The Rainforest of Cameroon

Topa, Giuseppe; Karsenty, Alain; Mégevand, Carole; Debroux, Laurent

doi:10.1596/978-0-8213-7878-6

Cited by 47 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…shows that the positive impacts of logging on local development remain weak and disappointing (Hakizumwami and Milol 2000, Bigombe Logo and Atamana 2004, Counsell et al 2007, Topa et al 2009, Lescuyer et al 2012. This result has also been observed for other countries in the Congo Basin (Mengho 2003, Mengue Medou and Waaub 2005, Alemagi and Nukpezah 2012.…”

mentioning

confidence: 78%

Six years of industrial logging in Ngoyla (East-Cameroon): what have been the outcomes for local populations?

Defo

2023

int. forest. rev.

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The industrial exploitation of Cameroon's forests was, until the late 2000s, credited with little positive impacts on the communities living near logging concessions. In order to evaluate the outcomes of logging for local populations and to inform the sustainable management of Ngoyla-Mintom forest block, socio-economic data was collected from 2011 to 2018. Data from guided interviews, observations and questionnaires reveal that local populations have seen improvements in their living conditions, particularly in terms of formal employment, better housing and increased mobility. The main adverse effects observed were a reduction of some forest resources, an increase in certain diseases, and increased violations of the rights of Indigenous People. Despite identified favorable factors, the positive impacts from industrial logging in Ngoyla are below expectations.

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confidence: 78%

Six years of industrial logging in Ngoyla (East-Cameroon): what have been the outcomes for local populations?

Defo

2023

int. forest. rev.

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“…For example, Oyono et al (2012) provided testimonies through a study of four community forest projects from 15 villages in four regions of Cameroon that benefits from CFs are not meaningfully invested in health and education. Other authors did not report any positive contribution of the timber sector to community development, either through poverty reduction nor sound environmental management goals (Ceruti and Tacconi 2006, Topa et al 2009, Oyono et al 2012. This is because local elites who have a good mastery of administrative procedures and of commercial logging skills work closely with central governments and appropriate CFs.…”

Section: Timbermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We found mixed results about the contribution of timber-related activities to community development and livelihoods. On the positive note, Topa et al (2009) and Ezzine de Blas et al (2009) argue that timber exploitation, within community forest, can derive direct benefits in the form of employment, and indirect benefits including material goods, access to facilities, and other nontangible benefits such as social capital derived from establishing a community forest. The results from the nine case study CFs showed that CFs relied more on timber than any other resource in the forest to carry out development projects.…”

Section: Timbermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One study, for example, shows that 62% of all harvested trees in a community forest were not included in the annual logging unit (Tropenbos 2012). Most of the time, artisanal logging is used as a cover for illegal logging (Topa et al 2009). Although timber exploitation in CFs is supposed to be preceded by tree planting and other forest management activities, Oyono et al (2012) and Merlet and Fracticelli (2016) argue that there is little or no evidence that those activities are executed, in which case forest degradation is evident.…”

Section: Environmental Viabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Viability of community forests as social enterprises: A Cameroon case study

Foundjem-Tita¹,

Duguma²,

Speelman³

et al. 2018

E&S

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Since the concept of community forests was instituted in Cameroon in 1994, there has been an upsurge of such forest management arrangements in the country. However, up to now there is no conclusive evidence as to whether such schemes can operate as profitable ventures and at the same time meet their social and environmental objectives. The latter is the core objective of a social enterprise that constitutes the basis of our analysis. In fact, little attention has been paid to understanding the business side of community forests. In this regard, we review existing evidence about community forests making profits and simultaneously meeting their social and sustainable forest management goals. The analysis is based on a range of literature covering 20 years of community forestry experience in Cameroon and also from information gathered from nine case study community forests in Cameroon. Although not overwhelming, the existing literature shows that community forests can be run as profitable enterprises. However, profitability is conditional on the type of activities the enterprises engaged in, the capacity of the community forest entrepreneurs to run the business themselves rather than subcontracting, and on the capacity of the enterprises, especially timber related ones, to diversify into nontimber forest products (NTFPs) and agricultural activities. The available evidence suggests mixed results about the contribution of community forests to community development projects and livelihoods, and emphasizes that the legal form of the community forest, the kind of enterprise the community focuses on and the type of support received by the community forest are important drivers of viable community forest enterprises. The study further notes the absence of a sustainable funding model for community forest enterprises and recommends that government should officially classify them in the social enterprise sector. By so doing, community forests can benefit from special programs meant for the social enterprise sector including the provision of starting capital and capacity building on basic business principles.

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“…The forests of the East and South Regions account for 75% of the country's production forests and 63% of its protected areas. They provide huge nutritional supplements, medicines, fuelwood and building materials to the people of these two regions [2]. They are also a reserve for agricultural land and extractive activities such as mining and logging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistency of Agricultural, Forestry and Mining Policies with Sustainable Forest Management in the East and South Regions of Cameroon

Nkoulou¹,

Bitondo²,

Atyi³

et al. 2021

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The eastern and southern regions of Cameroon, lower middle income country, need to increase their level of land use by the agricultural, forestry and mining sectors in order to develop. At the same time, Cameroon is committed to managing its forests sustainably to meet the needs of present and future generations. This study assesses the compatibility of agricultural, forestry and mining policies with sustainable forest management in the East and South forest regions. Five analytical criteria were used and the analysis was carried out through surveys of key informants in the private sector, public administrations and civil society. The study showed that from 2013 to 2018, the contributions of the agricultural, forestry and mining sectors to GDP grew by about 74%, 65% and 60%, respectively. Agricultural, forestry and mining policies have an average compatibility rate of 45% with sustainable forest management, of which 52% for the forestry sector, 43% for the agricultural sector and 40% for the mining sector. Nonetheless, there are 21 causes of incompatibility, including 1) the non-involvement of all relevant public administrations in policy-making, 2) the low efficiency of the control system of exploitation activities, and 3) the poor coordination of actions in the three sectors. It was proposed to a) improve the legal and regulatory framework of the three sectors of activity and b) develop land-use planning tools among other measures to align existing policies with sustainable forest management.

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The Rainforest of Cameroon

Cited by 47 publications

References 0 publications

Six years of industrial logging in Ngoyla (East-Cameroon): what have been the outcomes for local populations?

Six years of industrial logging in Ngoyla (East-Cameroon): what have been the outcomes for local populations?

Viability of community forests as social enterprises: A Cameroon case study

Consistency of Agricultural, Forestry and Mining Policies with Sustainable Forest Management in the East and South Regions of Cameroon

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