Africa’s efforts to protect forests, restore degraded landscapes and meet global climate commitments are increasingly being challenged by one persistent issue: translating policy ambitions into tangible action on the ground.
That concern dominated discussions on the opening day of a regional information-sharing webinar that brought together researchers, policymakers and conservation experts from across the continent.
The five-day virtual programme, themed “From Evidence to Practice: Sustainable Land Management, Biodiversity Governance and Forest-Based Provisioning Services from Africa’s Forest Biodiversity Hotspots for Improved Livelihoods,” is being organised by the African Forest Forum with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Presentations from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya and Madagascar highlighted a common reality facing some of Africa’s most critical forest biodiversity hotspots. While governments have adopted increasingly ambitious environmental policies and aligned national strategies with international agreements on biodiversity conservation, climate change and land restoration, implementation continues to fall short.
Researchers noted that forests are now widely recognised for their role in supporting biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, providing ecosystem services and sustaining rural livelihoods. However, many of the commitments outlined in policy frameworks have yet to translate into meaningful results on the ground.
Presenting findings from a comparative assessment of governance systems in forest biodiversity hotspots, African Forest Forum Programme Officer Dr. Moussa Massaoudou identified weak institutional coordination, inadequate financing, limited technical capacity and fragmented governance structures as some of the major barriers to progress.
According to the findings, the challenge is no longer a lack of environmental policies. Instead, the focus must shift to ensuring that institutions responsible for forestry, climate action, biodiversity conservation and land restoration work in a coordinated and effective manner.
Across the four countries studied, researchers found recurring issues of overlapping mandates, duplicated responsibilities and poor coordination among agencies responsible for managing natural resources.
In Ethiopia, for instance, institutions overseeing forests, wildlife and agriculture often operate independently, limiting opportunities for collaboration. Similar governance challenges were reported in Kenya, where multiple agencies share responsibility for forest management. Madagascar continues to face overlapping roles among government institutions and conservation organisations, while Cameroon struggles with weak coordination between authorities and local stakeholders.
Community participation emerged as another key issue during the discussions. Although governments increasingly acknowledge the importance of local communities in conservation efforts, researchers noted that meaningful involvement in decision-making processes remains inconsistent.
Examples from Ethiopia demonstrated how participatory forest management approaches can deliver benefits for both conservation and local livelihoods. However, presenters observed that many community-based institutions across the region are still not fully integrated into formal governance systems.
Participants stressed that communities living closest to forest ecosystems often possess valuable traditional knowledge and practical experience that should be better incorporated into conservation planning and implementation.
Financing also featured prominently among the challenges identified. Researchers pointed to persistent funding gaps affecting conservation programmes, forest restoration initiatives and protected area management. Across the countries studied, many environmental projects continue to rely heavily on donor support, while sustainable domestic financing mechanisms remain limited.
Participants warned that long-term environmental challenges require long-term investment and cannot be effectively addressed through short-term project funding cycles alone.
Technical capacity constraints were equally highlighted. Researchers identified shortages in environmental monitoring, biodiversity assessment, climate reporting, ecological research and data management as critical obstacles to achieving national and international environmental targets.
Several participants called for greater investment in training, research and knowledge-sharing to strengthen institutional capacity and support evidence-based decision-making.
The discussions also underscored the value of cross-border learning and collaboration. Despite differences in geography, governance structures and ecological conditions, participants observed that many African countries face remarkably similar challenges in managing forests and biodiversity.
As the webinar continues throughout the week, attention will shift toward identifying practical solutions to strengthen sustainable land management, improve biodiversity governance and enhance forest-based livelihoods across Africa’s biodiversity hotspots.
For many participants, the issue is not a lack of environmental commitments. The greater challenge lies in building the institutions, partnerships and resources needed to turn those commitments into meaningful outcomes for forests, biodiversity and the communities that depend on them.