Empowering Communities through Participatory forest management in the Gambia

Hatab Camara: National Coordinator, Market Analysis and Development on Forest Products and Services

National Stakeholders Workshop Organized by Global Unification

24th to 25th February 2011

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development :The Gambian Experience

Country profile

sub-tropical country in West Africa

total land area of app. 10 689 km2 human population of about 1.4 million population density 132/km2 population growth rate of 2.8 % sudano-sahelian climate type rainfall average of about 900mm (June-October) bushfire season from November to May

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development: The Gambian Experience Over view of forest sector By the end of colonial era, forest cover was closed of Guinea-savanna type. 66 forest park (7%) were demarcated and gazette 85% of the population depends on wood for energy and construction materials sector officially offers 1% to the GDP due to limited reliable data on utility (domestic use, imports and exports) including employment opportunities

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development :The Gambian Experience

Constraints of the forestry sector Frequent bush fires Limited financial and human resources Over grazing and soil compaction leading to deforestation Forest clearance for agricultural expansions Indiscriminate tree felling for fuel wood, timber production and other products Ill-designed infrastructural projects (housing and road works) Drought (soil desiccation) Population explosion with grave poverty

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience Finding solution to forestry constraints policy 1995 - 2005 reviewed to 2006 - 2016 legislative review (1998) Community Forestry (CF) programme 1980 Participatory Forest Management 2000 Gambia Forest Communication Concept Forest Enterprise Development (Nov, 2000)

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development :The Gambian Experience

Community forestry process
CF Phases
CF Community responsibilities Identification of the proposed CF area Forming a forest management committee By-law formation Application for a Preliminary Community Forest Management Agreement Elaborating a preliminary management plan Plan implementation and monitoring Final demarcation of the CF area Develop a 5-year forest management plan; Protect the proposed Community Forest and other surrounding forests from bush fires and other illegal forest product exploitation; Application for CFMA Establish every five years a management plan and annual work plans; Protect the CF and surrounding forest areas; Benefits and communities rights for the

Start-up

Traditional customary access to none commercial forest uses

Implementation (PCFMA)

Collection of forest products for private consumption, Have processed wood or round logs from clear felling in creating fire breaks, Access to fruits and other perishable non-wood products

CF Consolidation (CFMA)

Ownership right over the CF Harvesting of timber and fire wood for commercial purposes according to the management plan

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience

Need for forest enterprise development Providing economic incentives (through marketing of products and services) to the communities to promote sustainable forest management Complement government poverty reduction interventions and strategies Gender consideration (women involvement)

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience

Piloting and Implementation of Market Analysis and Development (MA&D) Initial support of GGFP & FAO: First introductory training MA&D in 2000, attended by Gambia in Rome 2001 to 2004: piloting of MA&D in 22 community forests nation wide through FAO TCP/GAM/2904

Forestry Department of The Gambia adopted the approach as part of its regular programme.

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience

Creation of legislative and policy frameworks Revision of Forest Policy and Regulations (taxation); Strategic alliance-building Networking between interest groups Inter-sectoral collaboration in capacity building and resource mobilization Institutional alignment Appointment of MA&D focal point in the Forestry Directorate Curriculum Development on MA&D in Forestry School Review of the PFM Guidelines to incorporate MA&D issues

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience

What is Market Analysis and Development

The goal of MA&D is to assist local people in developing incomegenerating enterprises while conserving tree and forest resources. The main strength of the MA&D process is its inclusion of social and environmental concerns alongside the technological, commercial and financial considerations of products/services.

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development :The Gambian Experience The MA&D approach Includes several well-known tools that have been adapted in order to focus on marketing aspects: Resource mapping Livelihood analysis Production calendar Venn diagrams Analysis of marketing channels, and activity profiling. They also include financial tools that define and project economic viability, including calculation of profit and loss.

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience

MA&D helps Local people To be responsive as they develop their enterprises. The information gathered at each step of the process can be used to make decisions before proceeding to next step

Why do MA&D ? The MA&D supports the development of small, natural resource-based enterprises and because of its focus on ecological sustainability; it is especially applicable to enterprise based on resources that need to be protected.

