By
Prof. Fred Owino
A. Development context
1. The East Africa countries Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda together extend over some 340.5 million hectares and has a combined population of some 151.6 million. With the exception of Uganda, large proportions of the countries exist in semi-arid and arid conditions (some 80% of the area covered by the countries is semi-arid to arid conditions). Furthermore, the sub-region is particularly prone to recurrent droughts and food deficits often of catastrophic proportions on world scale.
2. Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda are members are members of the Inter-Governmental Agency for Development (IGAD), which was established in 1986 in its previous name, the Inter-Governmental Agency on Drought and Development (IGADD). Tanzania is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
3. There is a long history attempts to harmonise economic, trade, environment, customs, and security policies/protocols among the countries bilateral and multi-lateral bases. For example, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are at advanced stages of ratifying the treaty for the East African Community (EAC) as an economic union.
4. Currently, IGAD countries are actively engaged both in intra- and extra-territorial conflict resolution, security co-ordination, control of illegal arms, development co-ordination for trans-boundary resources and activities. Although the sub-region is characterised by destabilising conflicts, droughts, and associated human catastrophes, it has good potentials to evolve into a strong and viable trading block of countries.
5. Many populations across their boundaries have common ethnic bases and do mix freely between countries. Indeed, there is substantial informal trade between the countries associated with this free mixing of populations.
B. Management of forest resources
6. There is great variation in the extents to which forestry sectors have been developed among the seven countries. Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have relatively well developed forestry sectors. The three countries have benefited from supporting policies and legal instruments, which date back to 1940s. They have well developed Forest Departments (under Ministries of Natural Resources), which regulate and implement forest policy, conservation, forest industries, and trade in forest products. The three countries also have a wealth of trained human resources for the existing sector activities and for future expansion.
7. Although Ethiopia has had as log a history of forestry development as the three countries mentioned above, the forestry sector has developed to a lesser extent. A significant proportion of tree growing in Ethiopia has been accomplished through the Ministry of Agriculture as part of soil and water management programmes. Eritrea only started rehabilitating its forestry sector activities in 1994 as guided by Division of Forestry within the Ministry of Agriculture. Djibouti has had little sustained forestry sector activities. It is anticipated that, with IGAD headquarters in Djibouti, the country will give higher priority to its forestry and environment management activities. As with its other sectors, forestry sector in Somalia have disrupted by continuing internal conflict and absence of national government.
8. Partly related to the current relatively low priority in government resource allocations, forestry institutions in the seven countries are much weaker than those that support other sectors. Many countries are struggling with economic reforms in line with Enhanced Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) and, in the initial stages, national institutions (including forest sectors) have further weakened. Furthermore, SAP promoted reforms have primarily focused on the Agricultural sector (Agriculture Sector Adjustment Programmes), which have tended to downplay forestry sector concerns.
9. It needs full recognition the countries of the sub-region have forestry institutional capacities far below the minimum required to plan and to implement sustainable forest management according to Agenda 21. Thus, institutional capacity building is a crucial prerequisite. In this regard, African countries need to commit much more of their own resources to strengthen their forestry institutions including training and research institutions. In addition, the countries need substantial support from international co-operation programmes.
C. Management of wildlife resources
10. Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have wildlife resources of great international attraction. These countries have vibrant tourism sectors based on rich diversity of wildlife found in closed forests and open woodlands. For example, in Kenya, tourism ranks second only to agriculture in foreign exchange earning and contribution to GDP. It is imperative that forestry, range management and wildlife management are implemented in an integrated manner.
11. Conventional approaches to wildlife management have focused on gazetted national parks. However, substantial proportion of wildlife is found outside national parks. More recently, some countries like Kenya have developed and implemented wildlife management policies, which encourage joint management and benefit sharing ventures with local communities.
12. On the contrary, Djibouti, Somalia and Eritrea have lost much of their wildlife resources. Eritrea has recently taken commendable steps to restore natural forests and woodlands through permanent and temporary closures. Some wildlife are slowly appearing in the rehabilitated habitats. This indicates that there is great potential to re-introduce wildlife diversity through restoration of degraded lands of these countries.
13. There exist important challenges to sustainable management of wildlife resources. These include:
(i) Lack of clear policies on wildlife management, particularly for wildlife outside national parks
(ii) Lack of clear policies on some wildlife management practices such as culling and translocation
(iii) Lack of scientific knowledge and data on wildlife carrying capacities of various habitats
(iv) Illegal hunting and export of wildlife products (poaching)
(v) Lack of security in many parts of the region
D. Range management and livestock production
14. Pastoralism is the dominant land use in about 80% of the area of the seven countries with pastoral communities keeping livestock at levels far above the carrying capacity of available grazing land. Overgrazing is a major cause of forest degradation in all the countries of the sub-region.
15. Livestock production is mainstay of household economies for the majority of the population. Yet, range and livestock management remain poorly developed due to the low priorities, which governments have previously given to the development of the resources. With improvement in range management, livestock nutrition and health, there is great potential to increase livestock production in semi-arid and arid lands of these countries.
E. Fuelwood deficits
16. All rural households in the region require products and/or services from trees, most notably for fuel and building poles. In addition, the vast majority of urban households depends on wood for fuel and consumes other tree products as fruit and food. For example, it is estimated that the percentage of fuelwood of total household energy consumption is around 80% fuelwood in Uganda, Tanzania, and in Ethiopia. This consumption (largely in the form of charcoal) is a major cause of vegetation destruction, particularly in semi-arid and arid zones.