nationally

approved management plan for a sufficiently long period (five years or more)” (FAO, 1988). Likewise,

the earlier tropical forest resource assessments of 1980 and 1990 provided no numerical data on the

area of forest under management. Indeed, the tropical forest resource assessments done jointly by

FAO/UNEP in 1980 covered 37 countries in tropical Africa, and included every country in the sub-

region except São Tomé and Principe, but this study also did not supply numerical data on the area

covered by forest management (FAO, 1982). The 1990 global forest resource assessment listed figures

for industrialized countries only. However, looking at the individual national situations, each of the

Central African countries has adopted strategies and plans of action in line with their specific situations.


BEN CHANDA Page 10

Management regulations have been proposed for each type of forest. In Gabon, for instance, a resource

inventory and management plan proposal are obligatory pre-conditions to commercial exploitation of

any sort (Forest Partnership, 1998). In Cameroon, the public domain forest has been subdivided into

forest management units, each with its own plan for resource development and utilization. Simple

management plans have also been drawn up for the community or village forests. CAR’s forest code,

for example, calls for the submission of a management plan with specifications prior to the issuing of

any harvesting permit, which makes the concessionaire responsible for forest management. In Chad,

managed area units have also been established in selected forest areas. Significant efforts have been

made to provide the technical guides necessary for field implementation of sustainable management

pratices in the sub-region. A recent ITTO, for example, reported that Cameroon is one of the six tropical

ITTO producer countries having met the necessary pre-conditions for sustainable forest

management.Implementation has in any case been delayed in a number of Central African countries

due to political upheavals, economic problems and/or civil strife, sometimes leading to great violence,

all of which clearly run counter to achieving balanced development founded on the conservation and

sustainable exploitation of natural resources. Moreover, generally speaking, the technical, financial,

political and institutional situation in most of these countries is not such as to provide the appropriate

underpinning for developing sustainable management.

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