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[Anual Report 96 :
Table of Contents]

AFRICA - Increasing Collaboration
to Improve Research

Very few African countries have strong national forest research systems. However, collectively they do have the capacity to provide some of the science needed to underpin sustainable forestry. To determine how best to mobilise and complement the existing research capacity in the region, CIFOR sponsored two consultations in 1996.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) group of twelve countries in eastern and southern Africa encompasses a range of forestry research capacity, from well-equipped to very basic centres. This capacity for research and for regional collaboration was assessed jointly by CIFOR and the then Division of Forest Science and Technology (FORESTEK) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa. (see forthcoming CIFOR Occasional Paper). The results were presented at Hazyview, South Africa in April 1996. This meeting was attended by almost all heads of forestry research and senior staff from forestry departments and universities in the SADC region. ICRAF, the International Foundation for Science and the African Academy of Science were also key participants.

Three major discussion themes were: the forestry research master plan for SADC; the research focal areas of the international institutions represented; and international conventions/agreements related to forestry to which the SADC countries are signatories. The broad areas identified for regional forestry research for collaboration with international research institutions were:

• Policy research and socio-economic studies: forest valuation; local-level institutional arrangements for forest governance; enterprise development within the sector and at the local community level; and comparative analysis of forest planning processes, strategic policy studies and policy impact assessment.
• Research on natural forests: evaluation of the forest resource base with emphasis on non-timber forest products (NTFPs); development of alternative farming systems including domestication of indigenous food plants; involvement and empowerment of communities (including use of indigenous technical knowledge) in natural resource management; evaluation and adaptation of criteria and indicators of sustainability relevant to the region; and technology development in general (e.g., on pests and diseases, growth and regeneration studies, and fire as a management tool).
• Research on plantations and tree planting in general: understanding incentives and disincentives for tree planting; policy studies in the plantation forestry sub-sector (including the impact of National Forestry Action Plans and similar global initiatives); investigation and domestication of alternative (in particular local) species; tree planting to rehabilitate degraded lands or those of low inherent productivity; urban forestry; technology improvement in harvesting, processing and utilisation of tree products and technology to support local enterprise development; and development of regional integrated disease and insect management.

The Southern African Centre for Cooperation in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Training (SACCAR) which oversees research in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and wildlife within SADC countries, and the Forestry Sector Technical Coordinating Unit have both "strongly supported the involvement of CIFOR in the development of forestry research programmes and activities in the region". A research programme on Management of the Miombo Woodlands, to be implemented in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania, is expected to expand the region's capacity to examine key issues, share knowledge, and implement actions to improve the state of the forests.

Central and West Africa (Bangui, Central African Republic)
The nations of the humid zone of West and Central Africa face many of the same issues. Collaboration is once more the key to advances by sharing the knowledge and capacity of individual countries. CIRAD-Forêt, CIFOR and NARS are co-ordinating research in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon to synthesise and expand forestry knowledge on the effects of silvicultural treatments on forest dynamics in this region. These findings will be shared with the forest stakeholders _ forestry departments, research institutions and the forest users.

During May, CIFOR and CIRAD-Forêt convened a meeting for the forest research community in this region, to identify research priorities and discuss ways of transferring information to stakeholders. With strong researcher representation from the five study countries, the meeting provided a good opportunity to evaluate areas of emphasis for collaborative forestry research. Four broad areas, which generally coincide with those identified in the southern and eastern regions of Africa, were listed as priorities for future research here:

• Policy
• Natural forest silviculture
• Criteria and indicators of sustainability
• Non-timber forest products

The next step in the process will bring together CIFOR and the Conférence des Responsables de la Recherche Agronomique Africains (CORAF), to identify the key players in forestry research and review their present capacity and activities. CIFOR will continue to support research by the key players in the regions who are our current and potential collaborators.

Godwin Kowero & Mike Spilsbury
Robert Nasi & Christian Cossalter