The Albanian Forestry Project AFP

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The Albanian Forestry Project (AFP)

• Experience with Community based Forest Management

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementQuick Overview over Albania
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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementThe Albanian Forestry Project in Brief

• Funding IDA US 8.0Italian Loan US
  8.5Italian Grant US 2.5Swiss TF US
  0.5WB exec. US19.5FAO TA US 2.5Albania US
  2.1Total US 24.1
• Communal ComponentInitial US 2.3Now US 4.3
• Duration 1997-2002 (6 years)
• Close Collaboration with USAID Private Forestry
  Development Program (APFDP)

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementDegradation of Forests and Pastures

• Forest area 1 million haPasture area 0.4
  million ha
• Strong degradation of forests starting end of
  80ies. Deforestation by 15 between
  1988-1993Causes of deterioration
• Uncontrolled wood cutting and grazing
• Collapse of control mechanisms during transition
  phase
• Privatization of agricultural land family plots
  too small
• Increase of livestock numbers for additional
  income generation
• Illegal logging for commercial purposes

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementImportant Political Decisions on NR

• Transfer of certain forests and pastures for
  usufruct and management by communes ca. 250,000
  ha of state forests and pastures
• about 250 out of 315 communes are eligible
• Privatization of agricultural land
• Increased financial autonomy and management by
  communes
• Change of paradigm for Forest Administration
  (DGFP) Extension services, assistance to Communes

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementObjectives of the AFP

• 3 Main Objectives
• Restore degraded State-owned forest and pasture
  areas and promote their sustainable use
• Promote the conservation of natural forest
  ecosystems
• Promote steps towards market economy in the
  forestry/pasture sector

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementApproach and Rationale
Improved State Forest Management
Institutional Development
Objective
Management of Communal Forest and Pasture Areas
Forest Roads Rehabilitation and Maintenance
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Experience With Community Based Forest
ManagementObjectives of the Communal Forest
Component

• Support of two major policy objectives of GOA
• Empowering local governments
• Achieving sustainable increase in productivity of
  forest and pasture areas
• Through
• Silvo-pastoral management of communal lands in 30
  selected communes based on tests in 3 communes
• Supportive activities staff, GIS, studies

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementThe Concept of Participatory
Management of Natural Resources (1)

• Note Component is of experimental nature
  participatory management of NR at communal level
  has been unknown in Albania. Population and
  administration not prepared for implementation
• Approach
• Selection of interested Communes (30)
• Identification of forest and pasture areas to be
  transferred. Mapping of areas and internal
  borders. GIS entrance. Close collaboration with
  USAID Project

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementThe Concept of Participatory
Management of Natural Resources (2)

• Continued
• 3. Identification of user groups in each Commune
  (User Associations)
• 4. Development of a 10 year silvo-pastoral
  management plan by communal authority and user
  groups
• 5. Transfer of forest to Commune on basis of a
  10-year lease
• 6. Support to implementation of Mgt. Plan.
  Contract between State-Communes-User Groups.
  Block grants financial contribution by user
  groups.
• 7. Development and establishment of a
  re-investment mechanism

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementMenu for possible investment
activities(Block Grants US 30,000)

• Rehabilitation and improvement of forests
• Reforestation of degraded forests
• Improvement of shrub and degraded oak vegetation
  through coppicing and temporary protection from
  livestock
• Rehabilitation and improvement of pastures
• Increase of fodder supply through planting of
  forage trees
• Organized utilization of pastures (rotation
• Temporary closing, fencing and planting live
  hedges
• Establishing of livestock water wells

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementDoes the Project Achieve Goals?

• Achievements far beyond expectations!
• Approach widely accepted and repeated at national
  level
• GOA followed suggestion of the Project to
  establish a new Directorate for Communal Forests
  and Pastures
• Forest service decentralized and communal
  services strengthened (specialized communal
  foresters
• Additional 60 Communes included in the project
• Budget for communal component drastically
  increased (from US 2.2 to more than 4.0 million)

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementDo villagers accept the project ?
(1)

• In general villagers are responsive to the
  project some facts
• There is a high degree of community participation
  in project activities
• 30-40 of families participate in User Groups
• Interventions have been protected, high survival
  rate of seedlings
• Actors are in general participatory and inclusive
• Opportunity for paid labor income is highly
  appreciated
• Interest to participate is very in-homogenous

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementDo villagers accept the project ?
(2)

• More than 1300 ha of communal forests have been
  improved and 112 ha have been replanted
• DGFP reports that the communal forestry program
  has contributed to reducing illegal logging.
• The program is highly relevant for the
  development of the rural sector and for the fight
  against poverty in Albania.

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementPerceived problems affecting
sustainability (1)

• Despite positive results there are a number of
  critical issues to be considered
• Farmers complain that funds provided for each
  commune are not sufficient to rehabilitate
  communal pastures and forests.
• Pastures and forests are too degraded to produce
  immediate revenues.
• 20 of all families are not able to pay fees for
  using fire wood in the village area. Associations
  have therefore difficulties to replenish revenue
  funds.

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementPerceived problems affecting
sustainability (2)

• There are problems with families which do not
  participate in the program and extend instead
  number of grazing animals.
• Associations need support in marketing of
  non-timber products. The market for medicinal
  plants is monopolized
• Communal forestry management plans are complex
  and technical and are not prepared in a fully
  participatory manner.
• District forest officers are reluctant to fully
  advise and support associations and are still not
  convinced of the usefulness of the transfer of
  user-rights to communes.

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementForecast Risks for long-term project
objectives

• Possible chain reaction Many farmers hope,
  through participation, to receive back their
  traditional family land. This could mark the
  starting point for forest restitution
• Farmers think that trees planted are free of
  tariffs
• Problem of refused land persists and sharpens.
  They are outside project reach
• Tensions between old and new villagers

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Experience with Community based Forest
ManagementSzenario for Development of
Land-Ownership in Albania

• before 45 45- 95 now future?