CHANGE FACILITATION

Effective implementation of strategies and programs require a framework of supporting policies and institutions in the areas of forestry policy, administrative infrastructure, human resources development, research capabilities and peoples participation. Since management was unable in the past to control deforestation, develop and utilize the forest resources, an efficient management and planning system has to be built. Further more, policies and legislation must support the management and planning objectives and reflect the inter-sectoral linkages and harmonization with overall resource use policies.

Policy and institutional changes

Establish an appropriate institutional structure for the forestry sector and a clearly defined forest policy and land use policy with the objective to ensure a sustainable allocation of land between sectors. Strategic land use planning agency at a federal level which will provide the necessary guidance on land use conflicts need to be established. The same agency will also need to be established at the regional level. The unit will need to establish a national natural resources data for making decisions on land use issues.

Community based forest conservation strategies must be developed and launched in order to address the problems of forest degradation.

Consolidate the implementation of collaborative forest management and social forestry and devolve responsibility for forest management to local communities. Responsibility will increasingly be decentralized and devolved to local communities with government playing more supportive roles

The forest sector is weak with low hierarchical profile and staff resources for forestry which are inadequate or even not existent to monitor forestry resources and ensure sustainable management, poor enforcement of laws and regulations, and increase the significance of forestry in the economy and value the forests

Investment

Private sector forest development should be encouraged through research and extension and the provision of appropriate policy in the area of pricing, increase sense of security of land and tree tenure. The government should create an enabling environment for their participation.

5.1.3 Technology change

Identify the location, demarcate the area and map the main natural forests of the country with the view to preparing management plan for their use and management

Prepare a management plan for the remaining forests with the full involvement of the surrounding and included communities

Establish a capability to monitor physical changes in land use, especially with respect to the area of forests. This would pave the way for more detailed forest resource inventories required for the preparation of management plans.

Improve the efficiency of the existing forest industries and encourage the forest industries to be plantation based.

Trees growing outside the forest such as agricultural tree crops which are important sources of fuelwood and construction material should be promoted and make this activity to be commercially attractive

Development in the agriculture sector should bring change to the rate at which farm productivity grows and higher yield on land already engaged for agriculture

Technologies to monitor forest cover degradation and damage should be widely applied. Improvement in remote sensing techniques and communication and information processing should be better facilitated.

Policies of other sectors

Forestry development objectives will be more fully achieved and sustained at much lower cost if they are integrated in the national development objectives. There has to be a clearer overview of the interests, relationships and different perspectives of the institutions involved in resource conservation and development. The activities of the concerned sectors have to be integrated. The policies and strategies of other sectors will also need to be critically examined, especially their relations to and influence on resources conservation and development.

Implementation of the existing population policy which are relevant to the sustainable utilization of the forest resources. Education programs which address small family size, ensuring a spatially balanced population distribution patterns in order to maintain environmental security.

There is a need to promote a balanced industrial development in order to secure an impact on alleviating poverty and reducing pressure on natural resources generating an alternative means of income and employment opportunity.

In order to enable the forestry sector to play a more active role in the development of the country’s forest resources, stumpage and royalties should be directly realized and should be kept in a revolving fund rather than deposited in the central treasury to enable the sector to invest in further forest resources development. Revise values on an annual basis and monitor forest products prices on a continuous basis.