Forest Governance in Africa

This paper sets out to provide an overview of key forest governance issues across the African continent, particularly on the experiences in western, central and, to a lesser extent, eastern subregions of the continent. Particular emphasis is given to the divergence between the forest as a provider of means to rural people and governance mechanisms that have predominantly focused on national economic activities and political priorities. The paper considers where the forests are, the differences between them, and their uses and value to African people. Issues and challenges around the state of knowledge of the continent’s forests, is considered describing several ‘forest paradigms’ that have played an important role in setting the current, or emerging, context for forest governance. The role of some of the key stakeholders in forest governance systems is also considered. Current trends in the development of forest policies and legal frameworks are described, and the key issue of the decentralisation of forest governance is discussed.