Community Forestry
Investir dans la forêt de demain : vers un Programme d'action pour la revitalisation de la foresterie en afrique de l'Ouest (Investing in the forests of tomorrow)The authors provide an analysis of Sahelian forests and place the state of forests in West Africa into a historical context. They provide case studies of agroforestry and assisted natural regeneration (ANR) in forested areas of Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea. Finally, the authors provide recommendations for smart investments in West African forests.
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Les parcs agroforestiers en Basse Casamance: Contribution du Parkia biglobosa (néré) à la réduction des risques de pauvreté des ménages de la communauté rurale de Mangagoulack, au Sénégal (Agroforestry parks in Basse Casamance)The author describes how agroforestry parks have played a role in alleviating poverty in a rural community in Senegal. In particular, the author discusses the native African locust bean, or néré, as a successful agroforestry species.
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Contribution de la Régénération Naturelle Assistée des ligneux dans l’approvisionnement en bois des ménages dans le département de Magaria (Niger)The article investigates the amount of wood villagers received from using assisted natural regeneration (ANR) techniques as opposed to wood that they bought. The authors found that in the region of Magaria, Niger, over 90% of households' wood needs were fulfilled by wood grown using ANR alone. They also provide several examples of successful agroforestry parks in the region. They article conclude by arguing that scaling up ANR will have positive impacts for agroforestry parks and that women especially should be sensitized to the benefits of ANR for agroforestry.
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Understanding the Interaction of Rural People with Ecosystems: A Case Study in a Tropical Dry Forest of MexicoBackgroundThis paper reports on the effort to understand the relationship between the rural communities and the often-studied tropical dry forest. While many papers from scientists have focused on the biology and ecology of the Chamela-Cuixmala region, relatively few have considered human element to their work. Available with subscription or purchase |
Régénération naturelle assistée des forêts villageoises et promotion d’activités génératrices de revenus au profit des populations rurales au Burkina FasoThe authors describe the mission of the nongovernmental organization NewTree, which seeks to support rural populations in their fight against desertification and poverty. They discuss assisted natural regeneration in Burkina Faso in particular, as a means of generating sustainable revenue and state that the program has successfully preserved 225 hectares of land while generating income for rural communities.
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Aménagement forestier et participation: quelles leçons tirer des forêts communales du Cameroun? (Forest management and participation: what lessons can we pull from communal forests in Cameroon?)The authors compare forest management of large concessions to that of smaller communal forests. They describe a shift in forest management from the state to a more local and participatory framework at the level of the commune. Finally, the authors speculate whether this decentralization of power over the forests will result in more sustainable management practices for Central Africa tropical forests.
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Reverdir le Sahel: Le succès de la régénération (Regreening the Sahel: Regeneration success)Open access copy available |
Etude de la régénération naturelle assistée dans la région de Zinder (Niger) (Study of assisted natural regeneration in the Zinder region of Niger)This report, which was submitted to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by International Resources Group (IRG), discusses assisted natural regeneration (ANR) in three departments in Niger, including Magaria, Matameye, and Mirriah. The authorss spoke with cultivators employing ANR practices in these areas and thus were actively protecting and managing the regrowth of their woody species of economic value. The report concludes by discussing the many positive impacts of assisted natrual regeneration and farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR). Open access copy available |
Parcs agroforestiers sahéliens: de la conservation à l’aménagement (Agroforestry parks of the Sahel: from conservation to management)The authors describe the history of farmer managed wooded parklands in northern Cameroon. They note that a counter-productive ban on cutting from 1950-1990 provided a disinsentive for farmers to care for and plant young trees. Finally, the authors argue for implementation of farmer managed agroforestry parklands where parkland governance is mean to fall on local villages as opposed to local forestry department officers. In doing so, the authors provide suggestions for best practices in managing these wooded parklands for agroforestry.
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Quelles sont les causes de la déforestation dans le bassin du Congo? Synthèse bibliographique et études de cas (What are the causes of deforestation in the Congo Basin? Bibliographic synthesis and case studies)The article presents a literature review of different factors affecting deforestation rates in the Congo (especially Cameroon and Gabon), the most devastating of which they identified as agriculture. The authors argue that the Congo Bassin is one of the most important and best preserved ecosystems on earth. Finally, the author calls for moe studies of socio-economic factors representing the different stages of degradation, so as to better inform policy.
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