PROGRESS TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY IN THE CONGO BASIN:

Experience with multi-actor approach

Elie Hakizumwami, Regional Forest OfficerWWF-Regional Programme for Central Africa

WFC, Buenos Aires, October 18 – 23, 2009

IMPORTANCE OF CONGO BASIN FORESTS

• The world’s second contiguous tropical forest representing over 15 % (180 million hectares) of the world’s remaining tropical forest.

• Over 50% of the forest outside of protected areas are productive forests;

• Rich in oil, mines, gas, and fertile soil;

• Carbon sink and water reservoir

BIOLOGICAL CONTEXT

Biological importance

Conservation of biological diversity including flagship species (elephants, gorillas, bongos, etc.)

SOCIAL CONTEXT

Population:• More than 75 millions people inhabit

the Congo Basin

• Approximately 30 millions people from over 150 ethnic group live in the forests;

• Settled or nomadic people

SOCIAL CONTEXT (continued)

About 70% of people depend on forest products and services for their subsistence and income generation (bush meat, fruits, medicines, firewood, shelter, etc.)

SOCIAL CONTEXT (continued)

• Economically marginalized areas;

• Remote areas quasi abandoned by the governments

• Insufficient and/or poor basic infrastructure (schools, road network, power connection, airlines connection, etc.);

• Limited access to the market

• Drift from rural to urban areas

Key markets for timber from the Congo Basin:

SE Asia : China, India, Thailand (45%)

Southern Europe : France, Italy, Spain, Portugal (35%)

Northern Europe : Netherlands, UK, Germany (10%)

Rest of the world (10%)

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE Designation Cameroun CAR Congo DRC Gabon

Annual timber production (average 2003-2006): (m3x1000)

1 829 528 1 348 250 3281

Annual timber export (average 2003-2006)

Logs exported (x1000 m3) 164 177 665 94 1 649

sawn timber exported (x1000 m3) 587 47 147 26 155

veneer exported (x1000 m3) 44 0 13 1 96

Plywood exported (x1000 m3) 18 1 0.5 0 92

Total volume exported (x1000 m3) 813 225 825 121 1 992

           

Direct formal Employment 13 000 4 000 6 500 1 500 11 500

March 2003 : Launch of GFTN-Central Africa

(in Yaoundé, Cameroon)

SmallPrimates

Elephants

Apes

RiverineSystems

Crocodiles

Freshwater fish

communities

Wetlands/Swamp

Forests and associated Floodplain

lakes

Forests

Biodiversity Targets

Vision: By 2020, the [unique] forest, freshwater landscapes and species resources in the Green Heart of Africa are managed sustainably so that biodiversity is conserved, ecosystem functions and services are maintained, global climate is stabilized, and sustainable development and economic growth improves the livelihoods of the people of Central Africa

Sustainable Financing

Effective Governance

Livelihoods Bushmeat and Wildlife

Trade

Freshwater Land Use Planning

Sustainable Forest

Management and Timber

Trade

Extractives and

Infrastructure

Forest Carbon Finance

Themes/key strategies

[WWF] Goals1. (Ecosystem conservation): By 2020, the biologically outstanding species and forest and freshwater ecosystems [and services] of the Congo Basin are conserved (protected, managed effectively), and supported with sustainable financing in at least 20%* (Ym ha) of each priority landscape

2. (Community incentives and empowerment for sustainable resource use): By 2020, local people manage their natural resources sustainably and share benefits equitably across X (more than 1, to be revised*) million hectares of priority landscapes.

3. (Extractives, infrastructure, foreign markets) By 2020, 50% of forests and waters impacted by extractives industries and infrastructures development are managed through independent certification or internationally recognized best practices.

4. (REDD/Forest carbon finance) By 2020, Forest cover is maintained at XX (year) baseline in 20% of priority landscapes through national and local REDD incentives provided by carbon markets.

Transformational Outcomes1. The natural resources in the Congo Basin are effectively conserved through sustainable financing mechanisms2. Governance mechanisms are improved and made more effective, and ensure equitable distribution of benefits3. The negative impacts of extractive industry and infrastructure developments on biodiversity and livelihoods are minimized

THE GREEN HEART OF AFRICA NETWORK INITIATIVE

                                        

       

WHERE GFTN OPERATES?

                                               North America2 countries

South America & Caribbean6 countries

Asia / Oceania7 countries

Africa6 countries

Europe9 countries

Russia

32 countries

MAIN FOCUS

• Four (4) Congo Basin countries (Cameroon, Congo, CAR and Gabon) signed FLEGT-VPAs with the EU by 2010,

• Seven (7) millions hectares of Congo Basin Forests under credible certification and 5 millions in the process towards certification by 2012,

Illegal

Credible certification

Compliance with national law

GFTN

MAIN FOCUS

• Enabling conditions (advocacy, capacity building, tools)

• Management of (HCVs);• Reduced Impact logging (Forest

based Carbon);• Improvement of livelihood of local

communities;• Market link for certified timber

(MTNI);• Strategic partnerships;• Effective and strategic

communication

KEY TARGET• Logging companies

• Communities including indigenous people

• Government institutions

• Key buyer countries

• WWF Network

• Strategic partners

WHY RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY?

