Community capacity for implementing clean development mechanism projects within community forests in Cameroon.

Area of Science:

• Environmental economics
• Sustainable development
• Forestry management

Background:

• Payments for environmental services (PES) are assumed to aid poverty reduction and sustainable development.
• Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) often underperforms.
• The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) offers opportunities via Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) provisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gap between community capacity and CDM LULUCF provisions in Cameroonian community forests.
• To identify determinants of community capacity for CDM implementation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of CDM criteria and community capacity notions.
• Empirical case studies of two community forests in Cameroon.
• Interpretation of capacity requirements for additionality, acceptability, externalities, certification, and community organization.

Main Results:

• Community capacity was generally insufficient for effective CDM project uptake and implementation.
• Local variations in capacity requirements were observed across the case studies.
• Key capacity deficits were identified in handling CDM-specific requirements.

Conclusions:

• Existing community capacity in Cameroon is inadequate for meaningful participation in CDM projects.
• Addressing capacity deficits is crucial for realizing the potential of PES and sustainable development.
• Recommendations are provided for enhancing the CDM/Kyoto capacity-building framework.