Armand William MALA

Socioeconomic determinants of climate change perceptions and adaptive responses among smallholder farmers in Mbangassina in Cameroon

Pierre Marie Chimi, William Armand Mala, Jean Louis Fobane, Lethicia Flavine Feunang Nganmeni, Jemisson Medoh, Karimou Ngamsou Abdel and 10 more

Discover Sustainability

The escalating impact of climate change on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa particularly endangers smallholder farmers reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods. Local perceptions play a crucial role in crafting effective adaptation strategies, yet few studies have explored the socio-economic elements shaping these perceptions in agro-ecological transition regions like Mbangassina in Cameroon. This research intends to fill this void. A mixed-methods strategy (quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and climate data assessment) was used. The findings indicate that 97.2% of farmers have noticed climate variations over the past thirty years, defined by reduced rainfall and increasing temperatures, as corroborated by meteorological records. The analysis reveals that older age and greater annual income positively reinforce the awareness of climate change, whereas extensive farming experience lessens it. Access to microcredit and being female are linked to a diminished perception, while community involvement and residential stability boost it. In response, farmers are implementing strategies such as utilizing short-cycle varieties, altering planting dates (early or late sowing), and diversifying crops. However, the uptake of these practices varies considerably across villages. In light of these findings, adaptation policies must be differentiated: they should aim to build capacity for youth and women (who are less informed about the changes), enhance financial inclusion through suitable credit products, support community organizations, and secure land tenure to promote long-term investments. This research therefore emphasizes the necessity for customized approaches, grounded in local socio-economic realities, to translate climate awareness into resilient adaptive capacity.

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #agricultural innovations and practices
• #climate change and sustainable development
• #climate change

Structural financial ambiguity in climate-smart agriculture research: A bibliometric analysis of African knowledge systems

Pierre Marie Chimi, Guillaine Yonga, Albert Tchopwe Menkamla, Benoît Maralossou, Angele Marie Ngon Dikoume, Laskine Mazak Nguihi and 3 more

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Abstract Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) dominates African agricultural policy discourse, yet fifteen years post-conceptualization, its transformative potential remains unrealized. Bibliometric analysis of 161 Scopus-indexed publications (2014–2025) reveals exponential field growth (31.3% annually) coupled with on technical dimensions and systemic neglect of financial mechanisms. Network analysis (VOSviewer), semantic mapping and citation bibliometrics expose cognitive oligopolisation—wherein 1.8% of authors generate 45% of output—geographical fragmentation into weakly connected regional clusters, and critical underrepresentation of the vulnerable Sahel. Despite 46.6% of publications addressing economic themes, merely 5.6% rigorously integrate financial analysis with adoption variables; terms including ‘investment’, ‘cost–benefit’ and ‘climate finance’ remain absent from major semantic clusters. The concept of ‘structural financial ambiguity’ is introduced to characterize the maintenance of CSA in operational indeterminacy through academic discourse that substitutes description for actionable financial theorization. Paradigmatic transformation conditions are identified through emerging scholarship employing discrete choice experiments and cost–benefit evaluations to construct requisite knowledge foundations. Findings indicate that without comprehensive theorization of microfinance, digital finance, index-based insurance and payments for environmental services, international climate commitments risk implementation failure due to absence of scientifically validated financial instruments rather than technical solutions.

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #agricultural innovations and practices
• #economic growth and development
• #ambiguity

"We are the Land, and the Land is Us": Indigenous Knowledge Systems as Climate Adaptation in Africa

Pierre Marie Chimi, Baruch Batamack Nkoué, Eusebe Yldephonse Nyonce Pokam, Guillaine Yonga, Bruno Zock, Angele Marie Ngon Dikoume and 3 more

SSRN Electronic Journal

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #sustainability and climate change governance
• #traditional knowledge

A two-decade bibliometric review of climate resilience in agriculture using the Dimensions platform

