Towards Sustainable Management and Development of Tropical Secondary in Anglophone Africa

The Nairobi Proposal for Action

Derived from the Results of the Workshop on Tropical Secondary Management in Africa: reality and perspectives Nairobi, Kenya, 09 –13 December 2002

Rome, Italy October 2003

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© FAO 2003

Photo cover by H. Simons Inside photos by Coert Geldenhuys

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Contents

Ι CONTEXT 1

Background 1

The Nairobi Workshop 2

Workshop objectives 3

Status of the Nairobi Proposal 4

ΙΙ TROPICAL SECONDARY FORESTS IN AFRICA 4

Status and Importance 4

Definition and Typology 7

ΙΙΙ KEY ISSUES TO ADDRESS 9

Policy and Institutional Issues 9

Social and Economic Issues 10

Technical and Ecological Issues 12

ABBREVIATIONS 14

CONTACTS 14

iii Ι. CONTEXT

Background

Secondary forests – defined as forests which have developed after significant (see chapter II) - are increasingly prominent features in tropical landscapes, and in many countries the surface area covered by them is far greater than that of primary forests. In Africa there may be as much as 90 million1 to 313.3 million2 ha of secondary forest, depending on the definition used. This represents between 6.4 % and 22.3 %3 of the world’s . Secondary forests provide a variety of products and services that can contribute to improving socio-economic conditions particularly in rural areas, watershed protection, combating soil run-off and erosion, and commercial timber and NWFP production. If secondary forests are managed well they may – under favourable framework conditions - relieve the pressure on remaining primary forests, thereby effectively conserving and genetic resources. More recently, the potential of this resource to sequester carbon from the atmosphere has become an important topic, and is discussed at international fora around the world.

In order to realize the potential of secondary forests we need to manage them in a sustainable manner. Unfortunately the management of this resource has received insufficient attention at local, national and international levels. More focus is needed on the socio-economic factors responsible for secondary forest formation, the interactions of secondary forests with other land-use types (farmers’ crop and livestock production systems), and the environmental benefits this resource can provide. Particularly the translation to well formulated policies backed by adequate legal

1 Depending on the definition of “secondary forests”, the estimated potential areas of this resource in Asia and Latin America were 87, 5 and 165 million ha respectively (FAO 1996). 2 Emrich, A., Benno Pokorny and Cornelia Sepp. 2000. The Significance of Secondary for Development Policy. Published by GTZ/TOB/TWRP. TOB Series No.: FTWF- 18e. Eschborn. 3 Iremonger, S., C. Ravilious, T. Quinton, 1997. "A statistical analysis of global forest conservation", Data Provider: World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). 1 regulations and a supportive institutional framework is needed. It is within this context that a series of regional workshops (Tropical America, Asia and Africa) were developed.

The Nairobi Workshop

The Nairobi Proposal is the result of the joint effort of the participants in the international workshop on “Tropical Secondary Forest Management in Africa: realities and perspectives” held at the World Centre in Nairobi, Kenya (9 – 13 December 2002). The workshop was organized by FAO, GTZ and EC-LNV, in collaboration with CIFOR and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).

The workshop in Nairobi focussed on secondary forest management in Anglophone Africa, and was the first of two workshops in the region. The second workshop will be directed at the Francophone African countries and will be held in Douala, Cameroon (17-21 November 2003). Both international workshops in Africa are part of a larger series of regional workshops, including those held in Pucallpa, Peru (June1997), for Tropical America4 and in Samarinda, Indonesia (April 2000) for Tropical Asia5. After completion of the 4 workshops, the end result will be a comprehensive overview of the state and importance of the world’s tropical secondary forests, the priorities and strategies recommended to sustainably manage this resource, and the national and international support that is needed.

