Africa's efforts to protect its forests, restore degraded landscapes and meet international climate commitments face a major obstacle of turning policies into action.

That was the message emerging from the opening day of a regional information-sharing webinar that brought together researchers, policymakers and conservation practitioners from across the continent.

The five-day virtual event, From Evidence to Practice: Sustainable Land Management, Biodiversity Governance and Forest-Based Provisioning Services from Africa's Forest Biodiversity Hotspots for Improved Livelihoods, is organised by the African Forest Forum with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Presentations from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya and Madagascar revealed a common challenge confronting some of Africa's most important forest biodiversity hotspots, indicating that governments have developed increasingly ambitious environmental policies, but implementation continues to lag.

Researchers reported that all four countries have aligned national strategies with global agreements on biodiversity, climate change and combating desertification. Forests are now widely recognised as essential for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, ecosystem services and rural livelihoods.

Yet speakers repeatedly pointed to a gap between commitments made in policy documents and what is happening on the ground.

Presenting findings from a comparative assessment of governance systems in forest biodiversity hotspots, Programme Officer for  African Forest Forum, Dr Moussa Massaoudou, said weak institutional coordination, inadequate financing, limited technical capacity and fragmented governance structures continue to undermine progress.

The findings suggest that the challenge facing many countries is no longer the absence of environmental policies. Instead, it is ensuring that the numerous institutions responsible for forests, climate change, biodiversity conservation and land restoration work together effectively.

Across the four countries studied, researchers found examples of overlapping mandates, duplicated responsibilities and weak coordination among agencies charged with managing natural resources.

In Ethiopia, institutions responsible for forests, wildlife and agriculture often operate separately, limiting collaboration. Similar coordination challenges were reported in Kenya, where multiple actors are involved in forest governance. Madagascar faces overlapping responsibilities among government agencies and conservation organisations, while Cameroon continues to grapple with weak coordination between authorities and local stakeholders.

Community participation also emerged as a major theme during discussions. Researchers noted that while governments increasingly recognise the importance of local communities in conservation, participation in decision-making remains uneven.

Examples from Ethiopia showed how participatory forest management approaches can contribute to both conservation and livelihoods. However, presenters noted that many community institutions across the region remain insufficiently integrated into formal governance structures.

Participants in the webinar echoed those concerns, stressing that communities living closest to forests often possess valuable knowledge and experience that should play a greater role in shaping conservation policies and programmes.

Financing was another recurring concern. Across all four countries, researchers identified funding shortages as a major constraint on conservation and restoration efforts. Protected area management, forest restoration programmes and biodiversity initiatives continue to depend heavily on donor support, while domestic financing mechanisms remain limited.

Participants warned that long-term environmental challenges cannot be addressed through short-term project funding alone.

Technical capacity gaps also featured prominently in the discussions. Researchers highlighted shortages in environmental monitoring, biodiversity assessment, climate reporting, ecological research and data management.

Several participants suggested that stronger investment in training and knowledge-sharing will be essential if countries are to meet increasingly ambitious environmental targets.

The opening-day discussions also highlighted the importance of learning across borders.

Although the four countries differ in geography, governance systems and ecological conditions, participants observed that many of the challenges they face are remarkably similar.

As the webinar continues throughout the week, attention will turn to practical solutions for strengthening sustainable land management, biodiversity governance and forest-based livelihoods across Africa's biodiversity hotspots.

For many participants, however, Africa has no shortage of environmental commitments. The greater challenge is building the institutions, partnerships and resources needed to make those commitments work for forests and the people who depend on them.