Today, March 21, marks International Forest Day. INADES-Formation Togo presents an article on forest recognition and registration: What processes and benefits for communities?
What is forest allocation?
Forest allocation is “a process by which the administration in charge of forests entrusts a forest or a portion of the State’s permanent forest estate to a community for management in accordance with an agreement”. This is an act issued by the Ministry in charge of the environment and forest resources, which recognizes a forest’s status as a community forest. This is one of the eight important steps in the process of creating a community forest.
For the purposes of this article, we draw on the “Manuel de procédures, d’attribution et normes de gestion des forêts communautaires au Togo”, drawn up in December 2019 by the Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources (MERF) with FAO support. This eight-step manual describes a participatory process, involving all key community players, local authorities and public administration. These stages involve information and awareness-raising, setting up the legal entity, demarcating the community forest, the consultation meeting, compiling the file, submitting it, drawing up the simple management plan (SMP) and the definitive agreement or charter, and submitting, examining, approving and signing the SMP and the definitive agreement or charter.
Community involvement
Community involvement is crucial throughout the process. The various components of the community, such as the local chiefdom, development committees (CVD, CCD, CDQ), loggers, timber merchants, herders and hunters, are represented on the various committees and other groups created. This strong involvement is designed to ensure that their interests are harmonized and to avoid differences of opinion on the vocation of the forest, in order to make the most of the forests.
What’s in it for a community to have its forest registered?
In addition to preserving biodiversity, a forest recognized as a community forest is also a factor in local development. It ensures food and health security for these communities through natural species (plants, roots, fruit, bark, animals, etc.) and socio-economic activities (beekeeping, heliciculture, myciculture, ecotourism). In addition, the collection and processing of non-timber forest products (shea, néré…) can be legally developed by these communities.
The community can enjoy its forest as it sees fit, with restrictions mainly focused on unsustainable resource exploitation practices and activities that devastate and destroy these forest ecosystems.