ABSTRACT
The forests of the Congo Basin are remarkable for their global biodiversity values. But these forests face some extraordinary challenges. For more than a decade armed conflicts have been endemic to several of the countries of the region. In addition the countries differ significantly in their history, policy frameworks and current conservation and development programmes. This chapter examines the history of forest management and conservation in the Congo Basin. It identifies some of the reasons for the limited success in applying ecosystem approaches to forest management. The lack of long-term consistent policies and programmes and the relative weakness of forest sector institutions emerge as fundamental problems. The chapter identifies one tool, participatory modelling, that can help stakeholders to get to grips with the complexity of the social-ecological systems of which their forests are part. Such modelling exercises can help enable stakeholders with diverse interests to explore scenarios and negotiate outcomes that are consistent with ecosystem approaches to sustainable forest management.