Pierre Marie Chimi, Jean Louis Fobane, John Hermann Matick, William Armand Mala

Discover Applied Sciences

Agriculture must become more climate resilient to handle the difficulties posed by climate change. This bibliometric review examines significant fields, worldwide collaborations, and research trends from 2004 to 2024 using the Dimensions platform. With a 25.77% yearly growth rate and an average of 10.15 citations per document, involving 2,605 authors, it discovers 477 sources contributing to 1,000 papers. In support of an integrated approach to climate concerns, the theme map emphasizes the crucial role of "climate change" and its connections to "resilience," "policy," and "sustainable development." With a strong positive connection (R2 = 0.7097) and linear growth, the annual publication trend indicates a noteworthy rise in interest in adaptive techniques. Important terms like "adaptation" and "climate change" have significantly increased, reflecting the changing conversation. Three primary clusters, headed by researchers like David D. Woods, Andrea Nowak, and David Zilberman, are visible in the co-authorship network. Prominent works demonstrate local and global effects, as their Local Citation Scores indicate. The word cloud visualization and historical citation network highlight the connections between important ideas and explain the collaborative and cumulative character of this field's study. This review offers a thorough picture that will direct future research, advise policy, and promote cooperation to improve agriculture's climate resilience. By using these insights, decision-makers may create more successful, fact-based policies that will eventually support food security and sustainable development. Based on these results, future investigations can develop more long-lasting and efficient solutions.

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #sustainable agricultural systems analysis
• #ecosystem dynamics and resilience
• #resilience (materials science)

A bibliometric analysis of agroecological practices: trends, impacts, and future directions

Pierre Marie Chimi, Jean Louis Fobane, Ecclésiaste Marien Ambombo Onguene, Baruch Batamack Nkoué, Michèle Elodie Kouoguem Kamdem, Eusebe Yldephonse Nyonce Pokam and 5 more

SSRN Electronic Journal

• #agricultural innovations and practices
• #agroecology
• #regional science
• #geography

A two-decade bibliometric review of climate resilience in agriculture using the dimensions platform

Pierre Marie Chimi, Jean Louis Fobane, John Hermann Matick, William Armand Mala

Research Square

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #land use and ecosystem services
• #plant responses to elevated co2
• #climate change

Family Farming Systems in Northern Central Cameroon: Challenges and Prospects for Food Security

Pierre Marie Chimi, William Armand Mala, François Manga Essouma, Abdel Karimou Ngamsou, John Hermann Matick, Jean Louis Fobane and 4 more

European Scientific Journal ESJ

If family farming is supported, it can serve as a foundation for growth and food security. One of Cameroon's biggest development challenges is still food insecurity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the situation and key determinants of food security in the northern forest-savanna transition zone of the Central Cameroon Region. To do this, 180 family farmers from Mbangassina, Ntui, Batchenga, and Obala participated in a survey and field observations (January-March 2020; March-May 2021, and July-September 2021). According to this survey and these findings, the useful agricultural area is 4.55 ± 0.21 hectares. Cocoa, yam, cassava, maize, plantain, sweet potato, and peanut are the principal crops mentioned. With a mixed workforce, the vast majority of agricultural work is performed manually (machetes, daba, etc). (Family and external). Seven significant challenges face family farming in these areas: poor market organization, bad road/track conditions, a lack of inputs, seasonal uncertainties/rainfall deficits, challenging access to irrigation, unstable land tenure, challenging access to credit, and challenging access to agricultural equipment. Each community faces unique challenges. The family agricultural industry, which these people rely on for their food security, needs to be saved to overcome these obstacles. According to the findings, expanding access to financial and commercial services will help agricultural operations in the study area increase food security. This will be in line with initiatives made by both governmental and non-governmental organizations to advance agricultural technologies as a way to address the issue of food insecurity.

