Angolan communities criticise timber exploration without sustainable development plan

Timber exports bring in large amounts of cash, but benefits aren’t seen by local people

( Eden Constantino)

By Pedro Tchindele for Radio Ecclesia in Angola

Residents of Babaera, in Ganda municipality in the Angolan province of Benguela, are concerned about the excessive exploitation of wood, without seeing benefits to the community.

Activists warn of the consequences of deforestation, highlighting that Chinese companies have been the only beneficiaries, taking thousands of tons of wood abroad, without commitment to sustainable development or social responsibility towards communities. Pedro Tchindele of Radio Ecclesia spoke to residents and activists who believe that communities should be empowered, while government officials declined to be interviewed but agreed that the industry needs better regulation.

Listen to Pedro’s full report here (in Portuguese).

This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organization Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate.Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.