Abstract
The objective of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework stimulating the sustainable management of natural resources in Central Africa. Based on the forest resources, we show how good identification and allocation of property rights strengthen the joint management of forest resources. Cameroon is selected as an example, since the country represents one of the most forest-intense areas in Africa. In doing so, we first evaluate the performance of institutions in fostering sustainable forest management. Second we show how good elaboration and allocation of property rights may contribute to improving efficiency in forest management. Using the New Institutional Economic (NIE) theory we provide an outline of the potential relationships between forest management and property rights allocated to stakeholders involved in forest exploitation. Finally we provide two forms of institutional structures that could improve forest management efficiency: public-private partnership and multi-stakeholder management approaches. Public-private partnerships are joint project management processes operated by both private businesses and public entities in order to combine public prescriptive mechanisms with private operational roles. Multi-stakeholder management approach is also a co-management initiative combining public entities, private actors and local population to increase the involvement of local dwellers living in forest areas in the decision process.
Highlights
Forest represents one of the major components of natural resources as it combines physical, economic and social characteristics
In investigating the different factors that could explain the weakness of control in the sector [12] identifies poor implementation capacity of governmental officials and their lack of transparency in dealing with the illegal activities, the possibility of logging companies to negotiate with the government, the lack of accountability of the public servants leading to corruption and the difficulty of the state to monitor and compile the information provided by logging companies as the main causes of the weakness of control
After having summarized the nature and the dynamics of the current institutions in charge of forest management in the country, we have shown how identification and allocation of property rights strengthen forest management
Summary
Forest represents one of the major components of natural resources as it combines physical, economic and social characteristics. For instance in rural areas of the Congo Basin, five to six million tonnes of bush meat are harvested each year and account for up to 80 percent of the fats and proteins consumed by local communities Due to these important roles played by the resource in an economy, the objective of this paper is to investigate the roles of local institutions in fostering forest management in Cameroon. Multi-Stakeholder management is a co-management approach combining public entities, private actors and local population in order to increase the contribution of local dwellers living in forest areas in the decision making process These two forms of institutional frameworks are considered as joint forest management (JFM) because they promote cooperation between different stakeholders during the management of forest resources [17].
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