Land degradation remains a major challenge to rural livelihoods and ecosystem sustainability across sub-Saharan Africa, with restoration efforts increasingly recognized as both ecological and governance challenges. While growing attention has been paid to gender-responsive restoration, limited research has examined how gendered land governance systems, tenure relations, and socio-ecological contexts shape perceptions of degradation and restoration practices. This study assessed gendered dimensions of land degradation and restoration across two contrasting agroecological zones in Cameroon, Pitoa in the Sudano-Sahelian zone and Balatchi in the humid Western Highlands. Using a mixed-methods approach combining household surveys (n = 320), participatory biophysical assessments using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF), and geospatial analysis, the study examined perceptions of degradation, restoration practices, training participation, and factors influencing restoration adoption among male and female land users. The findings reveal both shared and differentiated perceptions of land degradation between men and women. While there was moderate overall agreement on degradation drivers (Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (wt) = 0.64), low within-gender scores (wt = 0.30 for both men and women) highlight substantial intra-group variation. This suggests that gender alone cannot explain the full diversity of perceptions; other intersecting factors, such as age, tenure, education, and livelihood, likely shape individual viewpoints. Women showed stronger engagement in restoration practices linked to soil fertility improvement, including crop rotation, organic manure application, and agroforestry, while men more frequently emphasized market-oriented and input-intensive strategies. However, restoration decisions were strongly shaped not only by gender roles, but also by unequal access to land, labour, financial resources, training opportunities, and decision-making power. The study further demonstrates that access to land does not necessarily translate into secure control over land or restoration benefits, particularly for women operating under customary tenure systems. The results highlight the importance of integrating gender-responsive and rights-based governance approaches into restoration policy and practice. Effective restoration requires not only ecological rehabilitation, but also strengthened tenure security, inclusive participation, and equitable access to restoration resources and benefits. By linking biophysical assessment with gendered land governance analysis, the study contributes to emerging debates on socially inclusive and sustainable land restoration in sub-Saharan Africa.
Tag: customary law
How can collective action and customary laws help to manage conflicts over natural resource commons in rural communities? Case study of Zambia
This paper has been prepared for presentation at the CAPRi Workshop on Collective Action, Property Rights, and Conflict in Natural Resources Management. The present version has not undergone review. 1 Ambiguity in property rights underlies some customary practices such as bush fires and browsing by livestock which create conflicts in managing natural resource commons (natural fodder and bush animal meats) in eastern Zambia. To minimize risks of potentially explosive conflicts, among different socio-economic groups in the communities embarked on collective dialogues leading to the formulation of by-laws to guide privileges and responsibilities regarding the management of the above natural resources. In this paper, we (i) described the background of the problem and social conflicts associated with natural resource commons in Zambia; (ii) chronicled the process leading to the formulation, implementation and effectiveness of by-laws to manage the conflicts; (iii) conducted a sample survey of 196 households to assess the impacts of the by-laws on households and the different socio-economic groups in the communities. The study showed that collective dialogues and collaboration with traditional leaders can provide important entry points for interventions to minimize natural resources conflicts. Survey results of the impact of the by-laws revealed a remarkable reduction in the incidence of bush fire outbreaks (from 46% to 16%) and grazing that have led to conflicts in managing natural resources in the communities. It also showed that households who practice agroforestry and those headed by women were pleased with the by-laws; but livestock owners, boys and households who do not practice agroforestry perceive that they were disadvantaged by the by-laws. The following lessons were drawn from the study: (i) the distribution of the benefits (or costs) associated with a given natural resource among different interest groups influences the effectiveness of interventions to collectively manage the resource in rural communities; (ii) the possibility of inadvertent privatization of seasonal natural commons should be critically assessed as part of the efforts to minimize resource conflicts; (iii) the effectiveness of collective action on natural resources is closely linked to consensus-building among different stakeholders and willingness to review actions when and where necessary; (iv) an understanding of the dynamics of power structure among different interest groups in rural communities is critical to collectively manage natural resources and minimize conflicts.
Indigenous practices in forest conservation
This chapter explores Indigenous knowledge systems and traditional practices in forest conservation in Sabah, Malaysia. It highlights how Indigenous communities manage natural resources through customary laws, spiritual beliefs, and practices such as rotational agriculture, resource-use restrictions, and community-based governance. The chapter emphasizes the importance of traditional knowledge, community mapping, and protocols in sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. While these practices contribute significantly to conservation, Indigenous communities face ongoing challenges related to land tenure insecurity, governance conflicts, cultural erosion, and limited recognition of customary rights in formal legal systems.
An assessment of social negotiation as a tool of local management: a case study of the Dimako Council Forest, Cameroon
Access to natural resource is governed by competition and conflicts all the over the world. Alternative approaches to conflict resolution require assets provided by social negotiation, mediation and other types of social tools. This paper is based on a case of conflict of access to forest and on the use of social negotiation to solve it. It shows how a facilitation process enabled village communities of East Cameroon to secure a portion of forest in the northern part of the already classified Dimako council forest. The most meaningful result of this case study is the recognition and the rehabilitation, or the validation, of a community-based tool of social negotiation known as palabre traditionnelle (traditional arrangements and mediation), not recognized until now by mainstream science, conventional methodologies, forestry experts and policy makers in Cameroon.
