Recent evolutions of forest concessions status and dynamics in Central Africa

Abstract

SUMMARYForest concessions in Central Africa are being subjected to a combination of pressures from agribusiness investments, population growth and the informalisation of the domestic timber trade. This puts them at a crossroad. Despite REDD+, the forest sector is not a policy priority for governments whose ambition is to achieve emerging country status. This article takes stock of the forest concessions and management rules in Central Africa, the slow progress of forest certification, and the difficulties facing the FLEGT/VPAs process, and proposes a preliminary assessment of the impact of the log export ban imposed in Gabon since 2011. Examples are given of the mounting influence of Asian companies, and the growing concentration of large corporate interests. The concession regime must be restructured to include multiple uses and take better account of local land rights inside and outside the concessions. The legitimacy of forest concessions depends on their transparency, their strict compliance with laws and regulations, and their provision of social and ecological guarantees. Certification has been a lever for improving the practices and the self-regulation of certified companies. Recognising the public interest of certification would legitimate financial and nonfinancial incentives for companies to become certified, and international transfers may contribute to the implementation of such incentives.Keywords: Central Africa, Congo Basin, forest concessions, logging, forest management, forest certification Récentes évolutions de la situation et de la dynamique des concessions forestières en Afrique centraleLes concessions forestières en Afrique centrale sont sujettes à un ensemble de pressions simultanées découlant du développement de l'agrobusiness, de la croissance de la population et l'informalisation croissante de l'exploitation du bois d'oeuvre pour alimenter les marchés locaux. Les concessions forestières sont à la croisée des chemins. Malgré REDD+, le secteur forestier n'est pas une priorité politique pour les gouvernements de la région, lesquels visent «l'émergence» rapide de leurs économies. Cet article fait le point sur l'état actuel des concessions et les règles de gestion forestières en Afrique centrale, la difficile progression de la certification et les difficultés rencontrées par les processus FLEGT et les Accords de Partenariat Volontaires avec l'UE. Il propose également une première analyse des impacts de la mesure d'interdiction d'exporter des grumes prise par le Gabon. La montée en puissance des compagnies asiatiques et la tendance à la concentration des intérêts commerciaux est mise en évidence. Pour surmonter les défis croissants, le régime concessionnaire doit évoluer pour prendre en compte les droits et usages multiples des ressources et du foncier au sein et hors des concessions. La légitimité des concessions dépend de leur transparence, de leur strict respect des règles légales, et des garanties qu'elles peuvent fournir du point de vue de leur impact écologique et social. La certificati...

Road expansion and persistence in forests of the Congo Basin

“…Currently, large parts of the Congo Basin are being used for selective logging, requiring extensive road networks to access and transport timber 21 . Most of the Congo Basin forest is owned by nation states that grant concessions (long-term leases, up to 99 years) to logging companies 22 . Despite the extensive expansion of road networks into the Congo, many unpaved logging roads are subsequently abandoned after a few years of use, allowing forests to regenerate 23 .…”

Enjeux et amélioration de la gestion des espèces du genre Entandrophragma, arbres africains devenus vulnérables

“…ou des certifications du respect de la légalité (Origine et légalité des bois, OLB, Timber Legality & Traceability Verification, TLTV, Verification of Legal Origin/ Compliance, VLO/VLC, etc.) (Karsenty et Ferron, 2017). Pour ce faire, Bayol et al (2012) suggèrent le renforcement des capacités des institutions de contrôle forestier dans un État de droit renforcé par la stricte application des lois, là où les concessions forestières ne sont pas aménagées ou tardent à utiliser les outils de gestion évoqués précédemment.…”

The Dilemma of Maintaining Intact Forest Through Certification

“…The opportunity costs introduced by the mandatory protection of IFL as part of certification depends on the individual location of a forest management concession and on the economic value of the IFL. The larger the overlap between concession and valuable IFL, the higher the opportunity costs (Karsenty and Ferron, 2017). Intactness, as defined in the IFL concept, can only be maintained through strict protection.…”

“…Furthermore, while the wider implementation of REDD+ payments remains deadlocked (see e.g., Nantongo and Vatn, 2019), governments have few if any sources of compensation for the creation of additional protected areas. The likely outcome is that many IFLs would be exploited by companies using conventional (non-certified) harvesting methods, or companies using other certificates that lack IFL considerations (Karsenty and Ferron, 2017).…”

“…The protection of intact forests is gaining momentum and support from society, but existing certified companies view the IFL issue as a challenge to their continued viability in important timber producing regions (Rotherham, 2016;Karsenty and Ferron, 2017). To protect more intact forest, we need to explore ways of overcoming the concerns of certified companies that are often the most progressive actors in IFL frontier areas.…”