In Search of Common Ground Adaptive Collaborative Management in Cameroon Mariteuw Chimère Diaw, Tony Aseh and Ravi Prabhu In Search of Common Ground Adaptive Collaborative Management in Cameroon Edited by Mariteuw Chimère Diaw Tony Aseh Ravi Prabhu Researched by the Center for International Forestry Research Jl. CIFOR, Situ Gede, Bogor Barat 16115, Indonesia Tel.: +62 (251) 8622-622; Fax: +62 (251) 8622-100 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org Cover Design by Eko Prianto and Vidya Fitrian Layout by Vidya Fitrian Photography credits: Marie Claude Simard (cover, pp. 1, 41, 117, 139, 215, 327, 353, 443), Edmond Dounias (pp. 67, 95, 157, 191, 301, 411), Patrick Nyemeck (p. 237), Alexander Remnek (pp. 253, 275), Randall E. Brummett (pp. 379, 383, 394, 395). Mariteuw Chimère Diaw, Tony Aseh, and Ravi Prabhu In Search of Common Ground: Adaptive Collaborative Management in Cameroon/by Mariteuw Chimère Diaw, Tony Aseh, and Ravi Prabhu. Bogor, Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), 2009. 475p. ISBN 978-979-1412-65-0 CABI thesaurus: Adaptive Management, Rural Development, Natural Resources Management, Poverty Alleviation, Action Research, Participatory Rural Appraisal, Community involvement © 2009 by CIFOR All rights reserved. Published in 2009 ACM Series The ACM Series, co-edited by Carol J. Pierce Colfer and Ravi Prabhu, is an informal series of books and manuals published by the Center for International Forestry Research, Resources for the Future and Earthscan. The books listed below, though not a complete list of the group’s products, have come out of global research conducted by CIFOR and its partners on adaptive collaborative management of forests. Books Colfer, Carol J. Pierce (ed.) 2005 The Equitable Forest: Diversity, Community and Natural Resources. Resources for the Future Press/CIFOR, Washington, D.C. Colfer, Carol J. Pierce 2005 The Complex Forest: Communities, Uncertainty, and Adaptive Collaborative Management. Resources for the Future Press/ CIFOR, Washington, D.C. Diaw, M. Chimère, Tony Aseh, and Ravi Prabhu (eds.) 2009 In Search of Common Ground: Adaptive Collaborative Management in Cameroon. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Fisher, Robert, Ravi Prabhu and Cynthia McDougall (eds.) 2007 Adaptive Collaborative Management of Community Forests in Asia: Experiences from Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines, Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Guijt, Irene (ed.) 2007 Negotiated Learning: Collaborative Monitoring in Forest Resource Management. Resource for the Future Press/CIFOR, Washington, D.C. Hartanto, Herlina, Ma. Cristina Lorenzo, Cecil Valmores, Lani Arda-Minas, Erlinda M. Burton and Ravi Prabhu 2003 Learning Together: Responding to Change and Complexity to Improve Community Forests in the Philippines. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Kusumanto, Trikurnianti, Linda Yuliani, Phil Macoun, Yayan Indriatmoko, and Hasantoha Adnan 2005 Learning to Adapt: Managing Forests Together in Indonesia. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. iii In Search of Common Ground Mandondo, Alois, Ravi Prabhu, and Frank Matose (eds.) 2008 Coping Amidst Chaos: Studies on Adaptive Collaborative Management from Zimbabwe. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. McDougall, Cynthia, Hemant Ojha, Mani Ram Banjade, Bishnu Hari Pandit, Tara Bhattarai, Manik Maharjan, and Sushila Rana forthcoming. Forests of Learning: Experiences from Research on an Adaptive Collaborative Approach to Community Forestry in Nepal. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Moeliono, Moira M., Eva Wollenberg and Godwin Limberg (eds.) 2008 The Decentralization of Forest Governance: Politics, Economics and the Fight for Control of Forests in Indonesian Borneo. Earthscan/CIFOR, London. Ruitenbeek, H. Jack and Cynthia Cartier 2001 The Invisible Wand: Adaptive Co-management as an Emergent Strategy in Complex Bio-economic Systems. CIFOR Occasional Paper No. 34. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Vanclay, Jerry, Ravi Prabhu, and Fergus Sinclair 2006 Realizing Community Futures. Earthscan, London. Yasmi, Yurdi 2007 Institutionalization of Conflict Capability in the Management of Natural Resources: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Experience in Indonesia. Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Yuliani, Linda, Djuhendi Tadjudin, Yayan Indriatmoko, Dani Wahyu Munggoro, Farid Gaban, Firkan Maulana, and Hasantoha Adnan (eds.) 2007 Multistakeholder Forestry: Steps to Change. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Manuals Cahyat, Ade, Christian Gönner, and Michaela Haug 2007 Assessing Household Poverty and Wellbeing: A Manual with Examples from Kutai Barat, Indonesia. