• Corpus ID: 44018791

A Political , Legal and Economic Framework for Sustainable Forest Management in Cameroon . Concerted Initiatives to Save the Rainforests

@inproceedings{Siebck2002AP,
  title={A Political , Legal and Economic Framework for Sustainable Forest Management in Cameroon . Concerted Initiatives to Save the Rainforests},
  author={Gregor Sieb{\"o}ck},
  year={2002}
}

• Gregor Sieböck
• Published 2002
• Economics

Currently there exist no examples of sustainable forest management (SFM) in Cameroon, despite the fact that in 1994 the national forestry law was changed considerably with the aim of creating a framework for sustainable resource management. Annual deforestation rates are high and population growth, poverty, fuelwood collection, agricultural encroachment, and unsustainable logging are generally considered as the underlying driving forces. This direct causal relationship, however, is an oversimplification because it is rather the current framework, in which the abovementioned factors are embedded, that causes deforestation. Thus, three main problem areas have been identified as the real driving forces for unsustainable resource use: governance failure, a weak legal framework and misdirected economic incentives. At the forefront, however, is the lack of government commitment to sustainable forestry management and corruption. These problem areas and interrelations are analysed in detail and consequently possible pathways towards more sustainable management practices are identified. It will be shown that the international community must take responsibility for putting pressure on the Cameroonian government to enforce the legislation and should offer financial and technical support to local authorities. Ultimately, national government commitment to sustainable resource management will be crucial if the sustainable use of the forest resources is to be achieved. Forestry, however, is not an isolated issue; it is influenced by different factors such as agriculture, economic development and social issues. It will be argued that changes will require the cooperation of all stakeholders involved in the process. Only a holistic strategy combining different sectors and including various stakeholders will eventually bring about the necessary changes and will lead to sustainable forestry management in Cameroon. List of abbreviations ATIBT Association Technique des Bois Tropicaux (International Technical Tropical Timber Association) CAR Central African Republic CEB Compagnie Équatoriale des Bois (Equatorial Timber Company) CED Centre pour l’Environnement et le Developpement (Centre for Environment and Development) CFM Community forest management CIB Congolaise Industrielle du Bois (Congolese Industrial Timber Company) CIFOR Centre for International Forestry Research CIRAD Centre de coopération internationale en recherché agronomique pour le Développement (International Research Centre for Agronomy and Development) CLD Causal loop diagram EU European Union FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation FCFA Franc Communauté financière africaine (Franc of the African Monetary Union) FMU Forestry Management Unit (Concession) FSC Forest Stewardship Council GDP/GNP Gross Domestic Product/Gross National Product HIPC Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative IMF International Monetary Fund ISO International Organisation for Standardisation ITTO International Tropical Timber Organisation IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature MINEF Ministère de l’Environnement et des Forêts (Ministry for Environment and Forests) MP Member of Parliament NGO Nongovernmental Organisation