Transcript Introduction to Community Forestry: Overview of forest

Introduction to Community Forestry:
Overview of forest management policy and
strategies in Liberia
Community Forestry - Module 1.1
Forestry Training Institute, Liberia
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to …
• Identify where Liberia’s forests are, what types
there are, and how forests/forest cover are
changing.
• Describe different forest types in Liberia based
on the modes of management, tenure, etc.
• Describe the evolution of forest policy and
management over time in Liberia.
Key Concepts and Issues
• Forests play multiple roles in the livelihoods
and ways of life of different subgroups in a
community.
• Stakeholders’ interests and influences in the
forestry sector are shaped by their
worldviews, economic status, and social
position.
Liberia’s forests
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Location
Types
Forest cover change
Modes of management and tenure
Liberia Land Cover and Forest Concessions
Land Cover in Liberia
Vegetation Types in Liberia
Forest Types in Liberia
• The forests of Liberia can be classified into four types.*
– coastal mangrove swamp
– tropical evergreen forest
– fringing forest
– transitional deciduous forest
• The forest ecosystem can be divided into four
classes.
–
–
–
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primary dense forest
climax secondary forest
secondary forest, which has not reached climax
other mixed vegetation
*Voorhoeve, A. 1979. Liberia High Forest Trees.
Liberia’s Forests: Biodiversity Hotspot
• The Liberian forest ecosystem is a major component of the Upper
Guinea Forest hotspot identified globally by Conservation
International.
• The forests of Liberia are home to approximately 240 timber
species, 2,000 flowering plants, 125 mammal species, 590 bird
species, 74 reptiles and amphibians, and over 1,000 insect species.
– The Mount Nimba, Cestos-Senkwen rivershed, Lofa-Mano, and
Sapo National Park areas contain many endemic species. These
areas are among the centers of plant endemism within the
upper Guinea hotspot of West Africa
• Among the plant species, there are about 240 timber species, of
which 30 have been exploited.
Liberia’s Forest Cover
• Liberia lies entirely within the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem and
contains two of the last three remaining large blocks of Upper Guinean
Rainforest in West Africa, an equivalent of 42% of this forest type.
• The country has a total land area of 9.6 million hectares, of which forest
cover is about 4.4 million hectares or 46 percent of land area (ITTO 2008).
• An approximate area of 1 million ha has been subject to logging over the
past 10 years. Another 1 million ha of forest has been subject to
agricultural pressure (class 3.1: agricultural degraded forest), and another
1.3 million ha of forest land has been seriously affected by agricultural
pressure and now consists only of forest patches (class 2.3, mixed
agricultural and forest areas).
• Although the annual rate of deforestation is estimated to be
approximately 12,000 ha (0.3 percent), the recorded planting of new
forests since 1971 to date is estimated to be only approximately 11,000 ha
in total (FDA 2007).
Forestry Sector Contributions
to Liberia’s Economy
• Estimates are that about 70 percent of Liberia’s
rural dwellers earn a living from forests and
forest-related products, and rely on firewood and
charcoal as the main source of energy generation
for cooking and heating (Soloh 2005).
• Forests are viewed as important because they are
a source of livelihood; they are important for
cultural activities (for example, as a bush school
for girls and boys); they offer land for farming;
and they are a source of firewood and charcoal,
bush meat, and water from rivers (Soloh 2005).
Forestry Sector Contributions
to Liberia’s Economy
• Historically, the forestry sector has been a strong
contributor to Liberia’s economy. For example, in 1980, the
production of forest products accounted for approximately
5 percent of GDP, rising to 20 percent in the late 1990s.
• Forest products also accounted for 5-10 percent of export
earnings in the 1980s, rising to over 50 percent in 2000.
• Forestry in Liberia has the potential to contribute 8-10
percent of GDP and contribute significantly to export
revenue and fiscal receipts.
• In 2002, it was estimated that 36 forest companies were
operating in Liberia and producing timber exports valued at
over US$100 million (or 60 percent of Liberia’s total export
earnings) and employing up to 8,000 people (FDA 2007).
Multiple Roles of Forests in Liberians’ Lives
• Forests are fundamental to Liberian society. They
are a source of subsistence, economic activity
and cultural identity for rural Liberians.
• They also provide medicines, construction
materials, fuel, food and commodities to sell for
cash.
• They are also of great cultural importance …
– The traditional sandé and poro (secret) societies
conduct their rites in certain groves and rivers within
the forests.
Multiple Roles of Forests in Liberians’ Lives
Forests provide …
• Subsistence goods: such as fuelwood, medicines,
wood for building, rope, fodder.
• Food: bushmeat, honey, fruits.
• Goods for sale: arts and crafts, timber and other
wood products.
• Indirect benefits: such as land for other uses,
social and spiritual sites, environmental services,
including watershed protection and biodiversity
conservation.
Changes in Forest Cover
• In recent years, these forests have not been managed
either to support biodiversity or to support the livelihoods
of the poor.
• The FAO estimates that forest cover in Liberia has been
reduced from 38.3% to 31.3% between 1990 and 2000.
• The Liberia Forest Re-assessment Project estimates that the
4.3 million hectares of forest remaining in Liberia are being
reduced by 0.3% every year.
• The two remaining dense forest areas are now found in the
northwest (semi-deciduous forest) and southeast
(evergreen forest), separated and isolated from each other
by a corridor extending from Monrovia to Nimba.
Drivers of Deforestation
• In addition to direct logging, as well as fuelwood and
charcoal production, deforestation has been caused
by three main factors …
1. Subsistence agriculture, particularly of upland rice, in the
form of shifting cultivation.
- Forests no longer have the time to regenerate in the face of
new pressures
2. Development of a logging road network.
3. Mining, which has caused intense localized disturbances
as well as river and riparian zone disturbance.
Drivers of Deforestation
• A review carried out by the Forest Concession Review
Committee (FCRC) showed that between 1985 and
2003, 26 million acres of forest were allocated to
concessionaires— even though less than 10 million
acres of forest existed.
• Prior to the concession review, community forestry and
conservation of forests in Liberia were almost
nonexistent.
• Years of conflict resulted in the forests being filled with
illegal miners, loggers, and hunters. Poaching and the
bush meat trade flourished under Charles Taylor,
threatening the loss of endemic species (FCRC 2005).
Drivers of Deforestation
• In Liberia land-use planning and zoning
regulations are virtually non-existent.
Consequently, land is not classified based on
productivity. The lack of a land-use planning
means that land is not being used to its best
advantage and this may ultimately affect its
sustainability.
The social costs of poor forest management
The social impacts of bad forestry can be stark:
• cronyism, corruption and predatory business
practices;
• poorly resourced, inflexible forestry institutions;
• inequitable division of forest revenues; and
• social upheaval caused by poor land use allocation
and evictions.
The social costs of poor forest
management
The social costs of bad forest management include:
• Loss of livelihood. Forest loss and degradation affect the livelihoods of forestdependent peoples, particularly poorer groups who depend on forests for ‘social
security’. Ill-considered land allocation for afforestation can also lead to a loss of
resources for existing land users.
• Loss of cultural assets and knowledge. The culture and knowledge of many
peoples, which are not always documented and which have evolved over time,
diminish as forest area, access and traditional rights are reduced.
• Rising inequality. Increasing concentration of forest wealth in fewer hands
removes the development options for many. Those who lose their forest
livelihoods and become marginalized may create, and themselves suffer from,
social and economic problems elsewhere, such as in cities.
• Loss of forest asset base for national development. Asset-stripping of forests for
short-term gains wipes out any potential for forest-based strategies for sustainable
development.