The Congo Basin is home to the second largest tropical humid forest in the world and an important participant in climate change mitigation. While the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boasts the largest proportion of Congo basin forests, it is also the main contributor to forest loss. Industrial logging concession is a forest management model that is likely to expand in the DRC in the coming years as the Government recently announced the probable end of the 2002 moratorium on logging concessions. It is thus crucial to understand whether this model can further the DRC’s deforestation reduction efforts. The literature suggests that the effect of titling forestland on avoided deforestation and forest degradation is generally limited, unless environmental restrictions are enforced. The DRC’s 2002 forest code introduced a new logging concession model that includes requirements to submit and implement Forest Management Plans (FMP) and increase benefit-sharing with communities. Our paper evaluates the impact of this new model of concession contracts signed in 2011 and 2014 on deforestation and forest degradation. We use remotely sensed data series to estimate difference-in-difference models. We ensured baseline parallel trends in deforestation and similarity in baseline characteristics between control and treated units. We find no evidence that deforestation and forest degradation is significantly different between logging concessions and control areas, even for concessions that had their FMP accepted. Our study highlights the need for evaluating the impact of FMPs once they are fully implemented, the importance to improve degradation outcome variables and to conduct complementary studies analyzing impact pathways.
Tag: illegal practices
The effectiveness of policies for addressing Covid-19 impacts on wildlife conservation in Vietnam
The Covid-19 pandemic has stirred up global and national concerns over human-wildlife interactions, unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade, ecosystem degradation and the need to transform both policies and practices in achieving effective conservation outcomes. As new policies on post-Covid-19 recovery are being developed, global and national policymakers and practitioners call for scientific and rigorous assessments on the effectiveness of past and current wildlife conservation policies and projects, and the impacts Covid-19 is having on them, to provide inputs for evidencebased decision-making processes. Our paper is one of many efforts aiming to respond to this call. Based on a literature review, case study approach, and national policy dialogue, this paper aims to understand the impacts of Covid-19 on wildlife conservation, opportunities for and challenges to enhancing the effectiveness of current and future conservation schemes, and to propose recommendations for post-pandemic conservation actions.
The scale of Nigeria’s involvement in the trans-national illegal pangolin trade: Temporal and spatial patterns and the effectiveness of wildlife trade regulations
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) prohibits commercial trans-national trade in pangolin specimens. However, African pangolins are continually trafficked to Asia for traditional medicine, with Nigeria considered a key hub. Using reported Nigeria-linked pangolin seizure data and interviews with Nigerian law enforcement officials, we a) characterised Nigeria’s involvement in global pangolin trafficking January 2010–September 2021, particularly observing trafficking trends after pangolin’s CITES Appendix I listing; b) estimated the minimum number of pangolins whose scales are in Nigeria-linked seizures January 2010–September 2021, and; c) assessed ongoing efforts within Nigeria to curb pangolin trafficking. Nigeria-linked seizures involved 190,407 kg of pangolin derivatives (99.9% scales) from a minimum of 799,343 pangolins (95% confidence interval; 625,944-996,353) of four species (see caveats in Methods). All shipments confiscated in transit were destined for Asia, with a rapid increase in the mass of maritime shipments over time. Furthermore, stockpiling of pangolin derivatives for overseas shipment is perhaps a prominent trafficking model in Nigeria. Nigeria’s law enforcement efforts improved from 2017, the same year Nigeria apparently began playing a hub role. The impact of pangolin’s CITES Appendix I listing on pangolin trafficking was unclear, as the marked rise in seizures from 2017 when the listing became effective, coincided with improvements in Nigerian law enforcement efforts. COVID-19–induced travel restrictions likely reduced trafficking activities in 2020 but activities may have fully resumed in 2021. This study provides new information to inform effective enforcement and policy formulation efforts to protect African pangolins.
Enhancing the legal framework towards holistic and sustainable wildlife conservation in Vietnam
Key messages
- Biodiversity and wildlife in Vietnam are under increasing pressure from deforestation and illegal wildlife trading.
- A large number of wildlife conservation policies and projects are already in place. However, their effectiveness is hampered by unclear and inconsistent policies; weak law enforcement, monitoring and evaluation; insufficient funding; challenges in achieving the dual goal of conservation and development; environmental and social justice issues; and problems addressing the drivers of deforestation and degradation.
- Despite the persistence of these challenges, Vietnam has new opportunities to address them by moving away from sectoral silos and promoting One Health and landscape approaches; promoting cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration in addressing the illegal wildlife trade; adopting timely responses to newly emerging issues such as Covid-19 with mixed policy instruments; embedding wildlife conservation policies in green living and consumption behaviour; and tapping into international, regional and national financial initiatives to close finance gaps.
