A Review of the Rural Firewood Market Strategy in West Africa
Gerald Foley (Nordic Consulting Group)Paul Kerkhof (SOS- Sahel)Djibrilla Madougou
Africa Region Working Paper Series No. 35 August 2002
Abstract
The rural firewood markets are a major step forward in Sahelian natural resource management. After decades of failed, or highly disappointing, forestry projects and programs, the rural market concept has opened a new way forward and created possibilities for a wide variety of initiatives. In empowering local people, putting responsibility for local resource management with those who stand
to gain, or lose, most from it, the markets are also making a significant contribution to the overall processes of decentralization and democratization taking place in the Sahelian countries.
There are, nevertheless, important questions and issues which still need to be addressed. These are matters of major concern to policy-makers, governments seeking to balance the many internal and external pressures upon them, and the major donor agencies who, alone, can provide the funding for large scale development initiatives in the poorest countries.