Forestry and the environment : The Gambia case study

The four technologies introduced under the project -- community woodlots, industrial plantations, improved sawmills, and wood stoves -- were inappropriate; the cost of establishing plantations was higher than expected due to trees lost from drought, animals, and fires; and management of the plantations was poor. Additionally, woodlots may not be the best use of arable land in The Gambia. Other factors contributing to the project"s failure included: the choice of a single species, Gmelina (which is a poor fuelwood species and only a fair timber species), for both woodlots and plantations; overly optimistic forecasts of Gmelina survival rates; the still abundant supply of firewood in The Gambia; the labor-intensiveness of woodlot planting and maintenance, which conflicted with labor requirements for food and agriculture; and the design of the woodlots in response not to villagers needs" (which were for fruit trees) but to donor and Government perceptions of those needs (firewood). Lessons learned included the following. (1) The very notion of community woodlots is flawed, since the benefits of such woodlots derive unequally. (2) A new technology is more likely to be adopted if it places only minimal additional demands on labor, is easy to maintain, requires few changes in existing practices, and responds to existing demand. (3) Collective action is most effective when there is a clear link between peoples" participation in a common effort and the benefit derived from such participation. (4) New technologies are less likely to be adopted when the intended beneficiaries are able to meet their needs by using existing technologies. (5) Technologies that yield significant benefits in the medium to long term are less likely to be adopted than those that produce results quickly.