The Political Ecology of Forests in West Africa

This book investigates the transformation of West African forests in the 21st century, reflecting on the politics, struggles, and ideas that define the region’s forest socio-ecologies. Seeing recent developments as in part a continuation of a long history of colonial and postcolonial struggles, the book demonstrates how a new range of powerful political, economic, cultural and environmental dynamics now shape the political ecologies of the region’s forests. As forest governance becomes increasingly financialized and centred in climate change mitigation, forest communities and indigenous peoples struggle to maintain and defend claims to and ways of using, managing and living with forests. Centring issues of power and social justice, this book brings together theoretical and empirical works, including new case studies that illuminate the regional commonalities, tensions and differences, and the various cross-scalar dynamics that are (re)defining the way forests are understood, managed, used, conserved and contested across the region. Connecting the past, present and potential future of the region, this book will be an important read for researchers across political ecology, geography, anthropology, sociology, environmental studies, development studies, and African studies.