Local Development and Community Management of Woodlands: Experience from Mali

This paper looks at a new approach to managing community forests. Malians continue to depend on forests and trees, using them in different but overlapping ways: as a source of household fuel and food; as fodder, bedding and fertiliser in agricultural production; and as a source of revenue and employment. Nationwide, wood is the main source of energy, but it is under increasing pressure as forest reserves dwindle and the population expands. Traditional natural resource management systems can no longer cope with the effects of the intensive commercial exploitation of firewood and other forest products that prevails around urban areas. There is now an urgent need to consider how best to satisfy the requirements of the growing population while maintaining the quality and quantity of the country’s woodlands.