Managing the Miombo Woodlands of Southern Africa: Policies, Incentives and Options for the Rural Poor

Abstract

Miombo woodlands cover vast areas of southern Africa. Of comparatively little interest for export-oriented commercial logging, they are part of a complex system of rural land use that integrates woodland management with crops and livestock. There is also evidence that woodland resources are extensively used for household consumption, greatly reducing the risk of households falling deeper into poverty as a result of environmental or economic stress. New opportunities for improving the management of miombo woodlands, with poverty mitigation in mind, suggest four policy options. First, communities are becoming more active in managing local natural resources, a result of decentralization and land reforms, which suggests that there may be good scope for strengthening related policy and legal frameworks and the measures to implement them. Second, new and integrated conservation-development approaches are emerging, which suggests possible scope for providing payments for environmental services to increase the value of managed woodlands. Third, markets throughout the region are developing and expanding, which suggests great scope for enhancing forest-based markets by removing restrictive legislation and by supporting local producers and forest enterprises. Fourth, all these opportunities suggest that public forest institutions can be revitalized by strengthening their service delivery orientations, with poverty mitigation as a main objective.

Nest sites selection by sympatric cavity-nesting birds in miombo woodlands

“…The miombo woodlands are dry tropical deciduous forests growing in central and southern parts of Africa (Schwartz, Caro & Banda-Sakala 2002), covering ~10% of the continent (Millington et al 1994). Miombo woodlands comprise mostly the family Fabaceae and the genera Brachystegia, Julbernardia and Isoberlinia (Dewees et al 2011;Ryan, Williams & Grace 2010). Various tree species are found in a miombo biome including Brachystegia spiciformis (zebrawood), Julbernardia paniculata (munsa), Julbernardia globiflora (mnondo), Parinari curatellifolia (mobola-plum), Syzygium guineense (waterberry), Uapaca species (mahobohobo) and Isoberlinia angolensis (kapane).…”

Community Forestry Incentives and Challenges in Mozambique

“…For example, in spite of the fact that local communities have rights to make local decisions on forest management, the potential for commercial gain from forest resources remains dependent on the success of the concession application or logging license permit issued by the Forest Service, putting communities and the private sector on equal footing [23]. Authors such as Schafer and Bell [24] and Dewees et al [25] noted that although communities have been brought to the playground, they are still ill-equipped (mostly technically and financially) to play, suggesting that devolution must be more effective for the communities to realize the benefits from forests.…”

“…The contribution of the forestry sector to the national economy is recognized not only by the high dependency of the population on forest products for local uses such as fuelwood, building materials, medicinal plants, food (including plants and animals), among others [6] but also for the provision of timber for international markets [30]. Dewees et al [25] and Angelsen et al [31] observed that poor rural households are not getting rich by tapping into markets for forest products, but that they are vitally dependent on woodlands because of their role as a safety net.…”

Coppicing ability of dry miombo woodland species harvested for traditional charcoal production in Zambia: a win–win strategy for sustaining rural livelihoods and recovering a woodland ecosystem

“…The miombo woodland is one of the most extensive woodlands, naturally distributed in central and southern Africa with an estimated area of 2.4-2.7 million km 2 (Dewees et al 2010;Kutsch et al 2011). The woodlands are major sources of biomass fuel (firewood and charcoal) for household consumption and income for a large proportion of rural households.…”