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Forest Day Central Africa a Huge Success

Denis Koulagna, Secretary General of the Cameroonian Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) delivered the opening speech on behalf of the Minister, Dr. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, at the inaugural Forest Day Central Africa

Over 150 forest experts and enthusiasts - representing government, research institutes, universities, civil society, forest communities and donors - participated in the inaugural Forest Day Central Africa, held on 24 April in Yaounde, Cameroon. The event, organized by CIFOR’s Regional Office for Central Africa, saw lively discussions and timely presentations about issues related to forests and climate change mitigation.

The significance and success of the event was reflected in the high-level participation, featuring representatives from the Cameroon Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, the Vice-President of the National Assembly, and several Members of Parliament. The event also attracted considerable media interest, as well as a number of participants from countries outside of Cameroon.

“I believe the day was a success because people from so many different backgrounds attended”, says Cyrie Sendashonga, Regional Coordinator of CIFOR’s Central Africa office. “The program was designed to have input from as many people as possible. Clearly there was a need throughout the region to know more about forests and climate change mitigation and to bring about the specific needs of this region in designing successful REDD mechanisms.”

Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) has featured heavily in discussions about climate change since it became clear that deforestation accounts for almost a quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions. While the issue unites a wide range of stakeholders, from the private sector to indigenous communities, Forest Day sessions made it clear that many challenges remain before an effective system can be put in place.

During her opening speech, Ms. Sendashonga pointed out that “REDD poses a risk if it’s implemented in a context of bad governance and inadequate institutional framework”. Other participants stressed the speculative nature of the REDD debate. “The results of the negotiations are uncertain and prices of agricultural products are rising” said Claus Falkenberg of German Cooperation (GTZ). “Moreover, there is a lack of data to evaluate forest loss in Central Africa” he added.

Much discussion evoked the question of what impact REDD will have on rural poverty in the region. According to Patrice Bigombe of the Research Center for Sustainable Development in Central Africa (CERAD), weak tenure rights will severely hamper REDD profits for local communities. “Traditional forest rights are often not recognized, leaving it open-ended who to pay for conserving the forest,” he observed.

Other issues that emerged were the need to build capacity in the region, to ensure that indigenous people and forest communities take part in REDD negotiations, and the fact that forest degradation is much more an issue for the Congo Basin forests than deforestation, making it essential that degradation is featured in any REDD mechanism.

Ms. Sendashonga said in her closing remarks that the Commission of Central African Forests (COMIFAC) welcomed the idea of making Forest Day an annual event under COMIFAC’s leadership.