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development :The Gambian Experience

Who Benefits?
1. ENTREPRENEURS

Local entrepreneur are people who use their tree and forest products for generating income, not just for subsistence. They can be producers, manufacturers and/or traders. 2. 2.FIELD STAFF, FACILITATORS AND PLANNERS Using MA&D enables field staff, facilitators and planners to integrate social and resource management issues into their work with local people. 3. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONS MA&D reduces the risk of time and funds being spent on unsuccessful enterprise development. It is a cost-effective process that assists in the development of viable enterprise

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience

MA&D promotes four important aspects of development: 1. Sustainability: Resource sustainability, Market sustainability, Social/Institutional sustainability, Technical sustainability 2. PARTICIPATION The community members developing enterprises are the main decision-makers 3. CAPACITY BUILDING MA&D focuses on capacity building and strengthening institutions at the local level in order to provide the support of local people need. 4. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES MA&D relies heavily on the formation of strategic alliances with other actors..

MA&D Process
The MA&D Process is carried out in three consecutive phases: Phase 1: Assess the existing situation (6 steps) OUTPUTS A shortlist of products/services understanding of the social, environmental, and technical constraints of a range of products/ services; formation of a team of target group members to undertake Phase 2. PHASE 2: IDENTIFY PRODUCTS, MARKETS AND MEANS OF MARKETING OUTPUTS (3 steps) Identification of the most promising products/services and gathering of information for the design of business plans; formation of interest groups for the selected products/services; formation of a team of target group members to undertake Phase 3.

MA&D Process
PHASE 3 PLAN ENTERPRISE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Enterprise Development Plan ( book) OUTPUTS Formulation of an enterprise strategy for the selected products/services; development of an action plan; financing as specified in the capital needs statement; and the implementation of a monitoring and planning system.

Impact of MA&D
ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
MA&D has increased the acceptance of the local communities to protect their local forest by preventing and fighting fires Increased consciousness about forest utilization methods Increased environmental knowledge and awareness Reduction in illegal forest utilization Link extraction rate to the scale of the resource Shift focus to lesser known forest products e.g. palm fronds in CRR A total of 2150 ha of forest cover is under sustainable management

Impact of MA&D
SOCIAL IMPACTS Increased consideration of gender aspects Realization of the benefit of working together, promotes synergy of efforts Reduced friction between stakeholders Target communities conducted market survey, collect and exchange required business information Enterprise Development Plans (EDP) developed/established by interest group (IG) Learning skills in enterprise for benefit of communities Creation of Economic Grouping (JATIFIF) as platform for information exchange Creation of economic incentives for local forest users Employment opportunities e.g. handicraft, logs and timber marketing and other interest groups.

MA&D Impact
ECONOMIC IMPACT Forestry sectors contribution to poverty reduction through the transfer of forest resource ownership and utilization responsibilities to the rural communities. The MA&D approach serves a practical means to accomplish that goal. The table shows the extent of the economic activities implemented by the Interest Group;

Net profit from the sales 2006-07

Region Timber Fuel wood Logs Ecotourism D180,000 Honey Handicraft Forest fruits D7600

Western

D128,000

D676,000

D220,000

D17,800

Lower River Central River

D25,295

D31,247

D30,850

D54,729

D9591

D36,005

D36,500

Lessons Learnt
Policy Context
The local Government Act, pass in 2002 out line the responsibilities of Regional Institutions Promote Community participation in micro-project planning and implementation of local resources Eliminate the competition generated through the illegal exploitation of state Forest Proper monitoring of enforcement procedures Government commitment to adapt existing policy to assist participatory forest approach

Lessons Learnt
Participatory Approach
The Community Forest Committee takes the lead in decision making Training the direct actors will keep a life long to the enterprise development Representatives from each Community Forest Committee have played a key role during all steps of activities

Lessons Learnt
Capacity building through diversification
Community-based enterprise development requires multi-sectoral approach Empowering Communities with skills necessary to manage and utilize their Forest resources Is a need to build the capacity of all parties Entrepreneurial and management skills are often traditionally lacking.

Conclusion on enterprise development mainstreaming

increase awareness & benefits from forest resources improve community entrepreneurship & technical skills ensure community participation in resource mgt. increase attention to gender issues by facilitating the involvement of women in marketing forest products foster effective linkages between institutions promote strategic alliances between all stakeholders (communities, government, private and NGOs) focus on addressing poverty alleviation issues

Mainstreaming community-based forest enterprise development : The Gambian Experience