Management and restoration practices in degraded landscapes of Southern Africa and requirements for up-scaling

• Published in: The international forestry review Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 31 - 42
• Main Authors: CHIRWA, P.W., LARWANOU, M., SYAMPUNGANI, S., BABALOLA, F.D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Commonwealth Forestry Association 07.09.2015
• Subjects: Degradation; Dry Woodlands; Policies; Regeneration; Restoration
• DOI: 10.1505/146554815816006965
• ISSN: 1465-5489

Southern African woodlands support the livelihoods of millions of both the rural and urban dwellers through the provision of non-wood products including supply of energy and agricultural expansion thereby contributing to deforestation and woodland degradation. However, there are recognized traditional forest management practices and technologies that have potential to promote rehabilitation and/or restoration of degraded woodlands provided relevant policies and institutional frameworks are in place. This paper reviews the causal factors of land and forest woodland degradation in southern Africa and highlights some of the successful practices for their restoration. Natural regeneration of different forms, including complete coppice; coppice with standards and selective cutting; pollarding, pruning and lopping, was found to be the predominant form of restoration in dry forests and woodlands of southern Africa. However, while policies promoting participatory natural resource management are in place in most countries of the region, implementation of these have mostly taken pilot project based approach with no strategies for up scaling by the governments. In addition, enabling policies for community based approach including clear cut land tenure and equitable benefit sharing are still not operational in most countries of the region. The conditions for up-scaling successful restoration practices include: (i) recognition of local knowledge; (ii) institutional support for implementation of restoration activities; (iii) income generating initiatives through marketing and value adding of natural resources; (iv) taking on financial opportunities from CDM mechanism including REDD.