Tamasang, Christopher F. --- "Legislation for Sustainable Forest Management in the Central African Sub-Region: What Prospects for Effective Implementation?" [2011] ELECD 324; in Paddock, Lee; Qun, Du; Kotzé, J. Louis; Markell, L. David; Markowitz, J. Kenneth; Zaelke, Durwood (eds), "Compliance and Enforcement in Environmental Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Compliance and Enforcement in Environmental Law

Editor(s): Paddock, Lee; Qun, Du; Kotzé, J. Louis; Markell, L. David; Markowitz, J. Kenneth; Zaelke, Durwood

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781848448315

Section: Chapter 20

Section Title: Legislation for Sustainable Forest Management in the Central African Sub-Region: What Prospects for Effective Implementation?

Author(s): Tamasang, Christopher F.

Number of pages: 18

Extract:

20. Legislation for Sustainable Forest
Management in the Central African
Sub-Region: What Prospects for
Effective Implementation?
Christopher F. Tamasang*

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 Historical Conspectus and Biodiversity Potentials

The Central African sub-region, for the purpose of forest management, covers
countries directly linked to the Congo Basin Forest! as well as other Central
African countries that do not share in the forest resource but have a stake or
interest in the conservation and sustainable management of the forest. Of the
more than 60 million people inhabiting this region, about 70 percent of them
depend on natural resources, in particular, forest and wildlife for their livelihood;
yet most of the population of the region subsists on less than US$2 a day. 2 The
Congo Basin harbours some of the richest concentrations of terrestrial species on
the planet and is the world's largest expanse of rainforest after Amazonia. Dense
forest extends over 190 million hectares, covering almost 50 percent of the
Central African landmass. 3 The region is home to more than 655 species of birds,
36 percent of which are endemic; 100,000 plant species, about 3000 of which are
unique to the region; 400 mammals species, including the world's largest
population of lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees) and
forest elephants. 4
Given these resources, the Congo Basin is important in many ways. First,
animals and plant species are an essential source of food, materials and shelter for
over 20 million people in the ...