The University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Dschang in Cameroon, announce the first IUFRO (the International Union forest research Organizations) social sciences related conference entitled "African Forest-related Policies and Politics". The International and inter-disciplinary Conference aims to promote cutting edge knowledge on the emergence and evolution of forest-related policies and politics in Africa. The conference will be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 24 to 27 September 2018, with the support of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC).

The African Forest is paradoxical when compared to other tropical forest regions. While the level of forest degradation due to demand for fuel wood and slash and burn cultivation is on the rise, the degree of deforestation remains lower than that observed in South Asia and Latin America. In other words, African forest resources are used up at a faster rate in areas covered by dry and accessible forests while the majority of tropical Congo Basin forests remain untouched. To date, African forests in the Mediterranean region of North Africa and Southern and Central Africa are under mounting pressure from forest conversion activities, the loss of biodiversity, survival issues, population growth, bush fires and exploitation of soil and subsoil resources.

Read more...