Underlying Causes of Deforestation, Forest Degradation and
The study of extra-sectoral influences in Bolivia, Cameroon and Indonesia involves CIFOR staff and national researchers from each country. It began with an international workshop of study participants in Puncak, Indonesia, in March 1996. There it was decided to initially concentrate on: general trends regarding deforestation and forest degradation and the livelihoods of forest- dependent people in each country; and how these have been influenced by macro-economic, agricultural and forestry policies, and by population growth and migration. Specific products resulting from this research so far include: published papers on why deforestation rates have historically been low in lowland Bolivia, and on the impact of structural adjustment on deforestation and forest degradation there; a CIFOR Occasional Paper on the rates and causes of deforestation in Indonesia (in English and Indonesian); a draft report on the impact of macro-economic and agricultural policies on deforestation in Cameroon; and discussion papers on the relationship between population growth and migration and deforestation in Cameroon and Indonesia. The southern Africa study began in mid-1996, and currently involves four institutions and thirteen researchers from Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Malawi. In each country three sites have been selected which will be monitored to evaluate the impact of macro-economic and other policies on the livelihoods of miombo woodland-dependent communities. This should make it possible to design policies to improve these livelihoods in the future. During the year, the conceptual framework and key hypotheses for the study were developed, research sites were selected in each country, participatory rapid rural appraisals conducted, and survey questionnaires designed and tested. Background papers on macro-economic and sectoral policies were also prepared. The Central American forestry policy study is a joint initiative with the CCAB, FAO, GTZ and the IICA. In its first phase in 1996, teams from Central American universities and NGOs conducted national case studies on the policy constraints hindering the forestry sectors of each of the seven countries in the Central American isthmus. A regional seminar was held to discuss the results in Panama City in May 1996. All these activities will continue through the coming year. This project has benefited
from additional financial support from USAID. Principal Collaborators: Bolivia: Centro de Estudios para el Desarrolo Laboral y Agrario (CEDLA), Taller
de Initiativos y Estudios Rurales y la Reforma Agraria (TIERRA);
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