• #agriculture and rural development research
• #food security
• #agriculture
• #business

Climate change perception and local adaptation of natural resource management in a farming community of Cameroon: A case study

Pierre Marie Chimi, William Armand Mala, Jean Louis Fobane, François Manga Essouma, Jean Aimé Mbom, Forbi Preasious Funwi and 1 more

Environmental Challenges

Climate change is perceived by communities at different levels and their adaptation measures are often corresponding to local understanding and realities. A socio-economic survey and field observations were conducted among 95 Bàkì farmers in the Ntui district of Central Cameroon, to examine the community's perception of the changes observed and the adaptation measures undertaken locally. Apart from the relative homogeneity of its community, the area was chosen for its climatic conditions. This area is characterized by a bimodal rainfall pattern on the one hand and by a transitional rainfall pattern between the bimodal patterns of the far south and the unimodal pattern of northern Cameroon. The study found that the Bàkì community has developed a classification of the climatic seasons through the changes observed over time, namely the increase in temperature, the decrease in rainfall, and the resurgence of extreme events such as the recurrence of violent winds and drought. The classification confirms the locally important changes in climate that affect the agricultural calendar and thereby the planning of the community's socio-economic activities. In response to the effects observed, the farmers have developed an adaptation strategy that includes reverting to more appropriate farming practices and more resistant varieties. Notably, the farmers use a reading grid of climatic and environmental variations as a reference to decide on adaptive actions and adaptation measures. The study results reconfirm that perception of climate change is strongly influenced by age and education.

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #climate change
• #geography
• #agriculture

Cocoa-based agroforestry system dynamics and trends in the Akongo subregion of central Cameroon

François Manga Essouma, Isabelle Michel, William Armand Mala, P. Levang, Zachée Ambang, Aimé D. Begoude Boyogueno and 3 more

Agroforestry Systems

• #cocoa and sweet potato agronomy
• #food chemistry and fat analysis
• #oil palm production and sustainability
• #geography

Exploring farmers’ vulnerability and agrobiodiversity in perspective of adaptation in Southern Cameroon

Forbi Preasious Funwi, Dénis Sonwa, William Armand Mala, O. Takanori, M.T. Ngansop, Marie Mbolo

CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

Climate change is a global phenomenon that indiscriminately affects all sectors of the economy and social life-support systems. New trends in climate change will leave high impacts on rural populations, whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and natural resources, leaving them increasingly vulnerable. Agrobiodiversity management is a promising method of facilitating adaptation to climatic changes. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the vulnerability of farmers and assess agrobiodiversity in Southern Cameroon in the context of adaptation. Focus groups and surveys were conducted in 31 villages in Ayos and Bokito in Southern Cameroon. The vulnerability index was computed for selected indicators of different components of vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity). Data analysis revealed that in the two communities, the majority of villages were moderately vulnerable to climate change. However, Bokito community appeared to be more vulnerable than Ayos community. Farmers adopted several climate adaptation strategies such as crop replacement, replanting, planting of trees, cultivation of crops in swampy areas, and the expansion of cocoa cultivation in savannahs. Rich agrobiodiversity was identified in both sites; however, Ayos was richer than Bokito for wild plants, wildlife, and fisheries resources. The Bokito community also had a higher dependence on agriculture. Sustainably managing the rich agrobiodiversity of the landscape can provide a critical method to build the resilience of farmers.

• #climate change impacts on agriculture
• #agricultural innovations and practices
• #agricultural development and management
• #agricultural biodiversity

Comparative Evaluation of Six Different Storage Materials for Long-Term Preservation of Huckleberry (Solanum scabrum) Seeds

Maurice Njiandoh Mbeboh, Emmanuel Youmbi, William Armand Mala, Gabriel Ambroise Manga, Amos Funamo Ngwa, Sylvestre Medard Badjel Badjel and 1 more

