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Senegal and Mali now act in partnership with communities — providing technical 

 support instead of acting as policemen. As a consequence, communities and 

 government share responsibility for forest management, and the forest resources are 

 being sustained. 

 • Throughout Africa there have been singular examples of enhanced coordination 

 between donors, PVOs, host country govermnents and local communities to address 

 the most critical problems facing the environment. For instance, over the last ten 

 years in Lesotho, community management of rangelands has improved range quality 

 over more than 100,000 hectares as a result of strong coordination and collaboration 

 between government, donors, and local groups. Madagascar, Uganda and the Congo 

 Basin region represent other good examples where results are being achieved. 

 There is clearly no certainty that the hopeful signs we are seeing today will become 

 the rule rather than the exception. CivU strife, natural disasters, and continued rapid 

 population growth all conspire against Africa. Poverty itself also puts pressure on the 

 environment, as does the uncontrolled export of timber or the mining of nationally or 

 globally important resources for short-term gain. 



Yet, it is clear that Africa today is a vastly different continent than it was a decade 

 ago when it comes to an understanding of the importance of the environment and a 

 commitment to addressing the challenges Africa faces. 



One example of this can be seen in the adoption of National Environmental Action 

 Plans (NEAPs) by African nations. Today more than 40 African countries have adopted or 

 are in the process of adopting such plans. NEAPs are strategic frameworks within which 