The workshop in Nairobi was attended by 30 participants from 15 countries in Anglophone Africa: Botswana, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Furthermore there were participants from Finland, Germany and the Netherlands and representatives from international development organizations, such as ATO, CIFOR, FAO, ICRAF and IPGRI. Participants included

4 “International workshop on the current and potential state of management and development of secondary tropical forests in Latin America”, by Amazon Cooperation Treaty (TCA), the Central American Commission on Forests (CCAB) , GTZ, & EC-LNV. Pucallpa, Peru. June 1997. 5 “International workshop on tropical secondary forests in Asia - Reality & perspectives”, By CIFOR, GTZ, & EC-LNV. Samarinda, Indonesia. April 2000. 2 scientists and field experts, both from governmental and non- governmental (forest) organizations, with different disciplinary backgrounds.

Prior to the workshop, nationals of each of the sponsored countries prepared a country paper and selected experts wrote and presented thematic papers on the policy/institutional, social/economic and ecological/technical issues of secondary forest management. These papers can be found in the proceedings of the workshop6.

Workshop objectives

The workshop had the following objectives:

• To compile information and knowledge on the current status, nature and extent of tropical secondary forests in Anglophone Africa.

• To assess the ecological, economic and social importance of tropical secondary forests in the region.

• To identify the dynamics (underlying causes, processes, use patterns) leading to their formation and transformation.

• To take stock of the current policies, actual knowledge and practical experiences related to secondary forest management.

• To assess the main constraints, needs and possibilities for further development of secondary forest management.

• To identify the management, policy and research priorities and recommend immediate actions to be taken for the development and wider application of sustainable secondary forest management options.

6 FAO – EC NLV – GTZ – CIFOR – ICRAF. 2003. Proceedings of the Workshop on Tropical Secondary Forest Management in Africa: reality and perspectives; Nairobi, Kenya; 09 – 13 December 2002 (in press). 3 Status of the Nairobi Proposal

The observations and issues in this proposal are relevant to Anglophone African countries. They are based on the experiences and views of the participants from these countries during the workshop. The relevance and applicability of these findings have not been assessed yet for the whole of tropical Africa, thus the status of this proposal must be viewed from that perspective. After the second meeting for Francophone countries in Cameroon in November 2003, a more comprehensive elucidation can be given which will be summarized in an overall proposal for action for Africa.

ΙΙ. TROPICAL SECONDARY FORESTS IN AFRICA

Status and importance

In most Anglophone African countries the area of secondary forest is unknown, as is the area per vegetation type. Some inventories have been carried out in the past, but data pertain most often to timber extraction and thus concerns only the commercially valuable species. The highly fragmented landscapes found in many African countries makes it difficult to define boundaries between vegetation types (some just several hectares in size), which complicates making precise assessments.

The products and services of secondary forests are deemed particularly beneficial to rural communities (see Table 1). Their livelihoods depend on this resource for a variety of reasons. In drier areas, fuelwood is an important product acquired from secondary forests, either for subsistence or commercial purposes. In this respect, the resprouting and abilities of secondary forest species are highly valued. In many rural areas, modern medical facilities are absent and people depend largely on traditional medicines derived from secondary forests for their health. The agricultural potential after fallow, due to improved soil characteristics and fertility, is another important feature of secondary forests. Although rural communities that inhabit these forests possess

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Medicinal bark products from forest and , Durban Herbal Market, South Africa a wealth of traditional knowledge and practical experience, the increasing demand for land and conflicting land tenure issues have often led to the further degradation of secondary forests.

With the disappearance of primary forests, companies have come to rely more on secondary forests for timber extraction. For example, in Ghana 70% of the exported is derived from secondary forests, enhancing the economic importance of this resource in generating foreign exchange earnings. Unfortunately

The ecological importance of secondary forests is still underestimated, but some references are made to the potential for combating erosion and soil-runoff, watershed management and .

