- Titel
- Forest Landscape Restoration Governance in Rural Cameroon: An Actor-cum-Institutional Analysis on Engagement in Forest Landscape Restoration Practices
- Zitierfähige Url:
- https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa2-991569
- Erstveröffentlichung
- 2025
- Datum der Einreichung
- 23.04.2025
- Datum der Verteidigung
- 03.09.2025
- Abstract (EN)
- Over the past decades, global efforts to halt the menace of forest loss and to restore the functionality and productivity of deforested and degraded landscapes have increased under different institutional settings. In the year 2000, the quest to find the best approaches to halting deforestation and restoring degraded or deforested landscapes catalysed the emergence of the concept of forest landscape restoration (FLR). Subsequently, the governance of FLR – the roles and interactions of FLR actors and institutions, which yield effects and/or outcomes – has become a subject of growing interest among scientists and policymakers. Yet, FLR governance theory, with an emphasis on the actors-institutional interactions leading to actors’ engagement in FLR and yielding ecological, social, economic, and political outcomes, still needs empirical grounding. This doctoral study advances FLR governance theory building by applying actor-centred power and exogenous-endogenous institutionalism analytical lenses to empirically investigate how FLR institutional changes, actors’ interests, and power influence compliance with institutions and how institutions shape actors’ choices to engage in FLR-related practices in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. The general aim of the study was addressed using four constitutive peer-reviewed journal articles, complemented by four additional articles. Informed by the systematic review of Sub-Saharan Africa’s FLR actors and institutions, this doctoral study employed a mixed-methods research design, integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches to generate empirical data. The data for the study were specifically obtained through content analysis of 10 policy-related documents, 244 household surveys, 24 key informant interviews, nine expert interviews, 15 focus group discussions, and non-participant observations. Qualitative data obtained during the study were analysed using directed content analysis, and descriptive statistics, alongside logistic regression, were used to analyse the quantitative data. The study found that endogenous institutions shaping FLR practices in rural Cameroon have remained relatively stable, while exogenous institutions have undergone significant transformations. Initially focused on forest plantation establishment, exogenous institutions have expanded to include natural and artificial regeneration, agroforestry, financing mechanisms, capacity building, and research. However, the significant transformation of exogenous institutions has not necessarily produced a higher level of compliance with the tenets of most exogenous institutions. The endogenous institutions that have been relatively stable witness full adherence to their tenets compared to the exogenous institutions that witness more partial or even non-compliance with their tenets. Compliance with both institutional types is linked to FLR actors’ power elements employed to pursue their interests, which are linked to the ecological, political, economic, and sociocultural benefits of FLR. Exogenous actors, primarily interested in the ecological and political benefits of FLR, and endogenous actors, who prioritise sociocultural and economic benefits, commonly utilise power elements such as dominant information, coercion, and disincentives – while relying minimally on incentives – to operationalise exogenous and endogenous institutions, while pursuing these interests. However, the use of coercion and disincentive measures by exogenous actors often results in non-compliance with institutions, whereas dominant information and incentives foster compliance. Endogenous institutions, being community-driven and sometimes adaptable, spur or foster engagement in FLR practices. Similarly, the incentive-based exogenous institutions also encourage actors to engage in FLR practices. However, restrictive exogenous institutions, such as forest reserve regulations and the regulation restricting access to tree resources, unfortunately discourage actors from engaging in FLR practices. Regarding the study’s theory-oriented contributions, this study contributes to the governance scholarship by demonstrating the need to move beyond the rigid dichotomy between actor-centred and institutionalist perspectives – a divide that characterised the classical structure–agency theoretical debate. The study’s findings reveal that actors, motivated by their interests, do not simply operate within pre-existing institutional frameworks; rather, they leverage available power elements to shape these institutions. Simultaneously, institutions influence actors’ behaviours, including their choices regarding engaging in FLR practices. This dual influence reflects a co-constitutive relationship where agency (actors) and structure (institutions) are mutually reinforcing rather than oppositional. This reciprocal dynamic – i.e., the two-way interaction between actors and institutions – challenges theoretical perspectives that position either agency or structure as the singular driver of governance outcomes. The separate treatise of the actor-centred and institutionalist perspectives in theoretical works may sometimes be productive since maintaining distinct perspectives may facilitate refining disciplinary insights – particularly in contexts where methodological traditions diverge. However, in many forest governance contexts, especially in the governance of FLR, the separate treatment of actor-centred and institutionalist perspectives becomes counterproductive due to the inherently recursive relationship between actors and institutions. FLR practices are often shaped by sometimes overlapping, contested, and evolving institutions that are continuously reinterpreted or implemented by actors with varying interests and power. In such cases, hybrid approaches are more appropriate as they capture the co-constitution of agency and structure, especially where there is the likelihood of multi-scalar and diverse institutions as well as power asymmetries. A separate treatise of the actor-centred and institutionalist perspectives in these contexts risks oversimplifying complex dynamics, obscuring how actors (re-)shape institutions and how institutions, in turn, constrain or enable actions of the actors, thereby influencing the choices actors make regarding engaging in FLR practices. Therefore, while a separate treatise can be theoretically and methodologically useful under certain conditions, a hybridised approach is often necessary to fully grasp the evolving, power-laden, and socially embedded realities of contemporary FLR governance. In this context, this study develops a comprehensive actor-cum-institutional hybrid analytical framework for the empirical analysis of FLR governance. In sum, the study advances theoretical debates by illustrating that FLR governance cannot be meaningfully analysed through unidirectional or reductionist models. Rather, it calls for the positioning of both actors and institutions as inseparable elements within the governance spectrum of FLR. With reference to the study’s methodological contributions, the research framed a methodology for analysing three levels of compliance with institutions (i.e., non-compliance, partial compliance, and full compliance). Practically and policy-wise, FLR actors, especially exogenous ones like forestry officials, should significantly embrace the endogenous institutions, which seem more reliable and stable. The stability and reliability of the endogenous institutions provide a stronger foundation for long-term restoration efforts. Therefore, the endogenous institutions are to be recognised in the national FLR-related regulations as one of the key pillars upon which the restoration of degraded and deforested landscapes hinges. Additionally, exogenous actors should consider leveraging the endogenous institutions’ well-established familiarity and cultural resonance to enhance the legitimacy of FLR interventions and promote greater acceptance, especially by endogenous actors. This will increase the effectiveness of FLR initiatives and promote long-term sustainability for restored forests. Moreover, as FLR-linked actors pay attention to the endogenous institutions and leverage their legitimacy, familiarity, and cultural resonance, the exogenous institutions that are mostly relevant for shaping some specifically relevant FLR interventions, such as enrichment planting, woodlot establishment, etc., should not be neglected. Finally, actors should always formulate and operationalise FLR-linked institutions that have very limited real or perceived constraints on the livelihoods of all actors but are adaptable and responsive to specific actors’ needs, values, and ecological conditions. This will improve the acceptance rate of the institutions and thereby improve the overall FLR governance, which critically influences the success of FLR interventions.
