The Rainforests of Cameroon - PROFOR

CHAPTER 3Objectives and Contentof the ReformsThe overarching objective of the reforms was to replace chaotic andopaque arrangements for accessing forest resources, which benefitedthe few, with a more organized, transparent, and sustainable systemthat would benefit greater numbers of people and the environment. Asunsatisfactory as the 1994 Forest Law may have appeared, it provided anationally ratified platform for initiating forest reforms to support thatobjective. SAC III, approved in 1998, contained measures designed torefine and build upon the intent of the 1994 law in six strategic areas(table 3.1):1. Rationalizing the use of forest land and setting the stage to securerights on forest land, regulate access to forest resources, reinforcelocal rights to forest resources, expand protected areas, and conservebiodiversity.2. Enabling communities to benefit more significantly (especially economically)from their rights to use forest resources by involving communitiesin conserving those resources over the long term.3. Allocating harvesting rights more efficiently and transparently by linkingthem to responsible Delivered by forest The World management Bank e-library and to: to tax revenues.The World Bank4. Ensuring that forest management IP : 192.86.100.34 is socially and environmentally responsibleand that the forest Mon, resource 09 Nov 2009 will 17:06:18 exist in perpetuity.5. Adopting a new forest taxation system to promote sustainable forestmanagement, share forest rents more equitably through greater27(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank