The Rainforests of Cameroon - PROFOR

CHAPTER 4A Summary of ImpactsThe overarching objective of Cameroon’s forest sector reforms was tobenefit great numbers of people and the environment by replacing chaoticand opaque arrangements for accessing forest resources with a moreorganized, transparent, and sustainable system. The previous chapter hasgiven some indication of the reforms’ scope and complexity. But whatactually happened in the rainforests over the past 10 years? Althoughtoo many variables are involved to establish definitive causal relationshipsbetween individual reforms and specific changes in forest policy,and between the reforms in their entirety and overall transformation ofthe forest sector, 1 it is clear that some sector settings changed profoundlyand that new trends emerged. This chapter very briefly summarizes thesechanges and assesses their combined effect. For the data and analysesbehind this assessment, see chapter 5.General TrendsCameroon has moved toward meeting the reforms’ objectives, althoughsetbacks and unforeseen challenges are still taking place in a process thatappears far from complete.Some of the positive impacts of forest reform are immediately visible.Maps of Cameroon’s Delivered forests between by The World 1992 Bank and e-library 2007 to: clearly reveal changesThe World Bankin the dimensions and types of IP forests : 192.86.100.34 (map 2; see map insert). The incrediblepatchwork of short- and Mon, long-term, 09 Nov 2009 17:06:18 small and large, and often overlappinglogging titles that prevailed in 1992 has been eliminated. Newprotected areas, community forests, and community hunting zones have65(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank