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Socioeconomic constraints, environmental impacts and drivers of change in the Congo Basin as perceived by logging companies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2006

MANUEL RUIZ PÉREZ ,
DRISS EZZINE DE BLAS ,
ROBERT NASI ,
JEFFREY A. SAYER ,
ALAIN KARSENTY ,
MARIEKE SASSEN ,
CLAUDINE ANGOUÉ ,
NORBERT GAMI ,
OUSSEYNOU NDOYE  and
GRÉGOIRE NGONO
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MANUEL RUIZ PÉREZ
Affiliation:
Dpt Ecologia, Edificio Biología, Calle Darwin 2, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
DRISS EZZINE DE BLAS
Affiliation:
Dpt Ecologia, Edificio Biología, Calle Darwin 2, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
ROBERT NASI
Affiliation:
CIRAD/CIFOR, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10/D, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
JEFFREY A. SAYER
Affiliation:
WWF International, Avenue du Mont Blanc, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
ALAIN KARSENTY
Affiliation:
CIRAD/CIFOR, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10/D, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
MARIEKE SASSEN
Affiliation:
CIRAD/CIFOR, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA 10/D, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
CLAUDINE ANGOUÉ
Affiliation:
UOB Département de Sociologie, BP 17055, Libreville, Gabon
NORBERT GAMI
Affiliation:
100 rue Lampama, Talangaï, Brazzaville, Congo
OUSSEYNOU NDOYE
Affiliation:
CIFOR Central and West Africa Regional Office, BP 2008, Messa, Yaoundé, Cameroon
GRÉGOIRE NGONO
Affiliation:
Institut de Recherches Agronomiques pour le Développement (IRAD), BP 2163, Yaoundé, Cameroon
JEAN-CLAUDE NGUINGUIRI
Affiliation:
ITTO, PO Box 329, Libreville, Gabon
DONATIEN NZALA
Affiliation:
Université Marien Ngouabi/IDR, BP 13647, Brazzaville, Congo
BENJAMIN TOIRAMBE
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de foresterie tropicale et subtropicale, FUSAGx, B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium
YVES YALIBANDA
Affiliation:
Ministère des Eaux, Forêts, Chasses, Pêches, de l'Environnement et du Tourisme, BP 830, Bangui, Central African Republic
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Abstract

The external factors that influence the environmental, social and economic performance of logging companies were studied using a questionnaire submitted to 30 logging concessions in five countries of the Congo Basin. This paper analyses socioeconomic constraints and environmental impacts experienced by these concessions, as well as their response to major external drivers of change. Concessionaires considered investment and operating finance their main constraint, followed by insufficient technical and human capacities, and inconsistent application of official regulations. Environmental problems directly produced by concessions' operations represented around one-third of the total score for environmental problems reported. Damage caused by construction of logging roads and erosion were identified as the main issues. Induced problems (two-thirds of the total score) were dominated by hunting, with encroachment and illegal logging perceived as much less significant. Policies, infrastructure, markets and technology are key external drivers of change in concessions' practices, while regional and international forestry institutions reportedly have the least influence, reflecting an emerging scepticism about the proliferation of international institutions and initiatives promoting sustainable forestry.

Keywords

Congo Basindrivers of changeenvironmental impactsindustrial loggingsocioeconomic constraints
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , December 2006 , pp. 316 - 324
Copyright
© 2006 Foundation for Environmental Conservation

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