Emerging evidence and impact of IFM on policy and practice of forestry in Congo Basin: Illusion or Reality? Dr Aurelian MBZIBAIN Dr Aurelian MBZIBAIN Senior Lecturer/Programme Manager Centre for International Development and Training, University of Wolverhampton Email: [email protected]
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Emerging evidence and impact of IFM on policy and practice ...€¦ · change beyond forest sector –IFM as international conditionality • Mismatch between international policies
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Emerging evidence and impact of IFM on policy and practice of forestry in Congo Basin: Illusion or Reality?
Dr Aurelian MBZIBAIN
Dr Aurelian MBZIBAINSenior Lecturer/Programme Manager
Centre for International Development and Training, University of WolverhamptonEmail: [email protected]
Some key constraints• Limited national commitment and recognition: local constituency for
change beyond forest sector – IFM as international conditionality
• Mismatch between international policies and national policies – economic
development vision vs conservation + sustainability
• +/- importance of the European Union market – demand from less
sensitive markets
• Tools, methodologies, skills, quality of reports, regional consistency, etc
• Levels and application of fines, sanctions, transactions: ability to monitor
• Limited opportunities for regional learning, documenting lessons learnt
• IFM + Advocacy: incompatible? - risks of capture
• IFM as rather indiscriminate tool with sometimes unclear objectives: Easy
to find faults – document positive steps taken by companies to build trust
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Some Unintended effects
Respectful
1. Community conflicts – power relations
2. Capture of IFM by officials to perpetuate fraud
3. Demotivation – mechanisms for redress/conflict resolution
4. Negative impacts of legal behaviour: logging roads, forest fragmentation, subsistence agriculture, poaching, biodiversity loss etc
5. Diversion of timber to less sensitive markets – cross border trade
6. Exposure to threats/security and corruption
7. IFM could lead to informal sector actors missing out
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Success Factors and way forward– shaping policy/practice with IFM evidence
Don't think the evidence speaks for itself: target needs, sift, synthesise, provide accessible/usable information
Don't imagine that if you publish, impact will follow: be persistent, develop networks, and find the right moment
Do your homework – identify potential allies and opponents (national and international): alliances, insiders, progressive elements
Innovation –Technology: mobile phones, satellite, drones etc
Have patience, and lots of it: sustainable change takes time
Conclusions
• Variable impacts and anecdotal– vary widely depending on local, sectorial, regional and historical contexts
• Combatting illegal logging seen as international response – no long term national level impacts without political will and buy in
• Without support of all main stakeholders (including progressive elements in the forest sector) it is unlikely that IFM as currently practiced will lead to substantial policy level reform