International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Research

Smallholder farmers in Cameroon often store seeds from their own-harvest for use in subsequent planting seasons, but they have limited information on appropriate materials for long-term storage of vegetable seeds. Hence, six different materials (sealed aluminium foil sachet, sealed glass bottle, closed plastic cup, sealed paper sachet, sealed polythene sachet, and open-and-seal glass bottle) were evaluated for their effectiveness as storage materials for huckleberry seeds. Factorial ANOVA revealed significant (P < 0.001) effect of the different types of storage materials, duration of seed storage, and their interactions on laboratory germination, field emergence, and percentage transplantable see dlings. Significant (P < 0.05) variations were observed for laboratory seed germination and field emergence from months 2–5 of preservation across the different storage materials, with the highest performance exhibited by sealed aluminium foil sachet, while glass material exhibited the lowest performance. These performances decreased significantly (P < 0.05) for each storage material across months of long-term storage, with the lowest decrease recorded in sealed aluminium foil sachet and highest decrease recorded in glass bottle storage materials. Percentage transplantable seedlings decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from month 0–5 for each storage material, with lowest decrease in sealed aluminium foil sachet and highest decrease in open-and-seal glass bottle. Overall, these results demonstrate that sealed aluminium foil sachet is the most effective storage material for long-term preservation of huckleberry seeds under ambient conditions of the study area, which can be adopted by farmers.

• #seed germination and physiology
• #plant tissue culture and regeneration
• #aluminium foil
• #germination

The role of cocoa agroforestry systems in conserving forest tree diversity in the Central region of Cameroon

Marguérite Marie Abada Mbolo, Jules Christian Zekeng, William Armand Mala, Jean Louis Fobane, Cédric Djomo Chimi, Tangboulou Ngavounsia and 3 more

Agroforestry Systems

• #cocoa and sweet potato agronomy
• #african botany and ecology studies
• #oil palm production and sustainability
• #species richness

Trees in the landscape: towards the promotion and development of traditional and farm forest management in tropical and subtropical regions

Paxie W. Chirwa, William Armand Mala

Agroforestry Systems

• #african botany and ecology studies
• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #livelihood

Efficacy of oil palm intercropping by smallholders. Case study in South-West Cameroon

Yvonne Kiki Nchanji, Raymond N. Nkongho, William Armand Mala, Patrice Levang

Agroforestry Systems

Intercropping oil palm during its immature stage with food crops is usually blamed for its negative impact on the growth and future yields of palms. Agro-industries unanimously condemn such practice. For smallholders on the contrary, intercropping presents numerous advantages as it not only covers the weeding cost but also provides food and revenue while waiting for the palms to come into production. While such trade-off may be of little interest to an agro-industry, it appears as determining for many smallholders. The study was carried out in seven communities in the Bamuso Sub-division of the South–West Region of Cameroon and seeks to understand how smallholder oil palm farmers (small, medium and large scale) use the intercropping technique during the early stages of oil palm development as a means to improve on their livelihood. Results indicated that, a mean annual wage of 705,000 FCFA (€1075) was obtained per hectare per household for smallholders practicing intercropping. In addition to income gained, intercropping significantly reduced the cost of weeding. The study therefore, suggests the need for pre-emptive measures—such as food crop choice, planting density amongst others—to be taken into consideration when intercropping annual food crops with oil palm so as not to jeopardize the yield of oil palm at production stage. The finding is of significance for sustainable agriculture in that intercropping encourages poverty reduction for marginalized people especially women with no access to land, maximises land use by farmers, food security in households, stability in yield and profit in smallholders’ oil palm plantations.

• #agronomic practices and intercropping systems
• #oil palm production and sustainability
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #intercropping

The IPBES Conceptual Framework — connecting nature and people

Sandra Dı́az, Sebsebe Demissew, Julia Carabias, Carlos Alfredo Joly, Mark Lonsdale, Neville Ash and 78 more

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability

The first public product of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is its Conceptual Framework. This conceptual and analytical tool, presented here in detail, will underpin all IPBES functions and provide structure and comparability to the syntheses that IPBES will produce at different spatial scales, on different themes, and in different regions. Salient innovative aspects of the IPBES Conceptual Framework are its transparent and participatory construction process and its explicit consideration of diverse scientific disciplines, stakeholders, and knowledge systems, including indigenous and local knowledge. Because the focus on co-construction of integrative knowledge is shared by an increasing number of initiatives worldwide, this framework should be useful beyond IPBES, for the wider research and knowledge-policy communities working on the links between nature and people, such as natural, social and engineering scientists, policy-makers at different levels, and decision-makers in different sectors of society.

