Determinants of forest governance in community forests of East Cameroon

In Cameroon, communities face challenges related to governance and ownership of community forests. The determinants of governance were studied in 12 community forests of East Cameroon. Focus group discussions and one-on-one interviews were used to identify supporting groups, identify perceptions and determinants of governance, and develop a governance scale for community forests. Results show that support groups greatly influence the creation of community forests. The exception of FC A3 shows that a community can create a community forest under the sole impulsion of traditional chief, without external support. The perception of governance by communities was positive in community forests created with the support of groups with interests in the community (non-governmental organisations, forest authorities, Church), and negative when support came from groups interested in wood production (elites, private forest operators). The diagram of relations between communities and support groups based on cohesion between governance principles (participation, transparency, legitimity, equity, integration, accountability, capacity and adaptability), highlights potential corrective actions to reach the devolution level on the scale of governance.