Unpublished conference/Abstract (Scientific congresses and symposiums)
Toward Concessions 2.0 in Central Africa Recognising and managing overlapping tenure rights
Karsenty, Alain; Vermeulen, Cédric
2015FLARE First Annual FLARE Network Conference
 

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Keywords :
Concession; Right overlapping
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Karsenty, Alain;  CIRAD
Vermeulen, Cédric ;  Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales
Language :
English
Title :
Toward Concessions 2.0 in Central Africa Recognising and managing overlapping tenure rights
Alternative titles :
[en] Vers des cocnessions 2.0. Reconnaître et gérer les superspositiosn de droits
Publication date :
30 November 2015
Number of pages :
15
Event name :
FLARE First Annual FLARE Network Conference
Event organizer :
IFRI & University of Michigan
Event place :
Paris, France
Event date :
28-30 novembre 2015
By request :
Yes
Audience :
International
References of the abstract :
Toward a genuine joint management of production forests in central Africa: organizing and managing overlapping rights 2-hour workshop proposed by Alain Karsenty (Cirad) and Cedric Vermeulen (University of Liège) within the FLARE conference Industrial logging concessions are covering almost 45 million ha in Central Africa. Forest concessions in central Africa are seen by many analysts a legacy of the colonial period and many NGOs would like them dismantled to the benefit of community forestry and small-scale enterprises. On the other hand, existing community forests in central Africa has been highly disappointing in terms of sustainable management (Cuny, 2011) and a meta-analysis of the literature by Robinson et al (2011) finds an “association between negative forest outcomes and communal land in Africa”. As transport and logging costs becomes high, the case for autonomous community forest without a partnership with a neighbour concessionaire becomes unlikely for mere economic reasons (Ezzine de Blas et al, 2009). In low-populated and landlocked forest zones, the industrial concession is often one of the rare structures that can organize the economic activities by creating its own productive environment. Community forests and industrial concessions are seen generally as mutually exclusive. On the other hand, within the framework of the FSC certification, some companies has started mapping the customary territories overlapping the industrial concessions and use such maps as a key for benefits sharing, with local investments decided jointly with communities and proportionate to the area of customary territory overlapping the industrial concession. New generation of forest regulations call for benefits sharing with “riparian” populations (Cameroon, Gabon), and/or for establishing “community development series” within the industrial concessions (Congo). In the DR Congo, the 2014 decree organizing community forestry paves the way for a dual conception of such forestry, with the distinction between the “forest of the local community” (that is the customary territory that can overlap with industrial concessions) and the “community concession”, this latter being potentially a subdivision of the former but associated to an exclusive area (Vermeulen and Karsenty, 2015). In addition, the UK-based NGO Rainforest Foundation and its local partners have already mapped thousands of hectares of “customary territories” throughout the Congo Basin. These dynamics, if deepened and handled by public policies, may trigger a transformation of the concession system in central Africa toward recognition of overlapping rights associated with different “institutional layers” on the same area. The overlapping areas might not only be a key element for benefit sharing, but they could also become joint management areas (including control of outsiders) with the development of non-timber economic activities in joint ventures between the industrial concessionaires and the various communities, having those overlapping rights recognised by the legal frameworks. As for the community-based concessions, allowing for exclusive rights by moving the industrial concession boundaries in order to make room for viable small-scale enterprises might be the second part of the case for promoting joint management, associating overlapping and exclusive rights for communities. Gazetting of Forest Management Units, not yet completed in central Africa, will provide the opportunity for such moving of boundaries when needed. To allow for this evolution towards “concessions 2.0”, legal frameworks might be adapted and mainstreamed. Zoning policies based on strict land sparing should be reconsidered in favour of a more balanced approach allowing for land sharing. The FSC certification provides significant incentives for such evolution and mapping forest customary territories is being considered as one of a possible REDD+ enabling activities. The workshop will start with a joint presentation of the concept of the “concession 2.0” by Alain Karsenty and Cedric Vermeulen, with visual simulations. The presentation (sent in advance to panellists) will analyse the current trends in central Africa, the potential and the limitation of the current legal frameworks, the competing agendas of stakeholders, and propose a strategy for mainstreaming the various policy initiatives. Then, a panel of practitioners, officials and researchers will discuss the proposal. Proposed members of the panel are representatives of Congo Basin’s governments (COMIFAC), of the Forest Model initiative, of Rights and Resources Initiative, of NGO’s currently mapping forest rights and a representative of certified forest company (see list below). The panel will be moderated by Jean-Claude Nguinguiri (FAO, tbc). The audience will have also the possibility to question the presenters and react to the panel discussion. A policy roadmap for recognition of and managing of overlapping rights and mainstreaming existing policy initiatives will be proposed by the facilitators, with the objective of introducing this policy option in the framework of policy and measures for REDD+.
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