Training on Sustainable Forest Management started in Community Forests (PART 1)

Mid October, the ‘Promoting Sustainable Forest Management in the Kavango-Zambezi Region in Namibia’ (NSFM)-Project commenced with its workshops in Community Forests in Kavango West, Kavango East as well as Zambezi Region; Mbeyo, Likwaterera, Zilitene and Lubuta were the first Community Forests that got training on Sustainable Forest Management.

The NSFM-Project is an initiative implemented by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Namibia together with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) and is funded by the European Union. The projects aim is to support an active multi-stakeholder dialogue on the concept of Sustainable Forest Management with a focus on valuable hardwood as a contribution to an improved implementation of that concept in the Kavango and Zambezi Regions in Namibia. The objectives are to (i) introduce the concept of Sustainable Forest Management and raise awareness about its benefits, to (ii) improve the appreciation for different and diverging views on Sustainable Forest Management among different stakeholders, as well as to (iii) strengthen the knowledge and skills around Sustainable Forest Management. To achieve the third objective, the NSFM-Project is implementing workshops amongst other activities.

During the two-day-long workshops, the members of the Community Forests were trained on the various facets of Sustainable Forest Management. After starting with the official opening including prayer, welcoming remarks, introduction, participants’ expectations and ground rules, the trainer illustrated the basics of Sustainable Forest Management to form a solid foundation for the subjects to follow. Divided into groups, the participants had to work out the various usages of trees. While discussing the different usages, the trainer directed them to the three pillars of Sustainable Forest Management, namely the environmental, the economic and the social pillar.

The role of Community Forests in Sustainable Forest Management was next on the schedule, as well as the subject of deforestation, forest degradation and climate change. By doing group work on mapping their Community Forest in the year of its gazettement and of today, the participants realized to what extent their Community Forest has changed regarding cutting trees for building more villages or homesteads, or for getting bigger roads. After the participants presented their maps, the trainer asked them: “What do the two maps tell you and how do you feel about it?”. The answer was very clear: “Deforestation is coming!”

The first workshop day ended with the subject of sustainable harvesting methods.

[continue with PART 2 Training on Sustainable Forest Management started in Community Forests (PART 2)]