Bocar Thiam

Project Director
Tetra Tech
United States

Mar 26, 2019

Bocar Thiam is a social scientist and practitioner focusing on issues of land tenure and natural resources governance. He has worked as a consultant, project leader, and technical expert for diverse organizations in both the public and private sectors, such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA). After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Rural Sociology from the University Gamal Abdel Nasser of Conakry in Guinea in 1993, Bocar was the recipient of the USAID - Advanced Training for Leadership and Skills (ATLAS) fellowship through which he studied at Ball State University in Indiana and graduated with a MSc in Natural Resources and Environmental Management in 2000. He also earned a Post Graduate Certificate in International Environmental Law from American University in 2013. Bocar’s work bridges local and international networks as he has worked in countries across Africa, such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Central African Republic, and Guinea.

Bocar’s work focuses on land rights and local governance of natural resources in countries rich in high-value natural resources, such as Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. One important facet of Bocar’s work has been advocating for local land and property rights for communities, especially communities involved in artisanal mining. For example, in his work as team leader for USAID’s Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development II project, Bocar worked to improve governance of resources and the livelihoods of both communities and artisanal miners. The program focused on clarifying the relationships between surface rights to land and sub-surface rights to diamonds, as in most places, diamond mining is taking place on land owned by communities, but under the laws of many diamond producing countries, anything located 6 feet or more underground is automatically owned by the government. The project helped to secure surface rights for communities, as well as improve mining techniques to minimize environmental damage and provide training in diamond valuation to help communities benefit from the sale of diamonds. The program also took a wider view of investment in communities by focusing on renewable resources, such as trees and seasonal crops, for communities to rely on once diamonds and other extractive resources are depleted. Bocar’s work seeks to prevent and reduce conflict between diverse groups by supporting good governance of resources, promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and advocating for local community rights in natural resource management.

Reflecting on what he has learned through his work, Bocar notes, “When you take good care of people, they will take good care of the environment. Good care means making sure that we take into account people’s needs, recognize and respect their rights, and foster their participation in decision-making and designing programs.” One project that Bocar was involved with that particularly demonstrates this principle of good care is a government-driven project in Guinea that engaged communities living in and around national forests in the management scheme. After Sierra Leone’s civil war, communities living in and around the forest would use parts of the protected areas to hunt and farm. The high population density put pressure on other food resources, and there were frequent bush fires that threatened forest habitats and wildlife. By engaging communities in designing approaches and bolstering of public participation in forest management, a joint management plan was developed that protected certain parts of the forest, home to endangered chimpanzees, while also accommodating the needs of the communities. This project helped to stop the bush fires and protect wildlife, as well as reduce conflict in the region between communities and the government.

Bocar’s work on natural resource access, governance, and conflict around resources brought him to the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. Bocar credits the Association with providing opportunities to learn about new approaches to conflict and cooperation around resources and continue advocating for increased resource governance.