CHAPITRE 2: ABSTRACT
A socio-economic survey was conducted between the months of
March and September 2012 in twelve villages around three Cameroonian forest
concessions (1050, 1046 and 1059), with the aim of analysing the relationship
existing between the concessionaires and local communities.
Data were collected from a total of 153 households, 14
hunters, 11 gatherers, 13 sawyers, 5 NGOs, 3 forest agents and 2 heads of
logging concessions. It was then analyzed using Microsoft Access, Excel and
SPSS softwares.
The results show that concessionaires are private operators
who aim at maximising their profits through the exploitation of certain timber
species in their UFA. Local population on their part use forest resources to
meet their subsistence needs and cash income. The main activities they
undertake to achieve these objectives include agriculture, gathering, hunting
and artisanal logging. Agriculture is the main source of cash income and
livelihoods for local population. Gathering and hunting are secondary
activities in terms of subsistence. Artisanal logging is also important in
terms of monetary income, but it is only beneficial to some people.
Local populations and logging companies are each faced with
the impact of the activities carried out by the former and the latter. There
are positive impacts that focus on aspects deemed beneficial from logging and
others more critical, which reveal the limits of logging and of its negative
impacts on the lives of local populations and the ecosystem; such as the
disappearance of some NTFPs from trees exploited by companies. On their part,
loggers blame the local population of being indolent and disrespectful of the
law.
All this leads us to conclude that the control and access to
forest resources is a potential source of conflicts between concessionaires and
local populations.
Of the foregoing, the study makes the following
recommendations to stakeholders:
· To the Local population; master the law n° 94/01
of 20th January 1994 on Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries.
· To logging companies; establish a dialogue platform
with local people to find solutions to the problems of control and access to
forest resources as well as make an inventory of multi-uses trees and allocate
some to local populations.
· To the administration; associate local communities and
companies in the elaboration of management plans and investment agreements
(«cahier des charges»), so as to clearly define the role of NTFPs in
concession's management and the boundaries of agriculture zones. It should also
define measures of compensating the logging companies not to exploit all the
trees with a value of NTFPs.
· Key words: Natural resources; Non
Timber Forest Product; Multi-use Tree; Forest concession; Local populations.
To NGOs; raise awareness and educate local populations about
their rights and those of other stakeholders, conduct lobbying and advocacy to
the authorities for greater involvement of local communities in forest
management.
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