PRESENTATION CONTENT

1. PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT AND NATIONAL POLICIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CAMEROON A presentation by Blondeau TALATALA UNGC-REPADER Coordinator PRESENTATION CONTENT • INTRODUCTION • ZONING OF SOUTHERN CAMEROON • SOME OF THE KEY STRATEGIC APPROACHES IN FORESTRY POLICY IN THE CAMEROON • IMPLEMENTING TOOLS • CONCLUSION

2. Introduction • The general territorial development framework is currently being drawn up by the MINEPAT • At a sectoral level, there are land access and utilisation instruments (DSDSR, mining map, etc.) • The problems of land access, rural development and protecting diversity have very variable parameters given the Cameroon’s broad cultural and geographical diversity. • This requires specific solutions for each geographic entity.

3. ZONING IN SOUTHERN CAMEROON • Since 1995, the Cameroon has operated an indicative framework of land use in southern forested areas, governed by a PM decree • Two major groups can be distinguished in this framework, namely: • The permanent domain • Intended for forestry purposes, it includes: • Production forests (UFA, communal forests) • Protected areas (parks and reserves); • The non-permanent domain • This is allocated to uses other than forestry • Agro-forestry areas (farming, stock farming, community forestry, community hunting) • Mining areas

4. ZONING IN SOUTHERNCAMEROON Estimated land area per overall land use category in the Cameroon FAO, 2003-2004 Observation: forested areas cover approximately 45% of the country’s total land area

5. SOME OF THE KEY STRATEGIC APPROACHES IN FORESTRY POLICY IN THE CAMEROON 1 – Decentralised management of forestry resources. (This is part of the overall trend towards decentralised management implemented in the Cameroon) 2 – Participation of those involved (and in particular local populations) in the management of forestry resources 3 – Sustainable management and conservation of biological diversity 4 - Participation of the forestry sector in local development

6. IMPLEMENTING TOOLS 1- Decentralised management of forestry resources • Community forestry (at the level of an organised community) • Communal forestry (at the level of a decentralised collectivity) • Community hunting areas (ZICGC)

7. IMPLEMENTING TOOLS 2- The forestry sector’s contribution to local development • Fiscality applying to forestry via the RFA • The income generated by the operating of community forests • The income generated by the operating of communal forests • Land-leasing taxes (ZICGC)

8. IMPLEMETING TOOLS 3- Sustainable management and conservation of biological diversity (two tools) • Establishing a network of protected areas (20% of the national territory); • Definition of hunting areas (Development of wildlife resources via rational and sustainable exploitation).

10. IMPLEMETING TOOLS Location of Protected Areas in the Cameroon Observation: protected areas cover 18.97% of the national territory

11. IMPLEMENTING TOOLS The territorial development plan: a tool for the sustainable management of natural resources Permanent forestry domain, including community forests (2008-2009) Observation: 74% of the forest area of the Cameroon undergoing development (13 578 508 hectares)

12. 4- Participatory, coordinated management of forestry resourcesOperational Technical Units (UTO) • The UTO were mentioned for the first time in 1998 in the Min. Forests • They are frameworks for consulting various involved parties in a defined area. • Objective • To promote the coordinated management of forestry resources in a multi-party context with a view to contributing to local development • Typology • 1st category UTO (Surface area ≥ 100 000 Ha); • 2nd category UTO (Surface area ≥ 50 000≤100 000 Ha); • 3rd category UTO (Surface area ≤ 50 000 Ha) • Involved parties • Forestry operators, mining operators, elected representatives, public authorities, NGOs, FOs, decentralised communities, etc. COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT OF FORESTS AND CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE CAMEROON

13. JUSTIFICATION FOR SETTING UP UTOs • Heterogeneity of those involved, often with diverging • interests – (User rights/protected areas) • Overlapping actions on occasion within the same areas – (Overlapping between mining concessions/UFA, EFA/hunting areas, mining permits/protected areas, etc.) • Lack of communication and exchange between parties involved ORGANISATION • Management body(Steering committee; determines and • validates areas of action) • Operational body (communal executive, State service, OSC; implementation of guidelines)

14. Example: UTO SE: RESPONSIBILITIES • supervising the creation of protected areas in its area of competence; • coordinating the management of protected areas; • developing a process for the sustainable exploitation of forestry resources in peripheral multi-use areas (buffer zone); • developing a process for the sustainable exploitation of wildlife resources in peripheral areas; • promoting the participation of local communities in the management of biodiversity; • coordinating forestry and hunting policing activities; • facilitating ecotourism activities.

15. RESULTS UTO SE: an integrated planning and management tool for natural resources. • Negotiation of micro-zoning within the UTO • Classification of the AP, UFA, ZICGC, ZIC, FC and Fct • Preparation of the AP • AP implementation support • Results obtained in the UTO SE • 03 national parks created, • 22 forestry concessions • 14 community managed areas of hunting interest • 09 sport hunting areas • An agro-forestry strip

16. CONCLUSION • The policy instruments established are relevant • They facilitate the promotion of local development • They facilitate the conservation of biological diversity • Looking ahead • Special emphasis must be placed on the following aspects: • Governance at the level of territorial communities • Strengthening capacity at a community level • Monitoring the implementation of tools for the • sustainable management of natural resources • (territorial development plans, etc.)

17. Thank you for your kind attention