Community forestry in Cameroon: Insights on state institutional deficits
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Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Trees, Forests and People
Abstract
Community forestry (CF) was set-up in Cameroon about 20 years ago to enable better environmental, economic, and social benefits for communities. Since then, 430
community forests have been attributed, covering an area of almost 1.7 million ha. However, less than a quarter (10%) are in active management or enterprise. Weak
institutions have been widely cited as a leading cause of poor performance in the community forestry process. This paper examines the current state of institutional
deficits in Cameroon and identifies pathways for overcoming the deficits. Our analysis is based on a rigorous review of documented experiences so far. Results
obtained revealed that emerging deficits revolve around form and function. Legal; power, authority and rights; and size and biophysical potential deficits
grouped under the realm of form while resources; capacity; and governance deficits were grouped under the realm of functions. Proposed solutions to these deficits
point to the need to recognize and manage inter-dependencies between challenges and corresponding potential solutions. Hence, a system or integrated approach is
needed to tackle the problems identified.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Community forestry, Cameroon, environmental