This paper examines the opportunities and constraints for the livelihoods of peri-urban dwellers around the city of Mopti in northern Mali. The study describes changing agricultural production systems and employment patterns (including migration and commuting) and their variations depending on gender and generation. It also explores evolving land tenure systems on the peri-urban interface, and the role of the new decentralised local government in managing land and natural resources.

India’s bold central policy change for joint forest management between government and communities has resulted in regeneration of considerable areas of forest, and has expanded the policy community through inclusion of more stakeholders. But these successes are matched by concerns that forestry departments are still calling the shots, whilst in some cases, serious local inequities are being exacerbated. ~This report describes the evolution of powers over policy, the legacy of colonial forestry, the inertia of ‘fortress forestry’ institutions, the favoured forest industries and the protectionist agenda, which seeks to lock away forests from people’s use. These powers need to be tackled openly and concertedly for the ideal of joint forest management and the potential of farm forestry to be fully realised. The report shows how this can be done through policy processes, instruments, programmes and information which foster productive and equitable forest management.

This book presents and discusses several key aspects of Africa’s ongoing land policy debate including legislative reform, the management of land rights, issues of implementation, and policy-making processes.