The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative
Case Received : February 4, 1998
Author : Aimé Léopold Traoré, CMDT
Tel : +223 57 30 45 / 57 30 43
This draft covers two basic and indissociable issues: enhancement of the living conditions of the local communities, and sustainable management of natural and forest resources.
It was agreed that actions should be concentrated within Kita cercle (Kayes region).
Since poverty is one of the main causes of environmental destruction, the project opted for a strategy linking social, ecological and economic aspects:
The situation used to be one of disorganized and abusive exploitation of natural resources by the villagers. Forest laws were based exclusively on the principle of punishment, a fact that tended to sour relations with the rural inhabitants.
The rural communities are (now) organized around the felling of trees for firewood, the village association being the grassroots wood management body (felling and sale of wood). Every village has its own wood market. Once an association is set up, its members are trained successively in lumbering and management practices, following which it signs a contract with the forestry authorities, and lumbering operations are conducted in accordance with established development plans. Felled lumber is transported to the village market, where anyone can sell or buy wood. Following signature of the contract, which sets out the villagers' rights and obligations, they receive lumbering permits. The villagers are required to take steps to promote regeneration of the woodlands where they have felled trees, for which they receive support from the development fund. As a counterpart, the project finances handcarts for the local inhabitants.
Another project component concerns women's activities, specifically honey production. The women have been trained in honey production using modern and improved traditional hives, and in the processing of honey into wax, ointment and candles. Another aspect of women's activities concerns processing of karité nuts: the women's committees [bureaux] receive working capital enabling them to purchase and stock up the nuts in the dry season; they then sell them to the local women, who manufacture karité butter and repay the bureau with interest.
Contracts are also signed with the other technical authorities, in such areas as literacy and training of the villagers in manure-pit management and composting.
Another contribution being made by the extension service to lightening of the women's chores is introduction of the three-stone hearth.
A further component is truck farming [maraîchage], an activity practiced by the women's associations that has enabled women to increase their incomes and improve nutrition.
Organization of the entire wood sector in Kita, from lumberer to hauler to consumer. Organization of points of sale.
These villagers are helping to preserve the ecosystem by replacing what they have destroyed and managing their terroirs.
Under the old forestry laws, the villagers were simply fined, which was discouraging, but punishment has now been replaced by partnership.
Responsibility for administration of the new institutional measures
The Ministry of the Environment has this responsibility, through the National Directorate of Water and Forests.
The Government has enacted a new law on lumbering and the wood trade, which is to be enforced throughout the country.
The population of the project area has been able to achieve self-development thanks to contractual participation in the management and rational exploitation of the forest resource.