Economic and social significance of forests for Africa’s sustainable development
Aim and scope of Nature & Faune magazine: Nature & Faune is a peer-reviewed open access international bilingual (English and French) publication of the FAO Regional Office for Africa. Its aim is to disseminate information (scientific and technical knowledge) and promote the exchange of experiences on wildlife, protected area management and the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources in Africa. The ultimate goal is to contribute to enhancing natural resources management for food security in Africa. It is currently produced twice a year under the coordination of the Senior Forestry Officer at the FAO Regional Office for Africa.
The editorial board is particularly interested in manuscripts about experiences, lessons learned and challenges faced, as well as in innovative practices which can enhance the sustainable management of natural resources, especially activities in wildlife management, forestry, fisheries, land, water and nature conservation. Announcements of funding opportunities, research possibilities, meetings or other activities of interest are also welcomed for posting in the magazine.
Subject and deadlines for next issue:
The General Assembly of the United Nations in its 83rd plenary meeting on 20 December 2006 adopted Resolution 61/193 in which it decided to declare 2011 the International Year of Forests, popularly referred to as “Forests 2011”. It offers the world's citizenry the opportunity to express the importance it attaches to its forest resources. This declaration is symbolic of the myriad of avenues for people to celebrate the various actions they can undertake each day to sustainably manage their forests - the world's forests! Forests 2011, has chosen as its theme “Forests for People” and will seek to raise awareness on good management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests (http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/).
Nature & Faune magazine will be contributing to this celebration by dedicating all its publications in 2011 to reflections and activities related to “Forests 2011”. In view of this, the topic for the next issue of the magazine is “Economic and social significance of forests for Africa's sustainable development”.
Forests and woodlands occupy 674.4 million ha, or 23 percent of Africa's land area, forming an integral part of the African landscape. Moreover, a significant percentage of Africa's population relies on forest resources for their livelihoods; many using trees on farms to generate food and cash. Forests provide a variety of wood and non-wood products as well as vital ecosystem services – preventing erosion from wind and water, preserving water quality, shading crops and livestock, absorbing carbon which contributes to countering climate change, and providing habitats for many species of plants and animals, thus helping to conserve biological diversity. In many African countries people use fuelwood to meet 90% of their energy requirements. In addition to productive and conservation roles forests are also valued as beautiful natural settings for recreation and spiritual reflection. Despite the importance of forest resources for the wide range of economic, environmental, social and cultural benefits, data on such dimensions are either sketchy or not available. Therefore, the extent to which they contribute to national development, reduce poverty, and enhance food security for vulnerable populations is not well recognized or appreciated. Increasingly however, case studies and other efforts are documenting the role forests and trees-outside-forests play in national economic growth, rural development and livelihoods. Thus, the topic for the next issue is aiming to explore in more depth the impact of forests on our lives.
In Africa, forest and tree resources directly provide, not only food, fuel for cooking and heating, medicine, shelter and clothing, but they also function as safety nets in crises or emergencies. For example, when crops fail due to drought, forest resources can generate alternate income through employment or through the sale of goods and services. A significant percentage of Africa's poor and hungry people reside in rural areas where, forests and trees outside forests perform a range of economic, ecological, cultural and social functions which are critical to their wellbeing and sustainable development of the continent as a whole.
The next edition of Nature & Faune will accordingly explore efforts that help nations sustainably manage their forests. It will be seeking management approaches that balance social, economic and environmental objectives so that present users can reap the benefits of forest resources, while conserving them to meet the needs of future generations. For this upcoming edition, we would also like to receive articles that encourage forest and natural resources managers to work more effectively to reach outside the traditional forest sector, to engage in partnerships with new stakeholders.
Nature & Faune invites you to submit manuscript(s) on successes, problems and concerns related to the above theme. In order to facilitate contributions from potential authors, we have created guidelines for the preparation of manuscripts for Nature & Faune. Short and succinct papers are preferred. Please visit our website or send us an email to receive a copy of the 'Guidelines for Authors'. Email: nature-faune@fao.org or Ada.Ndesoatanga@fao.org
Website: http://www.fao.org/africa/publications/nature-and-faune-magazine/
Deadline for submission of manuscript(s) and other contributions is 31st March 2011
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Nature & Faune Magazine
RAFT Natural resources – Fisheries – Forestry
FAO Regional Office for Africa
P.O. Box GP 1628, Accra, Ghana
Tel.: (+233-302) 675000 or (+233-302) 7010930
nature-faune@fao.org
Ada.Ndesoatanga@fao.org
Fax: (+233-302) 7010943 or (+233-302) 668 427
Website: http://www.fao.org/africa/publications/nature-and-faune-magazine/