
Consultation platforms at communal, regional and national level to facilitate Forest Landscape Restoration in Togo

The Republic of Togo is one of the AFR100 countries, that established an AFR100 National Stakeholder Platform by operationalizing the National Commission on Sustainable Development (CNDD), an AFR100 Regional Stakeholder Platform by operationalizing the Regional Commission on Sustainable Development (CRDD) and by operationalizing several AFR100 stakeholder platforms at communal level by operationalizing the Communaul Commission on Sustainable Development (CCDD). Based on these platforms, Forest Landscape Restoration in Togo is done based on a sound cross-sectoral consultation and a comprehensive decision making process on various levels.
Contexto
Défis à relever
Degradation of ecosystems is going on in Togo, forest ecosystems are threatened at large. The forest coverage in the country is reported at around 20 Percent by 2023/2024. Especially in the tree rich productive open landscape with strong human influence, there is an ongoing process of land grabbing by clearcutting and slash and burn of existing remaining forest areas. The degradation of the ecosystem leads to socio-economical problems of the local population as well.
FLR CHALLENGES IN TOGO
- Tenure conflicts between farmers, pastoralists, fishermen and managers of protected areas.
- Degradation and reduction of forest cover due to increasing demand of fuelwood, timber and uncontrolled fires
- Lack of financial resources to carry out restoration activities at very large scale
- Mobilisation of stakeholders to monitor AFR100 implementation
- Sensitization and capacity strengthening on best FLR practices.
- Elaboration of a national strategy on FLR in Togo
- Maintenance and monitoring of seedlings planted
- Water management
Ubicación
Procesar
Summary of the process
The progress of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in Togo requires a consultation process at all levels - concerned ministries at national level, authorities at Central Region level and the population at local level in Tchamba.
Building Blocks
OPERATIONALISATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The operationalisation of the National Commission on Sustainable Development of Togo within the framework of the AFR100 initiative was held in Lomé at Hôtel La Concorde. It was attended by 53 participants from public, civil society organisations, parliament, religious and traditional leaders and international institutions working in Togo.
The meeting was presided over by The Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources. Representatives of all sectoral ministries attended the metting. The speech of the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, Dr Nardos-Bekele Thomas was read by Ousseynou Ndoye, the AFR100 Regional Coordinator for West and Central Africa. The speech of GIZ-F4F was read by Simon Lange of GIZ-F4F. The Secretary General read the speech of the Minister of Environment and Forest Resources.
The CNDD is a decree signed by the President of the Republic of Togo, the Prime Minister and several sectoral ministries in Togo. This shows a very high level of appropriation and it is unique in the AFR100 initiative. Furthermore, there are other administrative orders creating committees at regional (CRDD) and communal levels (CCDD). The operationalization of the CNDD has been done through articles 3 and 4 of the government decree creating the CNDD.
21. FLR ACHIEVEMENTS BY PARTNERS IN TOGO
- Political involvement in FLR by high level authorities.
- Green jobs are provided for women, youth, adult and minorities through FLR activities.
- Organization of an annual reforestation campaign in the Togo.
- Organization of a national campaign to fight forest fire and to sensitize the population.
- Ambition to plan 1 billion trees by 2030 as recommanded by the President of Togo.
- In 2022, the Union of NGOs of Togo has planted 826,665 trees over a target of 1,412,740 trees (59 %) on 428 hectares over a target of 1423 hectares (30%).
- 279 enterprise development plans (business plans) have been elaborated for communities.
- Consolidation of 30 value chains related to agricultural and agroforestry products.
- Evaluation of FLR opportunities at national level.
- In 2021, in total 3,303,024 plants were produced and 4500 hectares restored by the national reforestation program with funding from the government and involvement of national stakeholders.
- In 2022, in total 5,207,250 plants were produced and 8256 hectares were restored.
- Average revenue was increased by 25 % for households involved in honey, parkia biglobosa, shea butter and fuelwood value chains.
22. FLR CHALLENGES IN TOGO
- Tenure issues and conflict between smallholder farmers, pastoralists/herders, fishermen and managers of protected areas
- Degradation and reduction of forest cover due to increasing demand of fuelwood, timber and uncontrolled fires
- Lack of financial resources to carry out restoration activities at very large scale
- Mobilisation of stakeholders to monitor AFR100 implementation
- Sensitization and capacity strengthening on best FLR practices
- Elaboration of a national strategy on FLR in Togo
- Maintenance and monitoring of seedlings planted
- Water management in nurseries
- Integration of climate change mitigation and adaptation and forest landscape restoration in municipal development plans
- Climate risks and forests fires
- High dependency of communities on forests resources
- Weak competitiveness of NGOs in mobilizing trust funds
- Predominance of biomass as the main source of energy
- Failure to materialize or respect transhumance corridors
- Overgrazing and unsuitable agricultural practices
- Uncontrolled urbanization and demographic explosion
Lesson learned
23. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON SUSTAINEBLE DEVELOPMENT
1. The Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources should take the leadership in collaboration with the statistics department to collect all relevant information on FLR at the national level. That is to say that the Ministry of Environment will serve as a repository of all data collected at national level to inform the government on progress toward reaching the pledge of 1400000 hectares of degraded forests and lands to the AFR100 initiative. Those data collected at national level will then be transfered to the AFR100 Secretariat for a centralized repository which all AFR100 countries will follow.