5 Table 1: The importance of secondary forests in Africa

Ecological Importance • Relieving pressure on primary forests • Contributing to biodiversity • Contributing to maintenance of genetic resources • Improving soil fertility and structure • Reducing run-off and soil erosion • Restoring micro-climate • Regulating water flow and quality • Providing habitat for forest animals • Carbon sequestration

Socio-economic Importance • Income and employment • Germplasm of useful species • Many fast growing, multi-purpose species • Coppicing and resprouting abilities of many tree species • Providing sites for multi-purpose agroforestry systems • Providing options for small-scale forest based enterprises and trade • Providing many different specific uses: ♦ Fuelwood and ♦ Construction wood for domestic use ♦ Timber and other products for export ♦ Non wood forest products (e.g. medicines, food, crafts) ♦ and rattans ♦ Animal protein ♦ Fodder

The management of secondary forests should be an integral part of the conservation and sustainable use of all types of forests. However, they require a different set of guidelines and principles than those of relatively undisturbed forest, especially if recovery of the vegetation is slow or inhibited. Unfortunately, the management of secondary forests in most African countries has been given insufficient attention and they are rarely part of forest management systems or plans. Nevertheless, in various countries interest in

6 secondary forests is emerging and valuable research and development have been initiated.

Definition and Typology

The following working definition of tropical secondary forests was proposed at the Nairobi workshop:

Forests regenerating largely through natural processes after significant disturbance (human and natural) of the original forest vegetation at a single point in time or over an extended period, and displaying a major difference in forest structure and/or species composition with respect to nearby primary forests on similar sites.

The following key elements were identified:

• Disturbance is caused by human intervention or by natural factors such as droughts, large browsers, and fire.

• Disturbance is a single or cumulative event.

• Disturbance is significant though the criteria and thresholds of disturbance (spontaneous regrowth and stages thereof, major difference in structure and/or species composition) are to be determined at country or regional level.

• Regrowth is largely natural, though some planting may be present.

• Secondary vegetation with the potential to develop into a (open or closed) secondary forest is also considered in this definition.

Woodlands are a major vegetation type in Africa. Whether these are secondary or not, is often unclear. Determining the extent of disturbance in this vegetation type is more complex than in closed

7 canopy forests where disturbance is more readily perceived. Comparatively, contain fewer species and thus changes in species composition are more difficult to measure. Structural aspects are also influenced to a lesser degree than in closed, multi- layered forests. However, if the frequency and intensity of disturbance in woodlands is too high, the seed production and fertility of tree species may be affected, resulting in decreased regeneration and further degradation of this important resource.

Secondary vegetation that has the potential to evolve into woodland or forest is considered in the definition above. There are several documented cases of grass- and shrub lands evolving into woodlands and open canopy forests after fire protection measures were implemented. The definition of secondary forest should perhaps be further expanded to include these vegetation types more appropriately, whereby grass- and shrub lands are considered a seral stage in the development of vegetation.

Typologies that are based on the underlying process of the formation and subsequent development pathways of secondary forests, as developed at the Samarinda workshop for Tropical Asia, are not wholly applicable in the African context. An appropriate framework for typologies should perhaps be based primarily on vegetation types and subsequent land-use rather than disturbance regimes. The applicability of any framework will depend on the local forest types (closed versus open forests, dry versus wet forest), and should be further elaborated at country level or regional level.

The term “secondary forest” is an ecological one, indicating that these vegetation types differ ecologically from less disturbed forest types. The term may be to some extent confusing, implying that these vegetation types are perhaps of lesser value. However, despite the phrase “secondary”, these forests are of primary importance. In order to develop and implement adequate policies and management tools the causes that lead to their formation are of paramount importance and have to be taken into account.

8 ΙΙΙ. KEY ISSUES TO ADDRESS

Observations and conclusions at the workshop were grouped along 3 lines of focus: 1) policy and institutional issues, 2) social and economic issues, and 3) technical and ecological issues. It is emphasized that these issues are strongly related and may overlap with one another.

Policy and Institutional Issues

The importance of secondary forests must be recognized at national and international levels. In national budgets and agendas, secondary forests have been given low priority. This is often caused by insufficient awareness of the (potential) contribution of secondary forests to the economy and community life in general. It is therefore necessary to develop appropriate mechanisms and techniques to better assess the extent, potential, products, value and services of secondary forests. The development of such mechanisms requires collaboration among the various stakeholders, sensitization, education, and raising the awareness and political will of decision-makers. Furthermore, sustainable management of secondary forests should be incorporated into national forest programmes (nfps), national development programmes, and international conventions.

