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PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF INDIGENOUS DRY FOREST IN SOUTHERN AFRICA :
a SADC project experience in addressing poverty and environmental degradation
By Frank Brodbeck
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) project, “Sustainable Management of Indigenous Forests”, was set up in 1996 to address poverty and unsustainable use of forest resources in the Miombo woodlands. SADC developed the project, which effectively targets MDG1 and MDG7, in collaboration with GTZ, the German organization for international cooperation for sustainable development.
The SADC comprises 14 Member States, covering a total area of more than 9 million km 2 , with a population of about 200 million people. With an area of 2.7 million km 2 , Miombo woodlands (dominated by Brachystegia spp.) are the predominant vegetation type within the SADC region. Roughly 60 million people live in and around these Miombo woodlands. Most are poor an depend heavily on natural resources for firewood, charcoal production, wildlife, water, medicinal plants, timber, fruits etc. Over the past decades, population growth in combination with poverty has led many communities to unsustainable utilization of forest resources, thus threatening their own base of existence. Charcoal production was often the only substantial source of cash income in these poor rural areas with low precipitation and poor soils. Combined with a lack of clarity on land rights and forest management responsibilities, this led to alarming deforestation rates.
The project sought to break this vicious cycle by identifying and promoting alternative sources of income which would clearly depend on well-managed forests, such as non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and eco-tourism. Once the communities began to earn money from NTFPs, such as guinea fowl, honey, fruit juice from wild fruits, cane furniture and herbal teas, or from ecotourism, they regarded the forest as a source of income requiring protection and sustainable management. The project subsequently assisted the communities in developing participatory forest management plans and in all the formal and legal steps for applying for the declaration of community forest areas with full user-rights.
The project works at the regional (SADC) and at local level, with project components in Malawi , Botswana , Namibia and Mozambique . Project partners include the respective national Directorates of Forestry in these countries and the following local NGOs: “Grupo de Trabalho Ambiental” ( Mozambique ), “Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi ” ( Malawi ), and “Veld Products Research & Development” ( Botswana ).
Results
The project area in Namibia covers 20 villages in the Ohangwena region with a total of approximately 1000 inhabitants. The project assisted the newly established Forest Management Committee (FMC) to develop a management plan for the community forest (75,000 ha). The approved plan was a precondition for the official declaration of the Community Forest by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, which now gives full user rights to the communities. The mean annual income of community members involved in incomegenerating forestry activities increased by 132 US$ per capita. 63% of the beneficiaries are women. The additional income was invested primarily to buy food products, to improve homes and to buy school materials for the children. Thus, the project contributed to MDG 1 (eradicating extreme poverty and hunger), MDG 2 (achieving universal primary education), MDG 3 (promoting gender equality and empowering women), while also contributing to MDG 7 (ensuring environmental sustainability).
In Botswana , five villages in Western Kweneng, with a total population of 3,450 inhabitants are involved in project activities. The project area is part of the Kalahari Sandveld, with an average annual rainfall of about 250 mm. Due to the harsh climatic conditions, possibilities for sustainable utilization of “veld” products are very limited. Therefore, project activities concentrated on the harvesting and processing of devil's claw ( Harpagophytum procumbens ). The project, which is largely run by women, developed an ecological assessment tool for the communities to estimate the sustainable yields of devil's claw. The 250 harvesters in the project area earn up to 17,300 US$ from the sale of devil's claw per year, or approximately 70 US $ per person per year.
The project component in Mozambique covers two villages with a total of approximately 1000 inhabitants. The community area of these two villages is 170,000 ha, mostly Mopane ( Colophospermum mopane ) forest and woodland. Charcoal production is the major economic activity for the local population. Before the project started, charcoal was produced without any plan,without knowing the sustainable yield, and mostly without a licence. The project therefore facilitated the establishment of a Natural Resource Committee (NRC) in the villages, which acquires licences for the harvesting of forest products from the National Directorate of Forestry and Wildlife. The NRC then establishes quotas and allocates the harvesting areas to the community households, according to the newly developed Forest Management Plan.
A Finance Committee collects fees from the sale of these forest products (poles, firewood, charcoal) for the community fund. Since 1998 the communities generated revenues of 14,000 US $ in total. This money was used for local development, e.g. the rehabilitation of the local clinic and school, and improving the water supply. Thus, the project contributed to MDG 2, MDG 4 (reducing child mortality) and MDG 5 (improving maternal health).
In Malawi , the project area in Mwanza District includes 13 villages, with more than 10,000 inhabitants. About 79% of the population now have an income from forest related activities, such as bee keeping, guinea-fowl rearing, or fruit juice production. The annual income per household increased from 43 US$ to 130 US $ for those involved in these income generating activities. During the drought in Malawi in 2001/2002, the sale of guinea-fowls in the project area helped the population to survive without food-aid from outside, while in other parts of Malawi people died of hunger.
On the SADC level, the project regularly participates in the meetings of the Technical Committee on Forestry and participated actively in the elaboration of the SADC Forestry Protocol. Toolkits with the lessons learned from the project were formulated and integrated into the project database, which is disseminated throughout SADC.
Conclusion
The project managed to improve rural livelihoods through income from the forest, while reducing the pressure on the forests by promoting sustainable management. It has contributed to achieving MDG 1 and 7, as well as 2, 3, 4 and 5. This approach has been tested in four countries with very different basic conditions, in terms of climate, soils, and the political and administrative systems. The project adapted its approach to the respective conditions and problems of each country and is now able to provide a wide range of tested solutions and best practices. To encourage the replication of the project approach in other SADC member states, these best practices are compiled on a database CD which is available from the project.
Dr. Frank Brodbeck
C.P. 2766
Maputo, Mozambique
Email: Frank.Brodbeck@gtz.de