Whose woods these are : community-based forest management in Africa

Despite its promise, however, CBFM remains underutilized across a continent that may see the end of its natural forests by mid-century. Beginning with a review of the historical background for CBFM programs, this paper summarizes CBFM approaches that have evolved and proven successful, providing an overview of the impacts of CBFM experiences in Africa and the conditions required to foster and sustain such efforts. The "what", "why", "where", and "how" of CBFM describe in more detail the CBFM methodologies and the experiences gained in various African countries. What: CBFM is management of forest lands under a detailed plan developed and agreed to by all concerned stakeholders. The approach is community-based in that the communities involved with a forest have the legal rights, the local institutions, and the economic incentives to take substantial responsibility for sustained use of the forest. Under the forest management plan, communities become the primary implementers, assisted and monitored by the forest service. Why: Local forest communities are best placed to control deforestation and oversee management of forests in their territories. CBFM supports other development and conservation sectors, such as health (nutrition and medicinal products), agriculture (rational land use planning), livestock (secure grazing rights), rural employment and women"s advancement (forest-based enterprises), democracy (decentralization and local governance), and biodiversity conservation (ecosystem management). Where: In the absence of comprehensive land use planning in most African countries, areas for CBFM can be prioritized by their likelihood of success using such criteria as quality of resources, access to markets, and interest on the part of forest communities. Forests that are gazetted as national forests may provide the best ready-made opportunities. How: Drawing on CBFM experiences in Niger, Benin, Ethiopia, Zambia, and elsewhere, a step-by-step process of strengthening local institutions and developing a forest management plan is spelled out, complemented by discussions of enabling environment factors, participatory techniques, and implementation issues. A summary of results and a series of lessons learned from this first generation of pilot CBFM efforts in Africa follows. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities inherent in CBFM programs, and of the potential impact of the expansion of these programs. Annexes look more deeply into enabling factors, the roles of NGOs, and CBFM experiences in Africa and elsewhere. (Author abstract, modified)