Institutional capacity needs to be improved. Institutional capacity can be improved by promoting and implementing collaborative research and development programmes on secondary forests within regional institutions; increasing the awareness of this resource and related issues; and by training of staff. Exchanging information and experiences on secondary forest management, and the streamlining of communication among institutions at all levels is essential. At the community level more awareness is needed on the importance of secondary forests and how they can be managed sustainably.

A cross-sectoral policy is vital for sustainable forest management. The sector in general, and more specifically the sustainable management of secondary forests, is often ignored in policy making and resource allocation. This is mainly due to the lack of awareness of the 9 value of goods and services of secondary forests. It is necessary to design appropriate tools to highlight the contribution of this resource to the well-being of the population. A greater recognition will strengthen the position of the forestry sector in cross-sectoral debate and conflict. The need for an integrated, cross-sectoral approach is essential if secondary forests are to be managed sustainably.

Multi-stakeholder participation in policy formulation and sustainable forest management are essential. Local knowledge, experience and capacities are often overlooked, although local communities have become increasingly dependent on secondary forests. Policy formulation and implementation is usually a top-down approach, which is not equitably counterbalanced by bottom- up approaches that should enable secondary forest dependent communities in particular to participate in decision making on an equal footing. Local participation can be achieved by recognizing local authorities and by incorporating use-rights of local communities into appropriate legislation (by-laws). Furthermore, the formation and networking of local groups to empower their negotiating, organizational and implementing capacities should be supported.

Conflicting issues in tenure and legislation need to be resolved. Incompatibility between traditional tenure rights (land, and other resources) and formal land allocation have often led to conflicting (and free access) situations, resulting in the mismanagement of secondary forests. These conflicting issues need to be harmonized and streamlined, whereby customary laws are incorporated into formal land allocation laws. In this respect, multi-stakeholder participation as well as appropriate rules and regulations to enforce legislation at the local level are key issues necessary for the sustainable management of secondary forests. The status of women, landless people, tenants and immigrants, in particular, needs to be reviewed as they play an important role in the management of this resource.

Social and Economic Issues

Communities should be involved in the management of secondary forests. The roles and responsibilities of local people in the management,

10 conservation and use of secondary forests must be recognized and appreciated, since local communities are often highly dependent on this resource. Empowerment and capacity building of these communities are key issues in stakeholder participation. Increasing access and ownership of secondary forests for local people and equitable cost and benefit sharing will further encourage the sustainable management of this resource.

Appropriate marketing and enterprise development is needed. Information on trade beyond local markets is not readily available in Anglophone African countries. The value of products, goods and services derived from secondary forests is underestimated and poorly priced. Consequently, secondary forest products are not appropriately valued at national and local level. For an adequate marketing and enterprise development system, better access to information and credit is needed. Improved logistics (transport) and market mechanisms are essential in this regard.

Equitable sharing of roles, responsibilities, costs and benefits can improve the management of secondary forests. Currently the costs and benefits derived from secondary forests are not equitably distributed. Costs and benefits should be expressed not only in financial terms, but also in human resources and environmental services. The imbalance is often caused by unequal access to the resource, inadequate valuation methods, and the lack of efficient marketing mechanisms. A fairer distribution of and access to resources should result in the improved livelihoods of local people.

The influence of poverty and demography on the management of secondary forests is often underestimated. The relationship between population growth, population density and is not straightforward and often over-simplified. A more immediate problem is the poverty trap, exacerbated by the failure to match the short-term needs of local people with the long-term goals of sustainable and forest management. A successful policy for sustainable forest management can contribute to poverty alleviation - and vice versa - through the creation of favourable socio-economic and institutional conditions, through the greater involvement of local stakeholders and by integrating secondary forest management in PRSP’s and other poverty eradication strategies. 11 Technical and Ecological Issues

The overall typology and definition of secondary forests must be adapted to countries’ specific overall conditions. The harmonization of definitions and typologies of secondary forests can improve communication and collaboration among stakeholders and may help attract new resources; it should also improve its assessment. However, it is important to consider both for operational and policy reasons, to adapt generic definitions and typologies to national and regional conditions. This should be done in a consultative process and through national workshops, whereby it is considered important to use existing local knowledge to stratify and classify local vegetation types.