• #land use and ecosystem services
• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #environmental conservation and management
• #conceptual framework

Le commerce et les investissements chinois et les forêts du bassin du Congo: Synthèse des études de cadrage réalisées au Cameroun, en République démocratique du Congo et au Gabon

L. Putzel, S. Assembe-Mvondo, Ndong L.B.B., Banioguila R.P., Cerutti P.O., Tieguhong J.C. and 4 more

Depuis l'an 2000 et la mise en œuvre de la politique d'expansion internationale de la Chine, l'intérêt des entreprises chinoises d'État et privées pour les ressources et les possibilités d'investissement dans le bassin du Congo a considérablement augmenté, générant de nouveaux débouchés mais aussi de potentiels coûts sociaux et environnementaux. Ce rapport synthétise les principaux résultats des études de cadrage préliminaire réalisées par le CIFOR et ses partenaires au Cameroun, en République démocratique du Congo et au Gabon. Il se concentre sur les possibles liens entre le commerce et les investissements chinois dans les secteurs forestier, minier et agricole et les effets sur les forêts et sur les communautés de la région qui en sont tributaires. Toutes les études ont été réalisées dans le cadre du projet du CIFOR intitulé « Le commerce et les investissements chinois en Afrique : évaluation et gestion des compromis entre économies nationales, moyens de subsistance locale et écosystèmes forestiers », initié en 2010. Les études de cadrage ont produit des résultats intéressants, notamment une meilleure compréhension des principales tendances liées au commerce des ressources naturelles entre les pays cibles et la Chine, ainsi qu'aux grands secteurs économiques ciblés par les investisseurs chinois (forêts, mines, agriculture). Les études se sont également intéressées au rôle des agences nationales chargées d'encourager les investissements et de veiller à ce que les entreprises respectent les exigences environnementales et sociales. Elles ont permis de mieux comprendre les processus informels relatifs aux investissements et à l'acquisition de terres et d'autres ressources.

• #international development and aid
• #political science
• #geography

Collective action and promotion of forest based associations on non-wood forest products in Cameroon

William Armand Mala, Julius Chupezi Tieguhong, Ousseynou Ndoye, Sophie Grouwels, Jean Lagarde Betti

