Nairobi — The future of studies on forests across Africa hangs in the balance following the planned withdrawal of financial support to the African Forest Research Network, a continental body that funds forestry research, by its main donor.

The Swedish government has notified the African Forest Research Network (Afornet) of its intention to freeze its 20-year old support over what Sweden's ambassador Ann Dismorr described as "administrative problems in recent years."

Mrs Dismorr announced the decision at a conference organised by the network in Nairobi, but explained that the governance problems in the Nairobi-based organisation arose from its huge area of coverage.

"To establish and run a programme like this in approximately 30 countries is not an easy task," she argued but remained firm that the funding would be stopped.

Now, the envoy wants Afornet to spend any remaining funds that had been allocated to it on formulating a strategic direction for the future of regional forestry research in Africa, besides giving the network a legal status and putting together a governance structure.

In a move that exposes the grave danger in over relying on external funding for research in Africa, the withdrawal of Sweden's funding could throw into disarray the ongoing research programme that has been funded through the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) since 1990.

However, the Afornet network co-ordinator Dr Iba Kone downplayed the planned withdrawal, insisting that his office had not received official communication over the matter.

"Though the ambassador has said that, there is no written statement to state when it will take effect. Sida is not our sole donor," Dr Kone told The EastAfrican on the sidelines of the conference.

Afornet functions as a regional research council, allocating research grants to individual scientists, as well as research teams made up of scientists from different countries and diverse fields to conduct forestry studies.

The young scientists each receive a grant of up to $8,000; whereas the research programmes for senior scientists from at least two African countries provides a maximum of $80,000 with the possibility of renewal.

Formed in 1999 under the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), with the support of Sida, Afornet was put together from the Capacity Building in Forestry Research (CBFR) programme.

The network has received praise over its contribution to forestry research in Africa.

According to AAS secretary general Dr Arungu Olende, beneficiaries of the programme include cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries, deans of university faculty and director generals of national research institutions.

Mrs Dismorr described Afornet as a successful pan-African scientific initiative that had raised the profile of forestry research in Africa, besides addressing problems that rarely attract funding from national governments and other donor organisations.

With the new development, Afornet finds itself in a tight spot as it considers alternative sources of funds to finance its activities.

Among the avenues under consideration is contribution by past beneficiaries, and approaching African governments to chip in.

Dr Kone said that in a move aimed at diversifying its portfolio, governments of African states would be approached to contribute towards an endowment fund that will fund the network's activities.

If the governments accept this proposal, they would be required to channel their allocations to national forestry research institutions to Afornet, which would assume the role of a regional research council.

Scientists argue that this would ensure a greater impact and benefit from economies of scale instead of the current scenario where individual governments allocate small percentages of their Gross Domestic Products..

Such a proposal may prove to be difficult to sell to the East African Community member states that are discussing the possibility of establishing an EAC Science and Technology Research Council.

The process, Mrs Dismorr said, already has the support of the Swedish government, which prefers supporting research councils, as opposed to national institutes.

"In our opinion, research councils increase African ownership as research agenda and priorities are set in Africa; and, if on a regional basis compared to a national basis, improves quality assurance in the assessment process of research applications," she added.

As Afornet grapples with the new development, this should serve as a wakeup call for African countries to increase their allocations towards research to avert such scenarios.