Call for Papers on Central African Forests for the September 2013 CAFI Conference in France-Deadline Extended

Call for Papers on Central African Forests for the September 2013 CAFI Conference in France-submission deadline April 5

The National Science Foundation-supported Central African Forests and Institutions (CAFI) program of the University of MichiganÂ’s School of Natural Resources and Environment seeks paper and poster submissions for its workshop on Central African Forests in Paris on September 19 and 20, 2013. Deadline for submission has been extended to April 5.  The workshop will focus on some of the most critical issues in the region related to forests, governance, climate change, local livelihoods, and driving concerns about power, inequality, and institutions.

The Central African Forests and Institutions (CAFI) Project is an interdisciplinary, multi-year study at the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor funded by the National Science Foundation. The workshop will feature thematically organized presentations based on recent research in the region and invites researchers with an interest in social and ecological outcomes and methods relevant to the analysis of such outcomes in forest landscapes. We encourage submissions in particular from graduate students and younger researchers, professionals, NGOs, and activists that address the following five themes relevant to the tropical forests of the Congo Basin:

•Logging, concessions, and governance: What are the histories, patterns, and trajectories of logging, concession arrangements, and forest governance in the Congo Basin? How can these be explained? What are the most important drivers of forest outcomes, and how do conflicts, market integration, and changes in the involvement of civil society and market actors affect them? How do asymmetries of power and resources shape social interactions and resource outcomes?
•Climate change and forests: How do socio-economic, ecological, policy, and larger institutional and governance arrangements relate to forest outcomes in the region in the context of climate change and variability? What are the likely trajectories of existing arrangements as climate change impacts are felt more widely? How do societies and decision makers adapt to climate impacts and what forms is future adaptation likely to take? What are the chief issues and concerns that need to be incorporated in REDD+ type efforts? How can the competing objectives of forest governance – conservation, livelihoods, and carbon sequestration – be balanced?
•Remote sensing and modeling of deforestation and forest cover: What light do remote sensing data analyses throw on social and ecological patterns and change in the region? In what ways can remote sensing analyses of forests and concessions be made more useful for those interested in conservation, livelihoods, and use of Central African forests and/or biodiversity? What analytical approaches can help us understand and influence deforestation and associated forest and social outcomes?
•Ethnographies of livelihoods, logging, or adaptation: Deep poverty, extensive reliance on forests for livelihoods, climate change, and rapid social, economic, demographic, institutional, and ecosystem changes in Central African forests mean that the regionÂ’s residents have to adapt to multiple stressors and drivers of change. What are the major patterns of vulnerability and adaptation in the forested regions of Central Africa? How do these intersect with changes in technology, agriculture, hunting, and various forest uses? What are the most important shifts that affect local residents?
•Comparative analyses of conservation, livelihoods, logging, adaptation, and mitigation in tropical forests in other parts of the world: What lessons are available for Central African forest governance from studies of tropical forests in other parts of the world?

Interested participants are invited to provide abstracts (no longer than 750 words and relevant references) of their proposed papers together with contact information and a copy of their recent CV. Applications will be refereed by a high-level panel of scholars and decision makers. Selected participants will be notified of their acceptance in mid-April. Support for participation will be available to selected participants on a competitive basis to make best use of limited available funds.

To submit your abstracts please go to http://sitemaker.umich.edu/cafi/events by April 5, 2013.
For more information about CAFI and online registration, visit www.umich.edu/~cafi.