IPSI Second Global Conference
SC III/5/add.5
12 March 2012

Name of the activity: Support for village reforestation
1. Overview project overview
Fuel wood is the most important source of household energy used in Benin. The consumptionof fuel wood is estimated to 3.60 kg per habitant per day in rural area and 2.96 kg in urban.
The total fuel wood consumption in the country is estimated to 8 million tonnes while thenational annual production is evaluated at 5.5 million tonnes. This shows that there is anannual deficit of 2.5 million tons. Fuel wood collection is part of the causes of deforestationand forest degradation. Approximately 70.000 ha of forests were destroyed per year between
1990 and 2000 because of agricultural, hunting, pastoral and harvesting of wood purposes.
Currently fuel wood production comes basically from dead wood collection, natural forests
clearing products and fuel wood plantation. The production from fuel wood plantation has
grown in recent years and is currently one of the main sources of supply for the urban centres.
In south of Benin, the most important part of the fuel wood production is satisfy the needs ofthe important cities such as Cotonou, Lokossa, Porto-Novo. With the growing of population,
the need of household energy has increased of .65%. To satisfy to this growing need,plantations and natural forests are over harvested. This leads to the disappearance ofvegetation in the landscape. The NGO CeSaReN has prepared this reforestation project withthe stakeholders. This project aims at reinforcing the productive capacity of fuel wood of thesuburban landscape to satisfy the household needs of energy and improving the livelihood ofof local populations. This project will also contribute to reduce the vulnerability of of thepopulation and the ecosystem to the adverse effects of climate changes.
General objective is to contribute to the sustainable management resources of the suburban
landscape to improve incomes and the livelihood of populations.
Specific objectives:
The specific objectives are to: ensure the sustainable fuel wood production to households with limited resources,
 increase the income of the limited resources farmers through capacity enforcement, reducing vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change,
The strategy of the project
The project strategy is based on the willingness of rural populations to engage in fuel woodplanting to ensure household energy needs. Set up fuel wood plantation requires an initialinvestment of an amount of US $600 per ha. The majority of the rural population lacks thisamount to start the plantation. This lack of means reduces socio-ecological capacity of thelandscape to produce to fuel wood. This project aims at supporting farmers that have at least 3
ha of fallow land to produce fuel wood and timber. A memorandum of agreement between theNGO and producers will be arranged to provide an interest-free loan for establishment of thefuel wood plantation. This loan will be reimbursed after the sale of wood at the third year. TheIPSI Second Global Conference
SC III/5/add.5
12 March 2012

recovered capital will be loaned to new farmers to be reinvested for new fuel woodplantations.
Project area and target group
The project will be implemented in the South of Benin in the villages surrounding the main
cities: Cotonou, Lokossa and Porto Novo. Three hundred (300) limited resources farmers will
be supported . The direct benefit of the project for the target group is to assure safety indomestic household energy and increase revenues from populations to reduce poverty andimprove living standards. It will help to reduce pressure on forest resources and to reduce thevulnerability of populations and landscape to climate change.
Expected results
The main results expected at the end of this project are:Outcome 1: The local population capacity in the production, trade and distribution of fuelwood is reinforced,
Outcome 2: The livelihood of the local populations is improved
Outcome 3: The forest coverage rate of the landscape is increased
2. Budget and duration
The amount needed for the implementation of project is estimated at US $ 320,000
3. Clusters to be allocated:
Cluster 4: Capacity Building
Cluster 5: On-the-Ground Activities
4. IPSI member organisations involved: International Tropical Timber Organization(ITTO)
5. Contact person:
BOSSOU Bienvenu
Directeur ONG Cercle pour la Sauvegarde des Ressources Naturelles (ONG Ce.Sa.Re.N )02 BP 268 Cotonou (Rep. du Bénin) Tel (00229) 95 42 50 47,
E-mail:cesarenong@yahoo.fr or
bmbc1957@gmail.com or
lokossouo@yahoo.fr