Shaping forest safety nets with markets : adaptation to climate change under changing roles of tropical forests in Congo Basin

This study examined the roles of markets in non-timber forest products and services that usually serve as safety nets for forest communities. Forests are considered ‘‘safety nets’’ in that people draw on available natural resources to meet emergency shortfalls and to keep them from being worse off in times of need. Markets should complement rather than substitute forests’ roles for adaptation to climate change: although markets may increase the value of a commodity, wholesalers and retailers reap most of the benefits, and the distribution of market revenue leaves local people with returns much lower than the worth of the commodity

Creating an appropriate tenure foundation for REDD+: The record to date and prospects for the future

Attention to tenure is a fundamental step in preparation for REDD+ implementation. Unclear and conflicting tenure has been the main challenge faced by the proponents of subnational REDD+ initiatives, and accordingly, they have expended much effort to remedy the problem. This article assesses how well REDD+ has performed in laying an appropriate tenure foundation. Field research was carried out in two phases (2010-2012 and 2013-2014) in five countries (Brazil, Peru, Cameroon, Tanzania, Indonesia) at 21 subnational initiatives, 141 villages (half targeted for REDD+ interventions), and 3,754 households. Three questions are posed: 1) What was the effect of REDD+ on perceived tenure insecurity of village residents?; 2) What are the main reasons for change in the level of tenure insecurity and security from Phase 1 to Phase 2 perceived by village residents in control and intervention villages?; and 3) How do intervention village residents evaluate the impact of tenure-related interventions on community well-being? Among the notable findings are that: 1) tenure insecurity decreases slightly across the whole sample of villages, but we only find that REDD+ significantly reduces tenure insecurity in Cameroon, while actually increasing insecurity of smallholder agricultural land tenure in Brazil at the household level; 2) among the main reported reasons for increasing tenure insecurity (where it occurs) are problems with outside companies, lack of title, and competition from neighboring villagers; and 3) views on the effect of REDD+ tenure-related interventions on community well-being lean towards the positive, including for interventions that restrain access to forest. Thus, while there is little evidence that REDD+ interventions have worsened smallholder tenure insecurity (as feared by critics), there is also little evidence that the proponents' efforts to address tenure insecurity have produced results. Work on tenure remains an urgent priority for safeguarding local livelihoods as well as for reducing deforestation. This will require increased attention to participatory engagement, improved reward systems, tenure policy reform, integration of national and local efforts, and "business-as-usual" interestsThis research is part of CIFOR’s Global Comparative Study on REDD+ (www.cifor.org/gcs). The funding partners that have supported this research include the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) [grant numbers QZA-10/0468, QZA-12/0882, QZA-16/0110], the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) [grant numbers 46167, 63560], the European Commission (EC) [grant number DCI-ENV/2011/269-520], the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) [grant number KI II 7 - 42206-6/75], the United Kingdom Department for International Development (UKAID) [grant number TF069018], and the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP-FTA) [grant number TF No. 069018], with financial support from the donors contributing to the CGIAR Fund. David Solis provided a valuable service in reviewing our methods for taking into account attrition of households over time

Challenges and dynamics in Non-Timber Forest Products exploitation in Cameroon

Les produits forestiers non ligneux constituent l’une des richesses des écosystèmes forestiers du Bassin du Congo. A ce titre, nombre de chercheurs y ont vu un gage de lutte contre la pauvreté parce que capables de relancer la croissance à travers les revenus, l’alimentation et la santé dont ces produits sont tributaires. La crise économique des années 1980 qui a durement frappé la plupart des pays de la région, a également contribué à renforcer cette confiance dans le rôle économique des PFNL. Avec la crise, l’agriculture ne pouvait plus être la seule référence lorsqu’il s’agissait d’assurer les revenus des ménages. En fait, les chocs économiques successifs des années 1980 s’étant traduits par la baisse du pouvoir d’achat des ménages face aux effets conjugués de la chute brutale des produits de base tels le cacao, le café et la banane d’une part et la dévaluation du franc CFA en 1994 d’autre part, les populations se sont ruées sur des sources de revenus alternatives. L’exploitation plus intensive des PFNL s’inscrit dans cette dynamique. Au plan environnemental, de nombreux auteurs ont affirmé que, contrairement au bois, l’exploitation des PFNL aurait pour effet de retarder la conversion des forêts tropicales, grâce à son impact faible et surtout la volonté des populations à les conserver en connaissance de cause. Aussi, plus de deux décennies après, il y a lieu de se demander si ce mouvement des populations vers les PFNL a produits tous les effets escomptés. En d’autres termes, les PFNL ont-ils comblé les attentes des populations par rapport à la lutte contre la pauvreté et la création d’emplois en Afrique centrale ? L’objectif général de cette étude consiste à évaluer la contribution effective des PFNL à l’économie des ménages et l’impact de leur gestion sur l’environnement, en se limitant au Bassin du Congo et en insistant sur les expériences conduites dans la région au cours des 2-3 dernières décennies.The involvement of rural people in forest management is determinant in sustainable management of forests. These people are relying on forest products, especially Non timber forest products they have been collecting for centuries. A good understanding of the valuing conditions of these products is essential in the Congo Basin. The implication of the private sector in adding value to NTFP is another challenge that will be analyzed in my thesis. By giving more attention to NTFP we create the conditions of equity in forest management. Overall the work attached to this thesis is important for sustainable forest management in Cameroon. Many articles, books and book chapters were published on the issue and number of presentations has been given during international conferences related to forests