2. To attract private investors and financial institutions investments on FLR, win-win business models need to be elaborated and disseminated at the national level.
3. To ensure a full success of restoration through tree planting, it will be very important for the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources to ask the species prefered by communities and produce the planting materials to be distributed to them. This will increase the likelihood of successes because comunities will be taking care of all trees planted since they will be trees of environmental, social and economic values.
4. The Minsitry of Environment and Forest Resources needs to monitor all areas of Togo where trees have been recently planted in order to evaluate the survival rate and the reasons for failure.
5. All sectoral Ministries need to designate their representatives to the CNDD/AFR100 initiative.
6. The permanent secretary of the CNDD/AFR100 should stay the same as the permanent secretary of the CNDD at its origin.
7. The Ministry of Environment should take the leadership in the CNDD/AFR100 initiative.
OPERATIONALISATION OF THE REGIONAL COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The operationalization of the Regional Commission on Sustainable Development of the Central Region of Togo within the framework of the AFR100 initiative was held in Sokode, Togo on 4 May 2023. It was attended by 67 participants from public, civil society organisations, prefets, mayors, religious and traditional leaders, communities.
The meeting was presided over by The Prefet of Tchaoudjo. The speech of the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, Dr Nardos-Bekele Thomas, was read by Ousseynou Ndoye, the AFR100 Regional Coordinator for West and Central Africa. The speech of GIZ-F4F was read by Simon Lange of GIZ-F4F. The Prefet of Tchaoudjo delivered the speech of the official opening ceremony.
32. FLR CHALLENGES IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF TOGO
- Tenure issues and conflict between smallholder farmers, pastoralists/herders, fishermen and managers of protected areas
- Degradation and reduction of forest cover due to increasing demand of fuelwood, timber and uncontrolled fires
- In the Central region of Togo, Ricinodendron heudelotii is a threaten specy. This is interesting because in Central Africa, Ricinodendron heudelotii is not a threaten specy
Enabling factors
31. FLR HIGHLIGHTS IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF TOGO
- Integrating agriculture-agroforestry-and forestry which is a good source of diversification and possibility for the ministry of agriculture and environment to collaborate on FLR issues
- Cretaing a besser understanding by summarizing and sharing all projects managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources with decentralized administration levels like prefects and mayors
- The central region of Togo offer an opportunity to restore more than 1,400,000 hectares of degraded forests and lands which exceeds the government pledge to the AFR100 initiative. This implies that Togo has a possibility to commit more than 1,400,000 hectares if one considers the entire country.
Lesson learned
33. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONALISATION OF THE REGIONAL COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
1. Introduce fast growing trees to enable communities get more access to sources of fuelwood and charcoal
2. Subsidize the cost of gas (for household cocking) to make it more accessible to rural communities in order to reduce the pressure on forests. This should be possible, because in Togo the price of one liter of fuel is 700 CFA FRANCS whereas in Senegal it is 990 CFA FRANCS
3. Take full advantage of the demographic situation to involve youth in restoration activities in Togo
4. The improved stoves put up by the NGO, AGAIB need to be widely disseminated and scaled up to reduce the use of fuelwood and charcoal
5. Enable communities to get access to more potable water and to improve their health
6. Restoration in community forests and in communal forests should always inlude non-timber forests products such as karité (Vitelaria paradoxa) and néré (Parkia biglobosa) which are very valuable species to communities.
OPERATIONALISATION OF THE COMMUNAL COMMISSIONS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CCDD)
In the framework of an inclusive environmental management, Togo established Communal Commissions for Sustainable Development (CCDD) which comprise decentralized consultation platforms to improve the participation of communities in environmental discussions. These commissions also deal with issues related to FLR. F4F-Togo supported the creation of CCDDs in three communes of the prefecture of Tchamba in order to improve the operational capacity to carry out FLR measures. A CCDD is a multisectoral platform composed of the mayor, canton chiefs, presidents of village committees, heads of decentralized services, women's groups and NGOs. It acts as a management committee for environmental aspects, in general, and for FLR, in particular. Members of these commissions are resource persons for advisory support and capacity-building, enabling the commissions to assess environmental problems, propose solutions and mobilize resources.
Enabling factors
- Strong interest of local population
- Commitment by local authorities
- Financial and technical support by GIZ-Forests4Future
Lesson learned
Impacts
- Ensuring the legitimacy and adaptability of restoration options through the involvement of CCDDs
- Implementation of legal provisions to ensure compliance with Togo's commitments to the Bonn Challenge and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Ensuring the inclusiveness of FLR measures to be proposed in the prefecture's municipal development plans
- Support for sustainable management measures for community forests and restoration of agro-forestry landscapes through planting material produced by communal plant breeders
Impacts
Impacts
- Ensuring the legitimacy and adaptability of restoration options through the involvement of CCDDs/CRDD/CNDD
- Implementation of legal provisions to ensure compliance with Togo's commitments to the Bonn Challenge and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Ensuring the inclusiveness of FLR measures to be proposed in the prefecture's municipal development plans
- Support for sustainable management measures for community forests and restoration of agro-forestry landscapes through planting material produced by communal plant breeders
Beneficiaries
- Local people and communities in the community Tchamba/Prefecture Tchamba/Central Region of Togo.
- Ministries in Lomé
- Local and regional authorities of the MERF and the Forestry Dpt.