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. CIFOR 2007 Towards Wellbeing in Forest Communities: A Sourcebook for Local Government. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Colfer, Carol J. Pierce 2007 Simple Rules for Catalyzing Collective Action in Natural Resource Management Contexts. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Evans, Kristen, and Manuel R. Guariguata 2008 Participatory Monitoring in Tropical Forest Management: A Review of Tools, Concepts and Lessons Learned. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. Wollenberg, Eva, Jon Anderson, and Citlalli Lopez 2005 Though all Things Differ: Pluralism as a Basis for Cooperation in Forests. Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia. iv Dedication This book is dedicated to our two respected and missed colleagues: Samuel Efoua and Koffi Diaw, who passed away during the course of this research. During the short time we knew him, Koffi was the lynchpin of ACM’s research in Ghana and a champion of its Pan-African connections. Samuel was our companion and friend for nearly 10 years of field research, highly dedicated to and immensely knowledgeable of the forest cultures and peoples of Cameroon. His unique insights on ACM in Cameroon are thoroughly missed in this book. We will always remember them both. v Contents About the Contributors ix Acronyms xiv Acknowledgements xviii Chapter 1 Introduction: Theory and practice of adaptive collaborative management Mariteuw Chimère Diaw 1 Chapter 2 Planning and monitoring forests in multistakeholder settings George Akwah Neba 41 Chapter 3 Action research as a strategy for collaborative management in Ottotomo Cyprain Jum, Martin Abega and François Bengono 67 vi In Search of Common Ground Chapter 4 Council forests: The case of Dimako Samuel Assembe Mvondo and Francis Sangkwa 95 Chapter 5 Community forests: Reconciling customary and legal concepts Mireille Zoa 117 Chapter 6 Changing management direction in Campo-Ma’an George Akwah Neba, Joachim Nguiebouri, Anne Marie Tiani and Mariteuw Chimère Diaw 139 Chapter 7 The Korup National Park story revisited Peter Mbile 157 Chapter 8 ACM as a tool for conflict management Ruben De Koning 191 Chapter 9 Assessing rights, means and handicaps Anne Marie Tiani and Elise Noubissie 215 Chapter 10 Managing pluralism in Campo-Ma’an Joachim Nguiebouri 237 Chapter 11 Simplified criteria and indicators for local forest management Anne Marie Tiani, Joachim Nguiebouri, George Akwah Neba and Mariteuw Chimère Diaw 253 vii In Search of Common Ground Chapter 12 Strengthening local analytical capability: Community options analysis and investment Jean Martial Bonis-Charancle, Anne-Marie Tiani, Michael Brown, George Akwah Neba, Zephirin Mogba, Guillaume Lescuyer, Rees Warne and Brian Greenberg 275 Chapter 13 Integrating participatory mapping and GIS to build local information systems Valentina Robiglio, William Armand Mala and Mariteuw Chimère Diaw 301 Chapter 14 Broadening the resource base: Shortened fallows in southern Cameroon Martine Ngobo 327 Chapter 15 NTFPs and services for sustainable livelihoods in Central Africa Ousseynou Ndoye and Tieguhong Julius Chupezi 353 Chapter 16 Community management of the Lower Guinea Rainforest ornamental fishery Randall E. Brummett and Jonas Kemajou Syapze 379 Chapter 17 Sustainable forest management in Cameroon Tieguhong Julius Chupezi 411 Chapter 18 Assembling the ACM mosaic: Reflections and conclusions Mariteuw Chimère Diaw, Ravi Prabhu and Tony Aseh 443 viii About the Contributors Abega, Martin is a developmental expert with over 15 years experience in community-based natural resource management in Cameroon. His areas of focus are community facilitation and local development. Akwah, George Neba has eight years of experience in research focused on natural resource management and programme management in the forest sector. He has worked on land use planning, integrated conservation/ development, governance and sustainable development with a focus on community-based programmes in the Central African region. Aseh, Tony was formerly a translation and editing consultant with CIFOR, Cameroon from 2003 to 2007. He took special interest in natural resources management and became a member of the research team. He is presently a translator, interpreter and reporting officer with the United Nations in Burundi. Assembe, Mvondo Samuel is an environmental jurist with eight years experience in forest governance and related issues in the Central Africa sub-region. His research is focused on logging, law enforcement and local community rights in Central Africa. ix In Search of Common Ground Bengono, François is a social forester with