Drivers and Hindrances to Substituting Wood Fuel with Briquettes Coal in the Minawao Nigerians Refugees’ Camp

The objective of this article was to assess the level of substitution of wood fuel with briquettes in Minawao refugees’ camp. The chosen methodology combines survey tools for data collection and practice. The results show that the refugees need 18,339 tons of wood fuel that must be substituted by 19,654 tons of biomass briquettes per year. Thus, since the promotion of briquettes coal in Minawao camp, the largest annual production is roughly 75 tons, covering 0.38% of household cooking energy needs. Today, more than 43% of refugees’ households have integrated the briquettes use, but they don’t have enough tools and biomass to make that much. Within a radius of 12 km around the refugee’s camp, the amount of different biomass residue is estimated to 243 ± 1 tons, that produce 111 ± 1 tons of briquettes, which could cover 0.56% of refugees’ households needs. All this shows that the refugees will not stop putting pressure on Zamay forest reserve to collect firewood. Thus, it is important to supply refugees with rice husks from SEMRY and scraps wood from sawmill in eastern region of Cameroon and equip them with materials of briquettes making. The implementation of these actions requires financial means. Keywords: Driver, hindrance, substitution, wood fuel, briquette coal, Minawao refugee Camp DOI: 10.7176/JETP/12-4-03 Publication date:October 31st 2022

Use and Cultural Significance of Raphia Palms

International audienceThe genus Raphia (Palmae / Arecaceae) contains 22 species and represents a major multiuse resource across tropical Africa and Madagascar. Raphia species provide goods that range from food to construction material and medicine. Its species play a vital cultural role in African societies. Despite its importance, the taxonomy, ecology, and ethnobotany of this genus remain poorly understood. Here, we review the multiplicity of uses, products and cultural importance of Raphia species across its distribution. We provide a near exhaustive list of all products derived from Raphia species, classified by species and major use categories. We record nearly 100 different uses, traded and commercialized at local, regional, and national levels. Most species have several uses. Raphia wine is the most important product, followed by grubs and fiber extraction. Our review improves our understanding of the uses and cultural importance of Raphia species. If Raphia resources are managed responsibly, they will contribute to alleviate poverty, fight against hunger and conserve tropical biodiversity, especially in Africa.Le genre Raphia (Palmae / Arecaceae) comprend 22 espèces et représente une ressource multi-usage majeure en Afrique tropicale et Madagascar. Les espèces de Raphia fournissent des produits allant des aliments aux matériaux de construction, en passant par les médicaments. Ses espèces jouent un rôle culturel vital dans les sociétés africaines. Malgré son importance, la taxonomie, l’écologie et l’ethnobotanique de ce genre restent mal comprises. Nous examinons ici la multiplicité des usages des produits et de l’importance culturelle des espèces de Raphia dans toute leur distribution. Nous fournissons une liste presque exhaustive de tous les produits dérivés des espèces de Raphia, classés par espèce et par principales catégories d’utilization. Nous enregistrons près de 100 utilisations différentes, commercialisées au niveau local, régional et national. La plupart des espèces ont plusieurs utilisations. Le vin de Raphia est le produit le plus important, suivi de l’extraction des vers et de la fibre. Notre revue améliore la compréhension des utilisations et de l’importance culturelle des espèces de Raphia. Si les ressources de Raphia sont gérées de manière responsable, elles contribueront à réduire la pauvreté, à lutter contre la faim et à préserver la biodiversité tropicale, en particulier en Afrique