Promote responsible forestry to reduce footprint

• Awareness building for key actors, including decision makers to create conditions for government support to the promotion of responsible forestry

ACTIVITIES (continued)

KEY ACTIVITIES (continued)

• Capacity building for key actors (auditors, logging companies staff,, staff from public administration, local NGOs, Individual experts; etc.);

KEY ACTIVITIES (continued)

Market links between producers and buyers (countries and individual companies) for FSC certified timber

KEY ACTIVITIES (continued)

• Promotion of transparency and communication

KEY ACTIVITIES (continued)

Regional consultation framework between key actors on credible certification in the Congo Basin

• Support to the development of standards appropriate for Sustainable management and certification of forests in the Congo Basin (ATO/ITTO PCI; FSC Regional standard, Timber Legality standards)

KEY ACTIVITIES (continued)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Seven companies totalling about 3.3 Millions hectares are Participants of GFTN-Central Africa

• Five companies totalling about 4 Millions hectares are Applicants to GFTN-Central Africa

• Almost 4.7 Million hectares certified in the Congo Basin including more than 2 Millions managed by GFTN Members;

• More than 2 Millions hectares of forests are subject of action plan implementation for the progress towards FSC certification;

STATUS OF FSC CERTIFICATION

CountryTotal forest

area (ha)Production forest (ha)

Forest allocated for logging (ha)

FSC certified forests since Dec 2005 (ha): status of July 2009

Cameroon 19 639 000 12 000 000 6 074 033 878 896 (14%)

CAR 6 250 000 3 500 000 3 000 000 0

Congo 22 263 000 13 000 000 11 975 670 1 908 843 (16%)

DRC 108 339 000 60 000 000 9 719 246 0

Equ. Guinea 1 900 000 1 500 000 1 400 000 0

Gabon 22 069 999 17 000 000 10 533 045 1 873 505 (18%)

TOTAL 180 460 999 107 000 000 42 701 994 4 660 244 (11%)

We still have a long way to go!!!

STATUS OF FSC CERTIFICATION

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

Year

Area (ha)

Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Area (ha) 41965 297000 464650 2098870 1711643

1 2 3 4 5

EFFECTS

Shift from logger Company to responsible manager Company

Social infrastructures

EFFECT

Better h

ousing for e

mployees

Shift from Logger Company to Responsible Manager Company

EFFETS

• Establishment of consultation frameworks between logging companies and local communities: conflict resolutions:

• Management of HCVs and RIL

Social responsibility

CHALLENGES• Insufficient government institutional

capacity for law enforcement;

• Challenging social and institutional context;

• Presence of important market for illegal and non certified timber;

• Lack of appropriate technology for maximum recovery percentage of timber transformation

• Remoteness of companies

• World financial crisis;

• High rate of illiteracy constitutes one of the major hindrance of local development;

PERSPECTIVES• Pursue awareness building and recruitment of

new companies;

• Provide timely technical support to companies;

• Facilitate regional reflection on credible certification in the Congo Basin involving representatives of key forestry players;

• Pursue promotion of market links between Central African countries and key timber buyer countries

• Provide support to FSC to ensure its effectiveness in the Congo Basin is provided;

• Provide support to FLEGT Process (validation of the standards for the verification of legality for (CAR, DRC and Gabon), capacity building for local NGOs, etc.)

• Promote partnerships with other organisations and institutions

STRATEGIC TECHNICAL PARTNERS

ONG Locales

FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIP

OPPORTUNITIES

Political commitment:

Yaoundé Declaration

Heads of State Treaty

UN Resolution N° 54

Congo Basin Forests Partnership (CBFP);

EU-FLEGT Process

Governments support

OPPORTUNITIES (continued)• Support from WWF Network

• Partnership with other organizations and key players

Collaboration with forestry Industry (IFIA, ATIBT)

Decentralization of Certification Bodies (SGS, VERITAS, SMARTWOOD): Cut down of the cost of certification.

OPPORTUNITIES (Continued)

France’s commitment can also be seen in her decisions to ensure that public procurement of timber is now solely from certified producers, since eco-certification is one of the most effective instruments for the sustainable management of forest areas (President Jacques Chirac, Brazzaville, February 2005).

Commitment of public market in certain countries to source certified timber

CONCLUSIONS• Strategic partnership involving key actors (Government Institutions,

Financial partners, Environmental NGOs, Logging companies, Research institution, Training Institutions, Local communities, Individual resource persons

• Pragmatic and multi-actor approach is necessary to promote responsible forestry

• Involvement of the governments in the process of promotion of forest certification is critical because of their role in creating enabling conditions for the success of forest certification.

• FSC certification contributes to development of forests people. However, the development of forest people is a long-term process and needs huge resources which some time go beyond company’s financial capacity;

• Some issues of FSC certification such as HCVF and RIL are still new in the Congo Basin. Capacity building on them is very necessary.

CAN FSC CERTIFICATION BE A SOLUTION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTS PEOPLE?

YES, BUT…

• Development of forest people is a long-term process and needs huge and sustainable financing;

• FSC certification alone can never be a solution to the development of local communities. Certification must be seen as part of the global sustainable development strategy involving different actors;

• With responsible companies, FSC certification can only contribute but the needs of people some time go beyond company’s financial capacity;

• Certification must not overshadow the government’s responsibility to take care of development of her people in rural areas;

• Good governance and effective law enforcement are instrumental for the success of responsible forestry. This is responsibility of public administration (Government).