Thesis (MscFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The state owned and managed forest and woodland resources during the colonial and postindependence
periods in Mozambique. However, the centralised government forestry policies
failed to stop the continual loss of natural forest and woodland resources under the state
control. This study is concerned with the sustainability of a cimbirre (Androstachys johnson iidominated)
woodland in a rural part of Mozambique. A. johnsonii trees are the major source
of subsistence and income generation in southern Mozambique. Nevertheless, the exploitation
of the species is running illegally because the diameters used for poles are below the
harvestable diameter limit defined by the forestry legislation.
This study is part of the research activities of a community-based natural resources
management project being implemented in the Mabote District. The study focuses on the four
villages covered by this project funded by the Government of Finland. It intends to develop
guidelines for sustainable management of the woodland which is of a great concern to the
rural woodland-dependent communities. The study examines the socio-economic context of
commercial harvesting of A. johnsonii trees for poles by local communities, as well as the
sustainability of the woodland resources concerned, especially with respect to the setting of
minimum harvestable diameter limits. It is assumed that the current deliberate burning of
cimbirre woodlands to kill the desired species would cease once a sustainable diameter limit
is established. Three methods are used to respond to the objectives of the study, namely: (1)
Semi-structured interviews and group discussions with key informants; (2) Structured
questionnaire surveys submitted to households randomly selected within the four villages
being studied; and (3) Forest resource assessment.
The literature review documents the theoretical issues of sustainable management of natural
resources and forest in particular, both past and present. It indicates that a state-community
partnership should be considered for sustainable management of the area. It is also valid for
communal areas in Mozambique in general, where the government legally controls forest
resources.
The implementation of the structural adjustment programme that Mozambique currently
pursues, allied to the retrenchments in the gold mining industry in South Africa and the
abolishment of recruitment of Mozambican labourers in the South African mining industry,
have transformed the traditional forms of rural livelihoods. These measures provide rather
large incentives for private interests to exploit poles for commercial purposes. Findings of this
study based on the forest resource assessment provide an ecological basis for allowing
harvesting of juvenile trees of A. johnsonii for poles by local communities, because the
current level of harvesting trees does not lead to woodland degradation. Besides, the
centralised policies that governed the allocation of forest resources both in colonial and postindependent
Mozambique have transformed traditional authorities. This has led to a confusion
of roles and conflicting power in forest management.
Key words: Community involvement, deforestation, sustainable natural forest management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die koloniale en post-onafhanklike periode in Mosambiek is die woude en bosland
hulpbronne deur die staat beheer en besit. Dié gesentraliseerde regeringsbeleide het egter nie
die voortdurende verlies aan natuurlike hulpbronne onder staatsbeheer gestop nie. Hierdie
studie handle oor die volhoubaarheid van 'n cimbirre (Androstachys johnson ii-dominated)
inheemse bos in 'n landelike deel van Mosambiek. A. johnsonii bome is die hoofbron van
bestaan en inkomstegenerering in die suidelike deel van Mosambiek. Nogtans word dié
spesie onwettiglik uitgebuit omdat die deursnee vir pale onder die oesbare minimum deursnee
is, soos bepaal deur bosbouwetgewing.
Dié studie vorm deel van die navorsingsaktiwiteite van 'n gemeenskapsbeheerde, natuurlike
hulpbron bestuursprojek wat tans geïmplementeer word in die Mabote Distrik. Die fokus van
dié studie is vier dorpies wat gedek word deur die projek. Die doelwit is om riglyne te
ontwikkel vir die volhoubare bestuur van die bosgebied wat 'n groot bron van bekommernis is
vir die landelike gemeenskappe wat van die bos afhanklik is. Die studie ondersoek die sosioekonomiese
konteks vir die kommersiële oes van A. johnsonii bome vir pale deur die
plaaslike gemeenskappe, sowel as die volhoubaarheid van die bosebied se hulpbronne hier
betrokke, veral met die oog op die bepaling van 'n minimum deursnee beperking vir
oesdoeleindes. Dit word aanvaar dat die huidige doelbewuste brand van cimbirre boslande,
om die gewenste spesies dood te maak, beeïndig sal word as 'n volhoubare deursnee limiet
vasgestel word. Dit sal gedoen word met behulp van insette deur die afhanklike
gemeenskappe. Drie metodes is gebruik om die doelwitte van die studie te behaal; (1) Semigestruktureerde
onderhoude en groepbesprekings met kerninformante; (2) Getruktureerde
vraelys opname wat aan lukraak geselekteerde huishoudings binne die vier dorpies (wat deel
maak van studie) gegee is; en (3) Hulpbronwaardering in die bos.
Die literatuurstudie dokumenteer die teoretiese kwessies oor die volhoubare bestuur van
natuurlike hulpbronne en dan spesifiek woude, beide in die verlede en in die huidige situasie.
Die gevolgtrekking is dat 'n staatgemeenskapsvennootskap oorweeg moet word vir die
volhoubare bestuur van die area. Dit geld ook in die algemeen vir die kommunale areas in
Mosambiek, waar die regering wettiglik woudhulpbronne beheer.
Die implementering van strukturele aanpassings programme tans in Mosambiek, asook die
afdankings in die goudmynindustrie in Suid-Afrika en die beeïndiging aan die werwing van
Mosambiekse arbeiders deur Suid-Afrika, het tradisionele vorms van landelike broodwinning
getransformeer. Dit lei weer tot die misbruik van pale vir kommersiële doeleindes, deur die
privaat sektor. Bevindings uit dié studie, gebaseer op die woudhulpbron waarderings, verskaf
'n ekologiese basis vir die oes van jong A. johnsonii bome vir pale deur die plaaslike
gemeenskappe, want die huidige vlak van oes van dié bome lei nie tot boslandagteruitgang
nie. Boonop het die gesentraliseerde beleide wat die toekenning van woudhulpbronne beheer,
in beide 'n koloniale Mosambiek en 'n post-onafhanklike Mosambiek, tradisionele
gesagsstrukture getransformeer. Dit het gelei tot 'n verwarring in rolle en 'n konflik in mag in
inheemse bosbestuur.
Key words: Deforestasie, gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid, volhoubare natuurlike bosbestuur.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50103 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Cuambe, Carla Cristina |
| Contributors | Watts, S., Clark, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 111 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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