5. TRAINING AND RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING AND REINFORCEMENT

5.1. Research on FGR
5.2. Training capacity

5.1. Research on FGR

In general it is difficult to find any mention in records of any formal savanna woodland research programme conducted by the Forestry Department after the late 1960's.

However from 1986 to 1988 a Forestry Department, Community Forestry Project in the Northern Region supported by ODA ran a programme of research into technical and sociological factors influencing the development of community forestry action in the Northern region. Trials included: Woodlot spacing trial, species screening trial, wet site trial, living fence experiment; planting material trial shelterbelt establishment, Combretum regrowth trial; agroforestry plots, field windbreak, boundary planting; lump side protection planting; enrichment planting of natural woodland, yield trials at Sinsangbleweni forest reserve designed to assess the volume of wood products produced under different site and management conditions.

The current thrust of savanna forest research is:

• Selection and cultivation of fast-growing savanna trees: identification of tree species that grow well in the savanna, the development of techniques for their cultivation and the study of the socio-economics of savanna afforestation.
• Utilization of selected savannah trees for industrial products aside from energy
• Management of existing savannah woodlands to take advantage of coppicing ability of savanna tree species and natural regeneration.
• Agroforestry Research: A survey of traditional agroforestry trees on farms, fallows and homesteads, the uses of these trees and the roles they play in sustainable management.
• Socio-economic studies of agroforestry systems to determine economic returns of trees.

5.2. Training capacity

The staff of the Forestry Department is hindered by lack of knowledge on the following: - sustainable productive potential of savanna woodlands, silviculture (phenology, rate of growth, coppicing ability, regeneration) of savanna species; community issues, anthropological studies, real effects of fire and grazing, coverage and extent of savanna woodlands, role of trees and reserves in farming systems and local economies. Furthermore, the Forestry Department is hampered by lack of infrastructure, lack of transport, poor deployment of staff, general neglect of savanna by Forestry Department, minimal value attached to savanna woodland management, lack of mandate to work off-reserve, low morale, late release of funds, insufficient money for operations etc.