Local perception and attitude toward community forest concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The effects of community forestry on biodiversity conservation and local development have been highlighted in Africa and elsewhere. However, little is known on the perception and attitude of local forest users toward community forestry programs. This study aimed to address this gap by identifying the factors that influence the perception and attitude of local forest users toward Local Community Forest Concessions (LCFCs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A survey of 138 households was conducted in three villages of the Bisemulu LCFC in eastern DRC. The responses to the close-ended questions were analyzed with a multinomial Probit regression to determine the factors explaining LCFC perception. The results revealed that the key factors determining positive attitude toward the LCFC include education, age, occupation, knowledge of the legal framework and family size. However, challenges remain to the local acceptability of the LCFC, as government employees, elders, youth and larger households expressed negative attitudes. Awareness campaigns mobilizing civil society organizations that have higher level of trust in the communities may overcome some of the challenges. Administrative procedures and the associated costs were seen as major obstacles to LCFC implementation and operation. Procedure simplification and funding support to the LCFCs would thus be needed. The results of this study will contribute to the formulation of sustainable forestry policies to make LCFCs a lever for local development in the DRC and elsewhere.