PART I THE SITUATION AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FOREST SECTOR example, during the fire season in 2000, an forests has led to programmes involving local estimated 200 million ha were bunt in africa communities in efforts to reduce the risk of south of the equator. wildfire (e.g. Project Firefight of the World The severe wildfires witnessed over the past few Conservation Union [IUCN] and the world wide years have resulted in far greater public awareness Fund for Nature [WWFD. Community-based fire of the causes and effects of forest fires a focus management projects, most of them designed as policy-related issues and the mobilization of efforts Integrated Forest Fire Management projects, are at the national, regional and international levels. under way in several countries, including Braz a current debate in the united states is focused on the extent to which tree thinning, timber harvesting and prescribed burning might reduce fire hazards in the future. Adherence to a policy of fire exclusion for many decades has led to an Community fore nd fire prevention unnatural accumulation of fuels within fire. suppre sion in the Gambia dependent ecosystems. Fires in forests of long- needled pines now burn at much higher intensities than they did before 1900, when fires occurred The classic approach to fire prevention and fire suppression more frequently. Because they are larger and more has been largely unsuccessful in many developing countries intense, the fires today are more difficult to control This failure can mainly be explained by the lack of resources and are more damaging. necessary to operate state-controlled fire monitoring systems. While there is a common perception among the In addition land and natural resources are state-owned in most public that fires are bad for all forests, in fire- countries, so local people are not inclined to invest in their dapted forest ecosystems they are a form of management. Experience has shown, however, that people's natural disturbance that helps maintain and renew attitudes can be changed if governments grant ownership or the ecosystem and can actually improve habitat long-term user rights to the resources. quality in the long term. While the short-term The Gambia introduced community forestry on a pilot basis effects of fire may be impressively destructive, the in 1991 and began implementing it on a countrywide scale long-term ecological effects in these ecosystems in 1994. With the enactment of forest legislation in 1998, the Govemment of the Gambia fully endorsed the transfer of forest A number of studies on the Indonesian fires ownership to rural communities. A recent case study on the of 1997-1998 have examined the underlying management of forest fires through the involvement of local social and economic causes of these fires communities compares the attitudes of villagers who are in- (e.g. Rowell and Moore, 2000; Barber and volved in community forest management with those who are Schweithelm, 2000; and studies under way by not involved (FAO, 2000a). The survey reveals that the popu the Center for International Forestry Research [CiFORD. They draw a strong link between fire lation in general is very much aware of the damage caused by fire, and of its dependency on forest resources. It is not and land use policies and land management a lack of awareness that inhibits communities from partici- practices. The causes include small-scale pating in the fight against wildfires; it is a lack of incentive agricultural fires that burned out of control, the The study shows that the occurrence of fires has declined con- use of fire to clear land for large-scale siderably in the area of the country in which community plantations (e. g, oil-palm) and conflicts between forestry was started. In this area, only two fires have been eported since 1992-and both were fought successfully by Fires occurring elsewhere in Southeast Asia and the local communities concerned. The study further indicates parts of the Americas and africa are often that community management contributes to the stronger related to agricultural practices and land clearing. enforcement of laws and by-laws related to fire prevention fire is traditionally used as a land managemer because the resources are subject to effective contro ool. Evidence suggesting that burning occursPART I THE SITUATION AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FOREST SECTOR 3 example, during the fire season in 2000, an estimated 200 million ha were burnt in Africa south of the equator. The severe wildfires witnessed over the past few years have resulted in far greater public awareness of the causes and effects of forest fires, a focus on policy-related issues and the mobilization of efforts at the national, regional and international levels. A current debate in the United States is focused on the extent to which tree thinning, timber harvesting and prescribed burning might reduce fire hazards in the future. Adherence to a policy of fire exclusion for many decades has led to an unnatural accumulation of fuels within fire￾dependent ecosystems. Fires in forests of long￾needled pines now burn at much higher intensities than they did before 1900, when fires occurred more frequently. Because they are larger and more intense, the fires today are more difficult to control and are more damaging. While there is a common perception among the public that fires are bad for all forests, in fire￾adapted forest ecosystems they are a form of natural disturbance that helps maintain and renew the ecosystem and can actually improve habitat quality in the long term. While the short-term effects of fire may be impressively destructive, the long-term ecological effects in these ecosystems may be beneficial. A number of studies on the Indonesian fires of 1997-1998 have examined the underlying social and economic causes of these fires (e.g. Rowell and Moore, 2000; Barber and Schweithelm, 2000; and studies under way by the Center for International Forestry Research [CIFOR]). They draw a strong link between fires and land use policies and land management practices. The causes include small-scale agricultural fires that burned out of control, the use of fire to clear land for large-scale plantations (e.g. oil-palm) and conflicts between land users. Fires occurring elsewhere in Southeast Asia and in parts of the Americas and Africa are often related to agricultural practices and land clearing, as fire is traditionally used as a land management tool. Evidence suggesting that burning occurs significantly less often in community-managed forests has led to programmes involving local communities in efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire (e.g. Project Firefight of the World Conservation Union [IUCN] and the World Wide Fund for Nature [WWF]). Community-based fire management projects, most of them designed as Integrated Forest Fire Management projects, are under way in several countries, including Brazil, The classic approach to fire prevention and fire suppression has been largely unsuccessful in many developing countries. This failure can mainly be explained by the lack of resources necessary to operate state-controlled fire monitoring systems. In addition, land and natural resources are state-owned in most countries, so local people are not inclined to invest in their management. Experience has shown, however, that people’s attitudes can be changed if governments grant ownership or long-term user rights to the resources. The Gambia introduced community forestry on a pilot basis in 1991 and began implementing it on a countrywide scale in 1994. With the enactment of forest legislation in 1998, the Government of the Gambia fully endorsed the transfer of forest ownership to rural communities. A recent case study on the management of forest fires through the involvement of local communities compares the attitudes of villagers who are in￾volved in community forest management with those who are not involved (FAO, 2000a). The survey reveals that the popu￾lation in general is very much aware of the damage caused by fire, and of its dependency on forest resources. It is not a lack of awareness that inhibits communities from partici￾pating in the fight against wildfires; it is a lack of incentive. The study shows that the occurrence of fires has declined con￾siderably in the area of the country in which community forestry was started. In this area, only two fires have been reported since 1992 – and both were fought successfully by the local communities concerned. The study further indicates that community management contributes to the stronger enforcement of laws and by-laws related to fire prevention because the resources are subject to more effective control. BOX 1 Community forestry and fire prevention and suppression in the Gambia