Project Activities
- Planning workshop help in Maputo, Mozambique
A two day planning workshop was held from the 6th to the 8th of February, 2006 in Maputo on Forests and Poverty in Mozambique as part of the World Bank project. Several CIFOR staff members working on the project and key partners from the World Bank, University of Western Cape in South Africa, Department of Forestry and Wildlife in Mozambique, Eduardo Mondlane University, Ministry of Finance, Centro Terra Viva/Estudos e Advocacia Ambiental in partnership with the Western Cape University, participated in the workshop.
- Detailed economic studies on household dependencies on miombo assets in Zambia and Mozambique (PEN type studies)
The study follows the methodology described in Cavendish (1999a,b and 2002), and developed further and modified by Campbell et. al (2002) which depends on carrying out intensive, quarterly, household income and consumption surveys. The construction of panel data showing household dependencies on dry woodland resources will be an important outcome of these surveys. The survey will lead to unique empirical results. Standard surveys consistently underestimate woodland-based income, hence overestimating agriculturally based income. Cavendish (1999b) paid particular attention in his instrument design to recall periods which capture the use of products that was seasonal, casual and small. The surveys will be conducted in the North Western Province and the Copperbelt provinces in Zambia by Manyewu Mutamba (m.mutamba@cgiar.org) of CIFOR-Zambia in partnership with the Forestry Department and around the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique by Ravi Hegbe (rhegde2005@gmail.com), a student at the University of British Columbia in partnership with the Forestry Department at theEduardo Mondlane University.
The findings from these household studies would be used to contribute to the development of various policy options in both countries and also contribute to the global Poverty and Environment Network (PEN) studies being conducted by CIFOR.
- A national report on local livelihoods and life support contributions of dry forests and trees to economic development in Zambia
This synthesis will be modeled after studies described in Campbell (1996), as well as earlier World Bank-financed studies such as Bradley and McNamara (1993). For the national study in Zambia, it was agreed that a report be prepared building on the work by Professor Chidumayo on the contribution of the Kafue River Basin to the national economy under the Dry Forests Project (2003-2006). Zambia is endowed with forests and trees (66% of the country is under forest cover) and yet there is not much information to give a sense of the contribution of this resource to economic development. The report focuses on providing data and analyses to illustrate dependence and contribution and recommends how forests and trees can be a vehicle for economic development and poverty alleviation in the country. At the rural livelihood level, the report will use primary data collected during the first phase of the Dry Forests Project and for the national level, the study will collect and collate national level data from sectors that are directly linked to the forestry (e.g. tobacco production, wild-life, ecotourism, fisheries, charcoal production, hydroelectricity, furniture manufacturing, etc). Econometric analyses will be done to demonstrate dependence on forests by household and show how much the forests are contributing to the economy. This study is being conducted by Dr. Sam Bwalya (bwalyas@zra.org.zm), a natural resource economist, currently working for the Zambia Revenue Authority in the Policy and Research Department.
- A case study reviewing community-based woodland management opportunities in Mozambique
The case study will synthesize the results of other primary studies conducted in Mozambique on community-based natural resource management. The study will focus on woodlands, but will also consider other natural resources such as wildlife. Information is less systematically available for Mozambique, but much would be gained by seeking to draw together lessons from the growing literature on the potential of community based natural resource management in the country (such as Virtanen 2005; Nhantumbo et al. 2003). The study is being conducted by Dr. Frank Matose (fmatose@uwc.ac.za) of the University of Western Cape (CASS PLAAS programme) in partnership with Alda Salomao (asalomao@tvcabo.co.mz) of Centro Terra Viva- Estudos e Advocacia Ambiental in Mozambique.
- A Policy paper on barriers to adoption of sustainable woodland management
A journal paper on barriers and opportunities for woodland management in Southern Africa is planned for. The paper aims to provide better information on how to improve the technical approaches and strategies for sustainable woodland management. The key question that needs to be answered is why are people not maximizing benefits from miombo woodlands? Some of the key areas to be covered in the paper will include:
- community rights and how they affect woodland management decisions
- incentives for woodland management
- national and local regulations, permits and levies and how they influence decisions to manage woodlands
- technological barriers
- value of woodland resources
- Sustainable production as an incentive or barrier to woodland management
- A regional workshop report summarizing discussions with local partners which reviews findings from preliminary reports in 2007
