Towards an Inclusive Approach to Forest Management: Highlight of the Perception and Participation of Local Communities in the Management of miombo Woodlands around Lubumbashi (Haut-Katanga, DR Congo)

The misappropriation of sustainable forest programs by local communities and the under-utilization of their knowledge are major impediments to the mitigation of deforestation. Within this context, participation has become a principle used in almost all interventions. It is important to evaluate the practices in this area to ensure better involvement of local communities. This survey examined the perception and participation of local communities in the management of miombo woodlands, based on semi-structured questionnaire surveys involving 945 households in 5 villages in the Lubumbashi rural area. The results reveal that local communities perceive soil fertility loss and deforestation as major environmental challenges in their area. This perception remains largely influenced by their socio-demographic factors such as respondents' age, seniority in the villages, and level of education. To mitigate deforestation, the rare actions of provincial public services and non-governmental organizations are focused on the sustainable exploitation of miombo woodlands through the development of simple management plans, reforestation, and forest control. These activities are sparse and poorly inclusive of scientific findings and the priorities of local communities. These justify poor community participation, particularly in the actions of provincial public services. For a better appropriation of sustainable forest management plans and to reinforce miombo woodlands' resilience to anthropogenic pressures, based on these findings, we recommend a concerted and inclusive approach to forest planning.

Automated summary

The misappropriation of sustainable forest programs and under-utilization of local communities' knowledge hinder efforts to mitigate deforestation. Therefore, evaluating practices in this area is crucial to enhance community involvement. A survey examined the perception and participation of local communities in managing miombo woodlands, showing that soil fertility loss and deforestation are seen as significant environmental challenges. Provincial public services and non-governmental organizations focus on sustainable exploitation through limited actions, which are not inclusive of scientific findings or community priorities. To promote sustainable forest management and strengthen miombo woodlands' resilience, a concerted and inclusive approach to forest planning is recommended based on these findings.