Sustainable development and extraction

Sustainable development is one of Gabon's national political priorities, where industrial extractive activities (timber, ores and hydrocarbons) began more than a century ago. In the Makokou region (Ogooué-Ivindo province), various extractive projects or activities hold out the promise of economic development, but also raise new issues in terms of environmental protection. It therefore seems a priority to pay particular attention to the relationship between the Ogivine populations and the forest, to the co-existence of extractive practices and to the governance and actors of sustainable and industrial development.

Issues and stakes across forests

It is at the intersection of the three sectors that are mining, logging and agriculture and their specific links to the forest that this research project is situated: what is the state of the ogivine forests and what are the actual practices that take place there? What is the relationship between Ogivine residents and the forest? How do the various activities co-exist in the region? What are the divisions of labour (gender, class, age, nationality, ethnicity)? How are economic and sustainable development issues perceived and appropriated over time?

Various ways of researching and getting involved

This 18 months’ project is based on a 4-part consortium between IFSRA, INSUCO-Gabon, CADS and GSEZ. The fieldwork will be carried out mainly by an anthropologist post-doctoral researcher and four second-year Masters students from the Libreville university in anthropology, sociology, geography and economics. The project is being conducted in conjunction with researchers at the Libreville university. The methodologies being considered aim to make the most of the local knowledge and to promote collaborative practices, both in data collection, initial hypothesis development and during the debate around results. Lastly, the project takes part in the second round of the RESSAC programme (Applied research in ecology and social sciences in support of sustainable management of forest ecosystems in Central Africa) run by the Centre for International Forestry Research and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF).

• africa
• agriculture
• development
• forests
• gender
• mining
• social change

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