Secondary forests should be managed as an integral part of the overall land use and not in isolation (landscape approach). Socio-economic and ecological relations between secondary forests and other land uses are intricate and manifold. Integrated planning results in optimal use of resources but it should be backed by adequate policies and legislation and be participatory in nature. The viability and effectiveness of integrated management plans increases when the interests of relevant actors are properly accommodated, and when it contributes to a better understanding and demarcation of boundaries and authority on land.

A participatory and adaptive management and research approach is needed to increase the ecological and technological knowledge base for secondary forest management. Information and understanding of the ecological processes and dynamics of secondary forests, both at species and ecosystem levels are deficient. Knowledge gaps include among others, the role of fires and animals; and economics of target species; how to sustain, enhance and monitor productivity and biodiversity related to this resource. Knowledge development should focus on all components and processes of the ecosystem; this needs a multidisciplinary approach in which practical local knowledge and experience are matched with formal research. This should result in technical guidelines and technologies that are affordable and compatible with the skills of local users and in management strategies that maximize the flow of goods and services to local communities.

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Mature miombo woodland with open understorey, Mwekera, near Kitwe in Copperbelt, Zambia, before clearing for charcoal.

Improved secondary forest management requires better inventories and better access to, and dissemination of information. Secondary forests are now largely a “hidden” resource, which currently does not appear in national and international statistics. Adequate resources should be provided for inventories to also assess secondary forest types. Although more information and knowledge is needed, there is a lot to be gained by synthesis, better access to and dissemination of existing knowledge. Improved networking and collaboration among national and international forest institutions, NGO’s and individual experts, using modern information and communication technologies, is critical in this respect. National governments and other stakeholders - externally supported if so required - should elaborate national information strategies and provide the facilities for information technology communication.

13 Abbreviations ATO African Timber Organization CIFOR Center for International Forestry Research EC-LNV National Reference Centre for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality of the Netherlands FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ICRAF The World Agroforestry Centre IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources Institute GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit NWFP Non Wood Forest Products PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme

Contacts: World Agroforestry Center FAO ICRAF Froylán Castañeda Bashir Jama Forestry Department PO Box 30677 00100 Rome, Italy Nairobi, Kenya Tel.: +39 06 5705 3834 Tel.: +254 2 524000; 524230 Fax: +39 06 5705 5137 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] GTZ Mirjam Kuzee Helmut Dotzauer Forestry Department Kotak Pos 1202 00100 Rome, Italy Samarinda 75001 Tel.: +39 06 5705 6103 KT, Indonesia Fax: +39 06 5705 5137 Tel.: +62 541 733434 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

CIFOR EC - LNV Unna Chokkalingam Herman Savenije PO Box 6596 JKPWB National Reference Centre for Jakarta 10065, Indonesia Agriculture, Nature & Food Quality Tel.: +62 251 622 622 (EC LNV) Fax: +62 251 622 100 POB 482, 6710. BL, Ede E-mail: [email protected] The Netherlands Tel.: +31 318 822 935 E-mail: [email protected]

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Colophon This document has been prepared on the basis of the findings of the Workshop on Tropical Secondary Forest Management in Africa: reality and perspectives”, 9 – 13 December 2003, Nairobi, Kenya.

Copies may be requested by e-mail or by writing to any of the contacts, mentioning “Nairobi Proposal for Action” and the number of copies required.

Sections of the text may be quoted and referred to, providing the source is mentioned.

Prepared by: Organizing Committee Editing and co-ordination: Mirjam Kuzee, Herman Savenije and Froylán Castañeda

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