Trans-boundary forest resources in West and Central Africa __________________________________________________________________________________ _ AFF / hamane Ma wanou r La Nigeria© of part southern the Sahelian in the in orest f rest o lands©AFF f k r y r a D P 2008 Secondary Trans-boundary forest resources in West and Central Africa Report (2018) i Trans-boundary forest resources in West and Central Africa __________________________________________________________________________________ _ TRANS-BOUNDARY FOREST RESOURCES IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA Report (2018) Martin Nganje, PhD © African Forest Forum 2018. All rights reserved. African Forest Forum United Nations Avenue, Gigiri P.O. Box 30677-00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 722 4203 Fax: +254 20 722 4001 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.afforum.org ii Trans-boundary forest resources in West and Central Africa __________________________________________________________________________________ _ TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. v LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. vi ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................... vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... ix 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objective ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Specific tasks ............................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 3 2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SHARED-FORESTS OF WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 5 2.1 Shared forests of West Africa ....................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 West Africa Guinean Mangroves (WAGM)............................................................. 5 2.1.2 Western Guinean Lowlands Forest (WGLF) .......................................................... 6 2.1.3 Eastern Guinean Lowland Forests (EGLF) ............................................................ 7 2.1.4 Guinean Montane Forests (GMF) .......................................................................... 8 2.1.5 Guinean Forest-Savanna Mosaic (GFSM) ............................................................. 8 2.1.6 West Sudanian Woodland Savanna (WSWS) ........................................................ 9 2.1.7 Sahelian Acacia Savanna (SAS) ..........................................................................10 2.2 Shared Forests of Central Africa .................................................................................10 2.2.1 Central African Mangroves (CAM) ........................................................................10 2.2.2 Atlantic Equatorial Coastal Forest (AECF) ............................................................11 2.2.3 Western Congolian Forest-Savanna Mosaic (WCFSM) ........................................12 2.2.4 Northwest Congolian Lowland Forest (NWCLF) ...................................................12 2.2.5 Northern Congolian Forest Savanna Mosaic (NCFSM).........................................13 2.2.6 Western Congolian Swamp Forests (WCSF) ........................................................13 2.2.7 Northeastern Congolian Lowland Forests (NECLF) ..............................................14 2.2.8 Lake Chad Flooded Savanna Ecological Region (LCFS) ......................................14 2.3 Summary characteristics of shared forests of West and Central Africa .......................15 3. RESULTS .........................................................................................................................15 3.1 Types of collaboration agreements in trans-boundary landscapes management.........16 3.1.1 Informal agreements .............................................................................................16 3.1.2 Low level formal agreements ................................................................................16 3.1.3 High level formal agreements. ..............................................................................17 iii Trans-boundary forest resources in West and Central Africa __________________________________________________________________________________ _ 3.1.4 Role of collaboration agreements in the establishment of trans-boundary forest management landscapes in West and Central Africa ....................................................18 3.2 Current efforts in the management of trans-boundary forests and woodlands, challenges and lessons .....................................................................................................19 3.2.1 Trans-boundary forest landscapes with bilateral or multilateral agreements .........19 3.2.2 Trans-boundary water basins with bilateral or multilateral agreements .................26 3.3 Landscapes Offering Potential for Trans-boundary Management ................................33 3.4 Analysis of shared threats and main driving forces of degradation in trans-boundary forests, woodland and watersheds, and measures of containment ...................................44 3.4.1 Shared threats ......................................................................................................44 3.4.2 Driving forces .......................................................................................................46 3.5 Evidence and extent of management of degradation, wildfires, tree and forest pests and deseases in potential trans-boundary landscapes ......................................................50 3.5.1 Evidence and extent of management of land degradation ....................................50 3.5.2 Evidence and extent of management of wildfires ..................................................55 3.5.3 Evidence and extent of management of tree and forest pests and deseases ........60 3.6 Trends in forest and land management policies, practices, systems and impacts on sustainability of trans-boundary forest and woodland resources .......................................63 3.6.1 Situation analysis and trends at the national policy levels .....................................63 3.6.2 Policy trends of regional institutional frameworks on trans-boundary forest management landscapes ..............................................................................................67 3.6.3 Trends in decentralization on the management of trans-boundary forests and savanna woodlands .......................................................................................................69 3.6.4 Trends in research and best practices for trans-boundary forest landscape management .................................................................................................................70 3.7 Proposed mechanisms for effective management of trans-boundary forests and woodlands ........................................................................................................................72 3.7.1 Collaboration towards harmonization of policy differences and improved collaboration ..................................................................................................................72 3.7.2 Collaboration on policy related to the solution of land-use conflicts and challenges of tenure and tenure insecurity ......................................................................................73 3.7.3 Collaboration in the management of wildlife related crime and poaching ..............74 3.7.4 Collaboration in the management of unplanned cutting of wood and over-logging 75 3.7.5 Collaboration in the management of incompatible mining and quarries ................76 3.7.6 Collaboration on challenges related to transhumance, excessive grazing and wildfire ...........................................................................................................................77 3.7.7 Collaboration in managing the extension of subsistence farmlands and cash crops in trans-boundary management landscapes ..................................................................77 3.7.8 Collaboration on challenges related to unmarked boundaries and internal migration ......................................................................................................................................79 iv Trans-boundary forest resources in West and Central Africa __________________________________________________________________________________ _ 3.7.9 Collaboration towards development of trans-boundary management plans ..........79 3.7.10 Collaboration to improve trans-boundary technical management capacity ..........80 4.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................81 4.1 Conclusions ................................................................................................................81 4.2 Reccommendations ....................................................................................................82 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................................84