The Role of Forestry in National Development
The role and future direction of forestry in Lesotho must reflect:
the physical extent of the existing resource
the realistic potential to develop the forestry resource base given the environmental context and people’s priorities, particularly in respect of wider land use decisions
The following fundamentals must therefore be recognised:
Lesotho’s forestry sector is unusual in terms of the sparseness of the resource - there is little natural forest to utilise
the opportunity for developing large commercial scale plantations and emulating an industrial scale model of forestry development seen elsewhere in the region (e.g. RSA and Swaziland) is poor
decisions about tree planting, as with all other land use decisions, are the responsibility and prerogative of land users themselves.
The need for trees and forestry expertise is in no way diminished by these observations. What is required however, is a rational focus which places emphasis on enhancing the role of forestry in terms of:
meeting the basic needs of local people for fuel, poles and timber - a need which remains unmet and is increasing so aggravating environmental degradation and poverty
contributing to the conservation of soil and water which will underpin the revitalisation of Lesotho’s agricultural sector which remains the only realistic route for the alleviation of poverty for the majority of the population
improving the productivity of agricultural systems, both arable and pastoral
providing income through the sale of forest products and the development of appropriate forest industries
reducing dependency on fuel imports, the rate of use of which will rise, particularly as urbanisation continues
Relative roles in national forestry in Lesotho requires a partnership between the government, NGOs, the private sector and people who should ultimately benefit from that development. Identification of relative responsibilities is central to the definition of clear roles in the development process.
Government
The primary role of government in Lesotho’s forestry development should not be to establish, manage or control forest resources itself. Neither should government be directly involved in commercial activities in the forestry sector which can be left to private enterprise.
Consequently government should:
establish no new state forest reserves
make genuine efforts to transfer the benefits, management responsibility and ultimately ownership of existing state forest reserves to local people and assist those communities in the management of these areas
withdraw from commercial activities in the forestry sector
concentrate efforts on creating an enabling policy and legal environment - including security of land and tree tenure - which supports individual initiative
provide appropriate supporting services which respond to and reflect people’s needs
In performing this role government service providers should recognise:
the complementary part that NGOs play in supporting the development of forestry nationally
the need to fully integrate forestry extension into the mainstream of other agricultural and conservation promotion efforts
the need to focus on core activities to ensure that best value for money is achieved with the resources available
NGOs have a responsibility to assist local communities in the development of forest resources through the provision of appropriate and focused services. Their frequent command of local people’s trust should allow them to be actively involved in the process of empowerment.
In undertaking this role NGOs should:
strive for the highest quality service provision
coordinate their activities with other services providers - government and NGOs
be consistent amongst themselves and with government in their approaches
The private commercial sector
The private commercial sector can play a significant role in the development of forestry resources in Lesotho. The private sector is diverse, ranging from individuals involved in the propagation of planting material to sell to their neighbours, through to those selling and utilising wood and wood products.
The private sector can best be supported through the establishment of a framework of legislation and policy, which supports its development. In return, the private sector should act in a responsible manner with respect to environmental issues, safety and the development of human skills.
People
A review of past forestry development efforts in Lesotho indicates that sustainable benefits will only accrue to people when they themselves assume responsibility of the development of forest resources. This is the principle of social forestry.
The primacy of Social Forestry
This definition of responsibilities and roles represents a significant shift in the emphasis and orientation of forestry development in Lesotho. It marks the adoption of social forestry as the basic approach to national forestry development.
To be executed fully this changed orientation will require:
officers in government to accepts the need for change
a willingness amongst NGOs to work closely with each other and government
a greater awareness amongst local people of their individual and collective responsibilities
a commitment from government to support these efforts and to effect legislative and specific policy changes as required
In developing this concept of social forestry the following guiding principles should be followed by government and NGO service providers reflecting the experience of the past:
the primary objective must be to empower local people to undertake tree planting and management by assisting them to secure undisputed access to land and ownership of trees and in transferring and developing necessary skills
sustainability and self-reliance must be nurtured by phasing out subsidised inputs and services. Payment in either cash or food should not be made to those developing (either individually or communally) forestry resources for their own benefit
models of forestry development which focus on individual (family) ownership should be emphasised rather than larger communal (village) activities where uncertainty regarding allocation of future benefits has been consistently shown to act against people’s willingness to protect and manage the resource
efforts must be made to integrate trees fully into farming and livelihood systems - forestry development must be wider than the simple promotion of blocks of trees without recognition of limited land resources and alternative land uses
