Community Based Natural Resources Management in Mozambique: A Theoretical or Practical Strategy for Local Sustainable Development? The Case Study of Derre Forest Reserve

Through work in southern Africa this research programme has explored the challenges of institutional, organisational and policy reform around land, water and wild resources. The case study sites have been in Zambezia Province, Mozambique, the Eastern Cape Wild Coast in South Africa and the lowveld area of southeastern Zimbabwe. Three broad themes have been explored: • How do poor people gain access to and control over land, water and wild resources and through what institutional mechanisms? • How do emerging institutional arrangements in the context of decentralisation affect poor people's access to land, water and wild resources? What institutional overlaps, complementarities and conflicts enable or limit access? What new governance arrangements are required to encourage a livelihoods approach? • How do the livelihood concerns and contexts of poor people get represented in policy processes concerning land, water and wild resources in local, national and international arenas? What are the challenges for participation in the policy process? Any parts of this paper may be copied, reproduced, or adapted to meet local needs, without permission, provided that a) the source is clearly acknowledged and b) parts reproduced are distributed free or at cost, and not for profit. The views expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funder or collaborating partners (2003) 'Community based natural resources management in Mozambique: a theoretical or practical strategy for local sustainable development? The case study of Derre Forest Reserve'. Summary Through the case study of Derre Forest Reserve in Zambezia province, this paper explores the theory and practice of community based approaches to natural resource management. This approach has been widely promoted in southern Africa, and is central to elements of the Mozambican forestry and wildlife policy of 1999. The paper examines the history of community involvement in forest use in the reserve, and the changing nature of local organisations. In a place where limited livelihood options exist, and where poverty is extreme and widespread, gaining access to forest resources for livelihoods and incomes is critical. One route to increasing the benefits to local people has been the through joint ventures with private sector players. The experience of this has been mixed, as has the functioning of local organisations. The degree to which the emerging organisational arrangements are legitimate and inclusionary is questioned, as membership fees potentially exclude many poorer community members. The complementarities and conflicts …