Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa
Publisher: USAID
Author(s): Jamie Thomson and Ramzy Kanaan
Date: 2004
Topics: Livelihoods, Monitoring and Evaluation, Programming, Renewable Resources
Conflict timber—conflict financed or sustained through the harvest and sale of timber (Type 1), or conflict emerging as a result of competition over timber or other forest resources (Type 2)—poses serious problems in many countries in Asia and Africa. While forest resources, particularly timber, are far from the only commodities that spark or finance conflicts, they have certainly played a considerable role in sustaining many conflicts in these regions. This diagnostic analysis of Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa, jointly commissioned by USAID/DCHA/OTI and USAID/ANE/TS, was designed in response to the growing recognition of the connection between forests, logging and conflict. The primary objective of the analysis was to provide a comprehensive examination of the economic, ecological, political, social and security dimensions of conflict timber in both Asia and Africa. In addition, the Team was also asked to conduct the analysis in a way that would broaden and deepen the understanding of conflict timber within USAID.