Central Africa’s evolving natural resource management paradigm: The case of the Congo Basin Rainforest

On 12 October 2010, Mr Nicasius Achu Check (AISA Research Specialist) presented a paper on Central Africa’s evolving natural resource management paradigm: The case of the Congo Basin Rainforest. The paper examined the impact of the gradual degrading trends of forest resources in the Central Africa sub-region and its impact on the forest dwellers and on the ecosystem of the entire forest range. It also examined Economic Community of Central African States’ (ECCAS’) forest conservation strategies for the Congo Basin and insinuates that the current protective approach to forest management as opposed to a developmental conservation strategy has led to various communities resisting the application of enacted forest laws in the countries of the sub-region. Mr Check argued for a broad based community/stakeholder participation in the management process of any forest conservatory in the Sub-region.