Reforming the reformists: challenges to government forestry reform in post-Suharto Indonesia
This paper presents an overview of government and non-government efforts to reform forest management policies and practices in Indonesia. Particular attention is given to the question of local property rights within the state forest zone and emerging opportunities for local people to gain security of tenure. The past year has been a remarkable period of transition for Indonesia. Indonesians are currently nurturing a recovery from an economic collapse that, last year, brought a 17 % contraction of the economy. It is estimated that more than 8 million people lost their jobs. At the same time, the country is emerging from a 32-year period of political darkness. A democratic, multi-party system is slowly taking shape and, as recent elections indicate, the clear majority of Indonesians wants a clean break with the corrupt and politically repressive practices of the past. One area where the reform process is particularly charged is forestry. During the later half of the Suharto period, legal rights to extract large volumes of high value tropical timber were awarded to a tight network of Suharto associates and family members. Timber concessions and plantation rights were routinely given out in areas where local communities have lived, managed and depended upon forest resources for generations. Conflicts brought about by the government’s refusal to respect local property rights have increased significantly since Suharto’s resignation in May 1998, as has the ability of local people to project their problems and demands. As a result, moves towards securing local people’s rights are being taken more seriously by the Department of Forestry and Estate Crops. Local people’s organizations and NGOs however, say these moves are insufficient in that they focus on granting management rights to areas claimed by local people rather than recognizing customary community-based rights or hak ulayat.This paper reviews emerging options for local people to gain rights granted by government, as in the case of the Department of Forest’s nascent community forestry program, or to have customary (adat) rights fully recognized and secured. A background of the Indonesian setting is followed by a section on civil society demands for changes in forest management. This is followed by a brief summary of actual government forest sector reforms during year one of the post Suharto period. The remaining sections focus on property rights issues.
Lessons on land tenure and forest landscape restoration in Africa
African land tenure systems are shaped by complex interactions between customary norms and state policies, with tenure security varying across contexts. While state-issued titles may offer protection in post-conflict settings, they can also exacerbate inequalities and disrupt local safety nets where customary systems remain strong. External pressures such as colonial legacies, private investment, and migration have historically undermined customary institutions. State recognition of customary tenure can improve negotiation power, but policies that claim ownership of untitled land or trees may discourage forest landscape restoration (FLR) efforts. Women and minorities face additional barriers, including limited land rights, weak legal enforcement, and underrepresentation in decision-making, all of which hinder equitable participation in FLR initiatives.
Diminishing Status of Land Rights of Communities in Dry Lowland Areas and Their Implications: The Case of Ethiopia
Dryland areas occur in both the highlands and the lowlands of Ethiopia and cover over 60 % of the country’s land mass. They support pastoralist, agro-pastoralist and hunter-gatherer communities, and their long-standing institutions to manage local resources on a fairly equitable basis. However, this autonomy has been significantly eroded by successive governments’ policy of agricultural expansion and modernization, driven by the growing global demand for food and fuel. By reviewing historical trends and current statuses, this study attempts to identify the driving forces behind this fast-changing land use and its impacts on communities and resources. The review shows that government’s generous land leases to national and global investors, encroachment by smallholder farmers from the highlands, state-initiated settlements of poor households, and individualization of the commons by some community members themselves have further undermined the already weakening customary tenure arrangements (which were never as clearly defined in the lowlands as in the highlands). The problem, however, needs to be seen against the constitutional rights of all citizens who want to be farmers to get land anywhere in the country. Unless these issues are addressed, indigenous communities will continue to be exposed to expropriation and unable to assert their rights in the face of more powerful actors. The chapter concludes by stressing the need to formulate and enact policies and legal frameworks to ensure the livelihoods of dry lowland communities in light of the mounting interests of multiple actors and of other stakeholders’ rights and responsibilities as stipulated in the Ethiopian Constitution.
Tenure: Policy research on resources, rights, and equity
Secure tenure of land and natural resources is critical for ensuring equitable, efficient, and sustainable production of food and resilient rural livelihoods. This chapter examines foundational concepts and key lessons from research on tenure, including how different forms of tenure affect investment in production and resource management, and identifies priorities for further study, policy, and practice.
From deforestation to development of agroforests in customary land tenure areas of Sumatra
This study attempts to explore the causes of deforestation and the developmentof agroforests using household data collected from 60 randomly selected com-munities in Sumatra. We found that decreases in inherited land per householdand increases in the number of male workers and the dependency ratio led to theclearance of primary forests, whereas change in the inheritance system from amatrilineal to a bilateral system did not significantly influence the pace of defor-estation. We also found that wealthier households tend to clear forest and developagroforests more actively than their less wealthy counterparts.
Alternate tenure and enterprise models in Cameroon: community forests in the context of community rights and forest landscapes
Cameroon’s forests are estimated to comprise 19,631,000 ha of which 4 percent are reserved for communities and the rest are allocated to reserves or private commercial timber operations. Within Central Africa, Cameroon is considered a leader in forest and resource-related development policies. It was the first country in Central Africa to allocate concessions through a competitive bidding process, allow communities to request the setting aside of areas as “community forest”, create a zoning plan for the dense forests in the Southern parts of the country, and to put substantial taxes on access to resource extraction areas. Cameroon’s significant forest zone population lends itself to the development of SMFEs (small and medium forest enterprises) and community enterprises that complement the large-scale, mainly export-oriented, concession forest industry