- Freie Schlagwörter (EN)
- Forest Policy, Forest restoration, Laws, Regulations, Actors
- Klassifikation (DDC)
- 634
- Klassifikation (RVK)
- ZC 74110
- GutachterIn
- Prof. Dr. Lukas Gießen
- Prof. Dr. Roland Azibo Balgah
- Prof. Dr. Tobias Haller
- BetreuerIn Hochschule / Universität
- Prof. Dr. Lukas Gießen
- Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi
- Den akademischen Grad verleihende / prüfende Institution
- Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden
- Förder- / Projektangaben
- Free State of Saxony Saxony PhD Scholarship
Exogenous and Endogenous Institutional Analysis on Forest Landscape Restoration in Rural Cameroon - Version / Begutachtungsstatus
- publizierte Version / Verlagsversion
- URN Qucosa
- urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa2-991569
- Veröffentlichungsdatum Qucosa
- 21.10.2025
- Dokumenttyp
- Dissertation
- Sprache des Dokumentes
- Englisch
- Lizenz / Rechtehinweis
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0- Inhaltsverzeichnis
Declaration i SLUB using permission ii Acknowledgments iii Dedication iv Summary v Table of Content viii List of Tables x List of Figures xi List of Acronyms and meaning xii 1 Introduction and research objective 1 2 Theoretical/Analytical Framework and Hypotheses 8 2.1 Forests governance 8 2.1.1 Actors linked to forests management and use 8 2.1.1.1 Actors’ interests 9 2.1.1.2 Actors’ power 9 2.1.1.3 Actor-centred power theoretical approach 10 2.1.2 Institutions 11 2.1.2.1 Institutionalism 11 2.1.2.2 Institutional change 13 2.1.3 FLR governance’s actor-cum-institutional hybrid analytical framework 15 2.2 Hypotheses 19 3 Methodology 20 3.1 Study area 20 3.2 Research design 23 3.2.1 Specific research methods 23 3.2.1.1 Review of policy documents 23 3.2.1.2 Field data collection methods 23 3.2.1.2.1 Key informant interviews 24 3.2.1.2.2 Focus group discussions 24 3.2.1.2.3 Expert interviews 25 3.2.1.2.4 Household surveys 25 3.2.1.2.5 Non-participant observations 26 3.3 Data analyses methods 28 3.3.1 Qualitative data analyses methods 28 3.3.1.1 Analysis of policy-related documents 28 3.3.1.2 Analysis of interviews and discussions 28 3.3.2 Quantitative data analyses methods 29 4 Results 33 4.1 Institutional change and compliance with exogenous and endogenous institutions in rural Cameroon’s FLR 33 4.2 Actors’ interests, power manifestations, and institutional Compliance in FLR 40 4.3 Effects of institutions on actors’ engagement in FLR practices 49 5 Discussion 54 5.1 Institutional change and compliance with institutions 54 5.2 The link between FLR actors’ interests, power employed and compliance with exogenous and endogenous institutions 58 5.3 Effects of institutions on actors’ engagement in FLR practices 62 6 Conclusion 65 6.1 Key empirical findings 65 6.2 Theory-oriented contributions of the research 66 6.3 Methodological contributions of the research 67 6.4 Practical or transdisciplinary contributions of the research 67 6.5 Limitations of the study and future research recommendations 70 7 References 72 8 Appendices 87 8.1 Appendix A: Research instruments 87 8.2 Appendix B: Ten key documents linked to Cameroon’s FLR 102 8.3 Appendix C: Variables used for quantitative analysis 103 8.4 Appendix D: Evolution of major policy directions linked to Cameroon’s FLR 106 8.5 Appendix E: Key quotes on the compliance levels of institutions, the interests and power of actors, effects of actors’ power on compliance with institutions, actors’ engagement in FLR practices, effects of institutions on actors’ engagement in FLR practices 108 8.6 Appendix F: Key actors that shape FLR in the Western Highlands of Cameroon 112 8.7 Appendix G: Functions/roles of actors in rural Cameroon’s FLR 113 8.8 Appendix H: Photos from non-participant observations by the researcher 117 9 Annex: The four journal articles that formed this cumulative doctoral thesis 119