Development in Practice

This paper documents collective actions undertaken by forest-based associations to access better prices for their non-wood forest products via group sales. Group sales can increase the income of group sellers by up to 40 per cent compared to individual sellers. The institutionalisation of group sales reinforces social relations and cohesion as well as mutual trust. Group sales were found to be a key preliminary step in the development and growth of small and medium scale enterprises. The paper concludes that successful group sales require a strong commitment among members of forest-based associations. Key factors influencing collective actions are discussed. Action collective et promotion des associations forestières concernant les produits forestiers non ligneux au Cameroun Cet article documente les actions collectives entreprises par les associations forestières pour accéder à de meilleurs prix pour leurs produits forestiers non ligneux par l'intermédiaire de ventes groupées. Les ventes groupées peuvent accroître les revenus des vendeurs groupés de jusqu'à 40 pour cent par rapport aux vendeurs individuels. L'institutionnalisation des ventes groupées renforce la cohésion et les liens sociaux, ainsi que la confiance mutuelle. Les ventes groupées se sont révélées constituer une étape préliminaire clé du développement et de la croissance des petites et moyennes entreprises. L'article conclut que, pour réussir, les ventes groupées requièrent un fort engagement de la part des membres des associations forestières. Les facteurs clés qui influent sur les actions collectives font l'objet d'une discussion. Ação coletiva e promoção de associações baseadas na floresta sobre produtos provenientes da floresta que não usem madeira em Camarões Este artigo documenta ações coletivas realizadas por associações baseadas na floresta para terem acesso a melhores preços por seus produtos que não utilizam madeira através de vendas em grupo. As vendas em grupo podem aumentar a renda dos vendedores do grupo em até 40 por cento em comparação com vendedores individuais. A institucionalização das vendas em grupo reforça as relações sociais e coesão e também a confiança mútua. As vendas em grupo mostraram ser um passo preliminar fundamental no desenvolvimento e crescimento de empresas de pequeno e médio porte. O artigo conclui que as vendas em grupo bem-sucedidas exigem um forte compromisso entre os membros das associações baseadas na floresta. Fatores-chave influenciando ações coletivas são discutidos. Acción colectiva y promoción de asociaciones forestales basadas en productos forestales no derivados de la madera en Camerún Este ensayo documenta las acciones colectivas realizadas por asociaciones forestales para obtener mejores precios, a través de ventas en grupo, para productos forestales no derivados de la madera. Las ventas en grupo pueden aumentar los ingresos de quienes venden en grupo hasta en un 40 por ciento en comparación con los vendedores individuales. La institucionalización de las ventas en grupo refuerza las relaciones sociales, la cohesión y la confianza mutua. Se determinó que las ventas en grupo constituyeron un importante paso inicial para el desarrollo y el crecimiento de la pequeña y mediana empresa. En el ensayo se concluye que para vender con éxito en grupo es necesario un fuerte compromiso de los integrantes de las asociaciones forestales. Se analizan también los factores más importantes que pueden influir en las acciones colectivas.

• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #french urban and social studies
• #collective action

Africa

A. Oteng-Yeboah, Doris Mutta, Dominic Byarugaba, William Armand Mala

World forests

• #religion, society, and development
• #rangeland management and livestock ecology
• #tourism, volunteerism, and development
• #geography

Impact of laws and regulations on the use of non-wood forest products and the wellbeing of forest dependent communities in Central Africa

J. Masuch, O. Ndoye, Julius Chupezi Tieguhong, William Armand Mala, A. Asseng Zé

Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling

• #african history and culture studies
• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #forestry

Apiculture products in Cameroon

Verina Ingram, William Armand Mala

Sustainably developing the apiculture sector in Cameroon actually requires little investment. Cameroon has an ideal natural environment for beekeeping, and using traditional and adapted methods can produce superb, high quality, large quantities of honey with relatively low production costs.

• #bee products chemical analysis
• #seed and plant biochemistry
• #african botany and ecology studies
• #beekeeping

Eru in Cameroon

Verina Ingram, William Armand Mala, A. Awono, J. Schure

• #migration, identity, and health
• #language, linguistics, cultural analysis
• #linguistic and sociocultural studies
• #geography

Local conceptualisation of nature, forest knowledge systems and adaptive management in Southern Cameroon

William Armand Mala, Coert J. Geldenhyus, R. Prabhu

Indilinga African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Conventional forest and natural resource management tend to overshadow local forest management practices and ecological knowledge on which rural communities base their survival and livelihood strategies. This article examines how rural communities conceptualize nature, what forest knowledge systems they use and how they adapt their natural resource management practices to changing circumstances. The study was conducted in the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon along a gradient of resource use intensification and demographic density from Ebolowa (low), via Mbalmayo (medium) to Yaounde (high) within the forest margins benchmark study area. The results show that the concept of nature is well embedded in the social representation of the vital space of the people of the study area. Three forest management knowledge systems were derived from this concept of nature that combines the space, the time, the supernatural and the distance between forests and its socio-economic values. The seasonal transition of climate determines the dynamics of local bio-ecological knowledge at the spatio-temporal scale. This local concept of nature and their local knowledge systems affect forest management and agricultural practices in terms of understanding and interpretation of states of nature where human activities will take place. In contrast to a mere romantic idea, the results confirm the existence of a cognitive background of local knowledge systems supporting the implementation of adaptive forest and natural resources management (NRM) practices that contribute to community livelihoods and conservation of natural resources. Keywords : Local conceptualisation, nature, forest, knowledge systems, adaptive management.

