This paper presents a methodology employed in reconciling demands of households, private sector, and government on miombo woodlands of Southern Africa. A Weighted Goal Programming approach is presented for planning management and use of the woodlands as well as a framework for policy analysis. The approach is based on essentially two models, viz., household and private sector models, which are linked into a miombo woodlands model (MIOMBOGP). The MIOMBOGP provides a framework for evaluating the impact, on these two sectors and the woodlands, of some government macro-economic policies as well as some forestry and agricultural sector policies.

Miombo woodland is...

The miombo woodlands of eastern, central and southern Africa are some of the most extensive dry forests in Africa. They supply a myriad of products and services for local populations, governments and the private sector, the main stakeholders. Planning the management and use of the woodlands by many and diverse stakeholders who often have conflicting interests in the woodlands continues to be a great challenge to national governments and other interested parties. This paper presents a system dynamic model, MIOMBOSIM, which has potential for facilitating planning developments in the woodlands in ways which reconcile the aspirations of the three major...