Emmanuel Kendemeh
2 April 2008
The Network of Parliamentarians for the Sustainable Management of the Central African Forests and Humid Ecosystems is holding a planning workshop in Yaounde.
The members of the Network of Parliamentarians for the Sustainable Management of the Central African Forest and Humid Ecosystems (REPAS) are meeting in Yaounde since yesterday to adopt the association's plan of action for the period 2008 to 2012 and also adopt the texts restructuring it. The ultimate goal of REPAS, created in 2001, is to promote the sustainable management of Central African dense forests and humid ecosystems through the effective involvement of Parliamentarians.
Present at the workshop that started yesterday at the Yaounde Mont Fébé Hotel are representatives of Parliaments from the REPAS ten-member countries, experts, government officials and donor organisations. By the time the workshop ends today, the participants would have drawn the balance sheet of the first international conference of Parliamentarians on the sustainable forest use held in October 2006 in Yaounde, Cameroon, restructured REPAS and harmonised its actions with those of member countries as well as adopted the structures of the organisation. The participants would by this afternoon adopt the strategy of getting REPAS donors and development partners fully involved in the execution of the organisations plan of action. The workshop will also serve as the forum to prepare for the second international conference of Parliamentarians involved in forest management and environmental protection slated for Bata, Equatorial Guinea in October 2008.
Hon. Baoro Theophile, the Vice President of Cameroon's National Assembly, officially opened the workshop on behalf of the House Speaker Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril. He said the contribution of Parliamentarians was imperative in sustainable forest use. Parliamentarians, he stated, must use constant interactive communication, assure the participation of the local population in debates relating to the use of natural resources upon which their food, cultural and economic survival depend.
Speaking on behalf of the Cameroon government, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Forest and Wildlife, Joseph Roland Matta, said Parliamentarians were major actors in sustainable forest use and environmental protection. He urged members of REPAS at the national levels to be proactive and ambassadors of their respective Parliaments in seeking funds for forest management activities. According to Mr Matta, the REPAS country networks must first of all convince their governments through their commitment. The other four speakers during the ceremony stressed the need of parliamentary diplomacy in matters of forest management, building of the capacities of REPAS, harmonisation of forest management policies in the Central African Sub-region and the effective re-distribution of revenue from forest resources for the benefit of the local population.
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Forest for Sale
Further to the Forest Management strategy offer by Cameroon (Mr. Matta) as explained in the ECONOMIST (February 16/08) I believe that Cameroon has every right to sell the Forest to whomever it chooses, loggers or environmentalists. In my opinion it is a very considerate and kind gesture that Cameroon has first offered (since 2001) the Forest to environmental groups.
Something that Cameroon or the environmental groups might consider is subdividing the Forest then reselling the small subdivided plots. First the forest would need to be rezoned into a number of environmental (conservation) zones then subdivide each zone into small plots and resell the smaller plots to environmentally interested parties. If there exists a Land Titles system in Cameroon that guarantees security of tenure so that buyers feel secure the results could be:
- Environmental groups, individuals or environmentally conscious corporations could outright purchase a piece (big or small) of the Forest. (The Forest might be divided into various zones that allow a range of limited resource activities depending upon the ecological sensitivity within each zone and the price per land area within each zone could be established accordingly.) So long as each purchaser continues to pay his annual land taxes he would remain the land owner.
- Cameroon would benefit by collecting the funds from the sale of the lands as well as annual taxes. Cameroon would retain ultimate authority and control over the lands (same as in USA or UK) including undersurface rights and retain rights to limited access to natural resources subject to the zoning over each area.
- The bigest winner is of course the Forest. The costs would be paid voluntarily by those most interested in saving the environment/Forest whether it be a large environmental group or a single individual or corporation. (There is something to be said for pride of ownership big or small.)
All of the tools necessary to accomplish the above already exist, there are many examples of excellent Land Titles systems (i.e. province of Alberta in Canada) world courts exist that can adjudicate (& discourage) disputes, desktop technology such as Google Earth make it easy to survey and monitor each individual plot and etc.
To rezone and subdivide the Forest requires extra work of course however there are many more buyers willing to pay $100 for one Hectare of Forest (plus $10 per year taxes) and it appears that there are very few willing to pay $2 per Hectare for one year rent if the Forest is not divided.
Can free enterprise and ecology work together?
Regards,
Ray