• #agriculture and rural development research
• #livelihood
• #natural resource management
• #environmental resource management

Integrating participatory mapping and GIS to build local information systems

Valentina Robiglio, William Armand Mala, Mariteuw Chimère Diaw

CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

• #geographic information systems studies
• #citizen journalism
• #participatory gis
• #computer science

Knowledge systems and adaptive collaborative management of natural resources in southern Cameroon : decision analysis of agrobiodiversity for forest-agriculture innovations

William Armand Mala

SUNScholar (Stellenbosch University)

V OPSOMMING VII LIST OF FIGURES XVI LIST OF TABLES XVII GLOSSARY XX LIST OF ACRONYMS XXIII CHAPTER ONE : GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT: SUSTAINABLE FOREST-AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT INNOVATIONS 3 1.3 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY 8 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY, RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES 10 1.5 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY 14 1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 15 1.6 REFERENCES 15 CHAPTER TWO : FOREST AGRICULTURE INNOVATIONS: KNOWLEDGE BASE AND FIELD PROCESSES 22 2.

• #agriculture and rural development research
• #french urban and social studies
• #cocoa and sweet potato agronomy
• #glossary

Monitoring to ease forest management conflicts in Cameroon

P.R. Oyono, C. Diaw, Samuel Efoua, William Armand Mala, Samuel Assembe‐Mvondo

CGSPace A Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #environmental resource management
• #forest management

Integrating local and expert knowledge using participatory mapping and GIS to implement integrated forest management options in Akok, Cameroon

Valentina Robiglio, William Armand Mala

The Forestry Chronicle

A spatially explicit understanding of local knowledge about land use and tenure is fundamental to developing and assessing sustainable management options for tropical forests in Central Africa. This paper presents a case study in the Humid Forest Zone of Cameroon to demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating participatory rural appraisal techniques with remote sensing and vegetation mapping in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. The full integration of biophysical and socio-cultural patterns within a GIS can identify spatial units important for ecosystem management and relate social institutions to land units across a variety of scales. Key words: landscape, forest-agriculture interface, tropical forest management, land tenure, participatory mapping, local knowledge

• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #rangeland management and livestock ecology
• #participatory rural appraisal

Some dimensions of local practices of natural resource management in the Central African region

Phil René Oyono, William Armand Mala

Research Review of the Institute of African Studies

The Central Africa region (CAfR), generally known as the Congo Basin, is an “eco-region” representing the World\'s largest rainforest after Amazonia. Its importance for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, human well-being, research and policy-making is already well known. This paper documents given aspects of social and cultural dimensions of natural resource management (NRM) in the CAfR. It argues that these could be of scientific and strategic interest for researchers, practitioners and program designers, if relevantly taken into consideration. Since the mid 90s, countries in the CAfR are implementing profound reforms of their forest management systems. As such, natural resource manipulation is a burning issue here. Ultimately, the paper recommends that scientific and conventional knowledge should unify with local knowledge, sometimes qualified as infra-knowledge, in order to generate sustainable practices of natural resources management. Institute of African Studies: Research Review Vol. 20(2) 2004: 23-31

• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #natural resource management
• #livelihood

Benefits of forests in Cameroon. Global structure, issues involving access and decision-making hiccoughs

Phil René Oyono, Charlotte Kouna, William Armand Mala

Forest Policy and Economics

• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #french urban and social studies
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #scarcity

Mapping landscapes: Integrating GIS and social science methods to model human-nature relationships in Southern Cameroon

Valentina Robiglio, William Armand Mala, Mariteuw Chimère Diaw

Small-scale Forest Economics Management and Policy

• #complex systems and decision making
• #conservation, biodiversity, and resource management
• #agriculture and rural development research
• #participatory gis