At a March 2004 Global Forest Watch (GFW) workshop in Douala, Cameroon, stakeholders agreed to develop and test an independent forest concession monitoring system (based on GFW’s TCAP approach—see GFW develops new approach to promote sustainable forestry). If successful, this will represent a significant breakthrough in the management of Central Africa’s forests.
The Central African rainforest—the second largest after the Amazon—has long been characterized by poor forest management. Illegal activities are commonplace, logging often extends into protected areas, and harvests may surpass the allowable timber cut. Under growing pressure from consumers, particularly in the European Union, more responsible logging companies are seeking ways to show that the timber they sell is responsibly harvested.
The Douala workshop was organized in partnership with the Interafrican Forest Industries Association (IFIA), the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Some 60 participants attended, including forest concession holders, timber importers and exporters, international and African NGOs, research institutes, and all Central African governments. Participants agreed on a preliminary set of indicators of legality and sustainable forest management that would underpin the forest concession monitoring system. A summary of the workshop and progress to date is available online at the GFW website (www.globalforestwatch.org).
As a next step, GFW and its partners will conduct field tests in three Central Africa countries. Participating companies will be monitored on more than 30 performance measures designed to track their compliance with laws, and their efforts to minimize environmental impacts. The results will be used to finalize the indicators and governance structure of an independent forest concession monitoring system to be launched across Central Africa once financial backing has been secured.