- Sustainable wildlife conservation in Vietnam requires strengthened transboundary and inter-sectoral stakeholder engagement; a holistic and cross-sectoral approach to addressing underlying drivers of deforestation and degradation; sufficient and sustainable funding; and changing consumers’ behaviour in buying and using wildlife products.
Effects of EU illegal logging policy on timber-supplying countries: A systematic review
The EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT) adopted in 2003 includes bilateral trade agreements known as Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) signed between the EU and timber-supplying countries. The EU has invested more than 1.5 billion euros in VPAs; however, only one of the seven concerned countries has managed to complete all the necessary requirements to expire FLEGT licences. Since there is no research that comprehensively integrates the scientific evidence regarding the effects of this policy, this study systematically reviews all empirical scientific studies on the effects of VPAs. We found that almost all relevant studies are case reports that use qualitative data and focus on only one country at a time, mainly Ghana, Cameroon, or Indonesia. The evidence suggests that while VPAs have contributed to the establishment of governance structures, tools, and procedures they have not been able to solve social problems (i.e., inequality and injustice) and have potentially harmed the economies of EU timber suppliers. Evidence on the effects of VPAs on illegal logging and trade and the environment remains limited. Thus, future research should focus on more countries; use a greater range of methods, including comparative experimental designs; explore possible intended effects on under-researched categories; and systematically investigate unintended effects on other categories within and outside the forestry sector.
Timber Trade in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Effectiveness of Timber Parks in Tackling Tax Frauds
HIGHLIGHTS The DRC Government has adopted and run an innovative ‘timber park’ model to check timber trade and exports in the eastern part of the country. The ‘timber park’ was able to detect various potentially egregious forms of illegalities, but also learn from observed illegalities, adapt its procedures, and improve its performance over time. In the case of transiting timber, which is sealed at origin and not checked at the park, it was possible to detect the very worrying trend that 100% of export declarations mention only one, and the same tree species. The park staff were able to detect the clear mismatch between what was declared as Mammea africana and belonged instead to the genus Afzelia, commercial name doussié, possibly A. bipindensis, one of the most valuable species (in terms of taxation) and also part of the country’s most threatened species, recently listed in Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Many species of the genus Entandrophragma spp (sipo, kosipo, sapelli, tiama) were observed by the park staff but never declared in transport waybills. More laboratory analyses are recommended to verify the exported species. SUMMARY The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) shares borders with nine countries and has around 150 million hectares of tropical moist forests. A moratorium on logging titles has been in place since 2002 and infrastructure is very poor. The country plans to lift the moratorium and invest in infrastructure as part of the broader East-African road and railway networks. We present a case-study conducted for thirty months (2020-2022) on timber trade and export at the first ‘timber park’ established on the eastern border. Multiple forms of potentially illegal timber trade were detected. In the case of transiting timber, results indicate that 100% of export declarations mention only one, and the same tree species. There also exist several mismatches between declared vs actually exported species (e.g. Mammea africana instead of genus Afzelia, recently listed in Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)). We estimate the potential financial losses for the DRC Government and discuss possible improvements. The model’s extension to major border crossings could contribute to both sectoral improvements and better environmental policies. Yet results also indicate that the model’s replication, sustainability and effectiveness can only occur and be maintained if interest and political support by provincial governments and their field staff remain strong.
The informal sawn wood value chains in Uganda: structure and actors
With increasing scarcity and spatial dispersion of tree resources, Uganda’s forest sector – similarly to several other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – has experienced a shift from the large-scale concessionary model historically used to access and harvest forests, to more versatile models involving smaller-scale operators. The timber they produce is sold not only locally in producer countries but also across borders and beyond. Yet small-scale operators largely work outside established regulatory frameworks and as such remain invisible to national and international production and trade statistics, rendering these players voiceless during policy-reform processes. Uganda is no exception, and little is known about the nature of people involved in various small-scale forestry activities, the constraints they face in day-to-day operations, and the dynamics that influence these aspects. Through 452 interviews, of a random sample of actors engaged directly in the sawn wood value chain, conducted between 2016 and 2019, this paper describes sawn wood flows from production areas to markets in Uganda. It assesses the socioeconomic characteristics of operators and the organisation of activities. Findings indicate that the majority of actors in the informal sawn wood value chain are adult males, belonging to a limited number of ethnic groups, exogenous to logging areas and generally deriving their income from the timber business. The sawn wood value chain shows a high degree of fragmentation, with low levels of organisation and lack of vertical and horizontal integration. We conservatively estimate the total volumes sold annually between 386,000 and 467,000 cubic meters of sawn wood. With the expected progressive shift from natural forests to plantations as the primary source of wood, it is key for the Government of Uganda to embrace a paradigm shift on the current policy framework, to ensure that it facilitates rather than constrains the sawn wood value chain, since most of the timber will be sourced from privately owned forests instead of State-owned forests. If most legal provisions remain based on the latter, it is likely that legality will remain the exception rather than the norm.
The EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT) adopted in 2003 includes bilateral trade agreements known as Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) signed between the EU and timber-supplying countries. The EU has invested more than 1.5 billion euros in VPAs; however, only one of the seven concerned countries has managed to complete all the necessary requirements to expire FLEGT licences. Since there is no research that comprehensively integrates the scientific evidence regarding the effects of this policy, this study systematically reviews all empirical scientific studies on the effects of VPAs. We found that almost all relevant studies are case reports that use qualitative data and focus on only one country at a time, mainly Ghana, Cameroon, or Indonesia. The evidence suggests that while VPAs have contributed to the establishment of governance structures, tools, and procedures they have not been able to solve social problems (i.e., inequality and injustice) and have potentially harmed the economies of EU timber suppliers. Evidence on the effects of VPAs on illegal logging and trade and the environment remains limited. Thus, future research should focus on more countries; use a greater range of methods, including comparative experimental designs; explore possible intended effects on under-researched categories; and systematically investigate unintended effects on other categories within and outside the forestry sector.
With increasing scarcity and spatial dispersion of tree resources, Uganda’s forest sector – similarly to several other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – has experienced a shift from the large-scale concessionary model historically used to access and harvest forests, to more versatile models involving smaller-scale operators. The timber they produce is sold not only locally in producer countries but also across borders and beyond. Yet small-scale operators largely work outside established regulatory frameworks and as such remain invisible to national and international production and trade statistics, rendering these players voiceless during policy-reform processes. Uganda is no exception, and little is known about the nature of people involved in various small-scale forestry activities, the constraints they face in day-to-day operations, and the dynamics that influence these aspects. Through 452 interviews, of a random sample of actors engaged directly in the sawn wood value chain, conducted between 2016 and 2019, this paper describes sawn wood flows from production areas to markets in Uganda. It assesses the socioeconomic characteristics of operators and the organisation of activities. Findings indicate that the majority of actors in the informal sawn wood value chain are adult males, belonging to a limited number of ethnic groups, exogenous to logging areas and generally deriving their income from the timber business. The sawn wood value chain shows a high degree of fragmentation, with low levels of organisation and lack of vertical and horizontal integration. We conservatively estimate the total volumes sold annually between 386,000 and 467,000 cubic meters of sawn wood. With the expected progressive shift from natural forests to plantations as the primary source of wood, it is key for the Government of Uganda to embrace a paradigm shift on the current policy framework, to ensure that it facilitates rather than constrains the sawn wood value chain, since most of the timber will be sourced from privately owned forests instead of State-owned forests. If most legal provisions remain based on the latter, it is likely that legality will remain the exception rather than the norm.
HIGHLIGHTS The DRC Government has adopted and run an innovative ‘timber park’ model to check timber trade and exports in the eastern part of the country. The ‘timber park’ was able to detect various potentially egregious forms of illegalities, but also learn from observed illegalities, adapt its procedures, and improve its performance over time. In the case of transiting timber, which is sealed at origin and not checked at the park, it was possible to detect the very worrying trend that 100% of export declarations mention only one, and the same tree species. The park staff were able to detect the clear mismatch between what was declared as Mammea africana and belonged instead to the genus Afzelia, commercial name doussié, possibly A. bipindensis, one of the most valuable species (in terms of taxation) and also part of the country’s most threatened species, recently listed in Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Many species of the genus Entandrophragma spp (sipo, kosipo, sapelli, tiama) were observed by the park staff but never declared in transport waybills. More laboratory analyses are recommended to verify the exported species. SUMMARY The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) shares borders with nine countries and has around 150 million hectares of tropical moist forests. A moratorium on logging titles has been in place since 2002 and infrastructure is very poor. The country plans to lift the moratorium and invest in infrastructure as part of the broader East-African road and railway networks. We present a case-study conducted for thirty months (2020-2022) on timber trade and export at the first ‘timber park’ established on the eastern border. Multiple forms of potentially illegal timber trade were detected. In the case of transiting timber, results indicate that 100% of export declarations mention only one, and the same tree species. There also exist several mismatches between declared vs actually exported species (e.g. Mammea africana instead of genus Afzelia, recently listed in Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)). We estimate the potential financial losses for the DRC Government and discuss possible improvements. The model’s extension to major border crossings could contribute to both sectoral improvements and better environmental policies. Yet results also indicate that the model’s replication, sustainability and effectiveness can only occur and be maintained if interest and political support by provincial governments and their field staff remain strong.