The state of the world's forests
FAO Forestry Department launches Global Fibre Supply Study
Conflict and forestry: An electronic conference on conflict resolution
The FAO information system on forest genetic resources
Participatory watershed management in Hoang Bô district, Viet Nam
State of the World's Forests (SOFO) arose from a recommendation of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Forestry which met at FAO headquarters in October 1994. The panel's report stated, "Recognizing the current dynamic situation in international forestry, FAO has the opportunity to project its leadership role by keeping the international community abreast of developments in the forest sector. The Panel therefore strongly recommends that the Director-General should issue... a report on the state of the world's forests. This should be an authoritative policy-oriented report.... It should highlight issues of special importance...."
Subsequently, with the strong support of the Director-General of FAO, the Forestry Department committed itself to producing State of the World's Forests every two years. The first edition of SOFO was published in March 1995. The next edition will be available in March 1997. SOFO is similar in concept to FAO's longstanding annual publication, The State of Food and Agriculture and to The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, also launched in 1995 as a biennial publication.
Objective
The objective of SOFO is to provide easy access to regularly updated information on global forestry and major recent developments in the sector. There are other serial publications that regularly provide information on forestry, but SOFO is unique in its specific focus on forestry and its broad overview of current policy issues and international developments in the sector.
Content and structure
State of the World's Forests is a policy-relevant document which describes the status, trends and outlook for the forestry sector globally, with a particular focus on recent developments. SOFO describes in an objective manner: the resource situation, including forest cover and, to the extent possible, forest quality; supply, demand and trade flows for wood and, where possible, non-wood forest products; and policy and institutional developments within the forestry sector or which are influencing or have the potential to have an impact on forestry. Global, regional and national statistical information is presented.
SOFO has three major components:
· A world review which provides information on global developments in the forestry sector focusing on the preceding two-year period, It includes data on world forest resources (cover and condition); forest products production, consumption and trade; the outlook for forestry for the next five to ten years; and provides information on policy related issues. Where relevant, the analysis presents information disaggregated by region.· An in-depth discussion of a special issue of current global concern. Discussion of the issue is. likely to cover developments over a greater time period than the biennium in question.
· Six regional highlights focusing on current developments or key issues facing the regions. The regions correspond to the country groupings of the six regional forestry commissions convened by FAO: Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; the Near East; and North America.
An executive summary of SOFO is prepared as a separate document for wider distribution.
State a Le of the World's Forests
Readership
The audience for SOFO includes a wide range of people directly involved in or concerned about forestry at the national, regional and global levels. Users of SOFO are likely to include:
· ministers responsible for forestry and related sectors;· staff of governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with forestry policy and/or with the design and implementation of forestry programmes;
· managers and members of forestry enterprises and trade associations;
· researchers, educators and students in forestry-related fields; and
· staff responsible for forestry in national and international lending institutions and multilateral and bilateral development agencies.
The document is also of potential interest to the media and the general public.
Periodicity, format, length and languages
SOFO is published biennially (1995,1997,1999...) for release in conjunction with the meetings of the FAO Committee on Forestry, which are generally held in March or April every two years. It is approximately 100 pages in length, consisting of text supported by tables and information presented in graphic form. SOFO is published in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic.
Preparation and review
SOFO is prepared by FAO Forestry Department staff, with input from other departments, as a joint, in-house effort. An External Review Committee, which acts in an advisory capacity, is called on to provide comments on the content and structure of SOFO.
Distribution
SOFO is available through the Sales and Marketing Group of FAO, Viale delle Terms di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
E-mail: [email protected].
SOFO is also available electronically on the Internet through the FAO Home Page on both the World Wide Web (http://www.fao.org) and the FAO gopher ([email protected]).
The next edition of State of the World's Forests will be released in March 1997.
Where is the raw material going to come from to cover our forest products needs? How much productive forest do we need to supply expected future fibre demand?
The FAO Forestry Department has initiated the Global Fibre Supply Study to assist in answering these questions. The objective of the study is formulated in general terms as "a contribution to the worldwide forest policy development through the provision of reliable data, information and analysis of industrial fibre sources, markets and uses".
The meaning of fibre is to be understood as fibrous wood and non-wood raw material for primary industries producing sawn timber, wood-based panels, pulp and paper products. The majority of this fibre exists in standing form in natural and planted forests. Other kinds of fibre are in the form of industrial wood residues, recovered paper, and non-wood fibre for pulp production, such as bamboo and annual crops.
The study, which will be completed in 1997, will include a description of the current sources of industrial fibre, projection and analysis of future developments in fibre supply and demand up to the year 2010, based on a consideration of the major factors affecting them. These factors include:
· technological improvements in harvesting
· biotechnology
· material efficiency
· price of raw materials
· population growth
· legislation, regulation and conventions
· economic growth
· fibre quality
· wood product certification/ ecosystem management
· land in protected areas or other status
· competition between industrial and non-industrial uses
· competition among industrial uses
· market substitution
The above approach is expected to produce a policy-relevant document that will also be valuable for the industrial and academic sectors. The study will be the starting point of a process to sensitize governments on raw material sources and uses and will highlight the necessity to improve their data collection and analysis in this field.
Study implementation
A steering committee has been created with the purpose of advising FAO during the study execution period. This committee is formed by executives from the forest industry sector and meets regularly in order to monitor the progress of the study. In addition, a working group consisting of a number of experts from industry and FAO is currently working on the different phases of the study. Further scientific support is also provided through formal institutional collaboration, established between FAO and the German Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products (BFH), the Swedish University of Umea and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific North-West Research Station.
A number of activities will be carried out during the implementation phases of the study, including the selection and analysis of existing data within and outside FAO, as well as monitoring progress of the work. These activities are being carried out by the working group, external consultants and the steering committee.
The financial resources required are jointly covered by the forest industry sector, partner institutions and FAO. The private sector has continuously provided executives and professionals to participate actively in the different meetings. In addition, the partner institutions are providing scientists' time at no cost to assist in the preparation of specific topics. Similarly, the FAO Forestry Department considers the Global Fibre Supply Study to be one of its priority activities and has set aside the required financial and professional resources for its implementation.
This joint endeavour between governments, the private sector, research institutes and FAO is a collaborative effort which recognizes the benefits that can derive from making the best use of all comparative advantages. As a result, a valuable and objective document will be produced in line with the requirements of a demanding international forestry community.
Around-the-world discussion of "virtual conflict" has led to "virtual relationships" between people eager to help the various users of the world's forests to resolve their disputes. Organizers of an Electronic Conference on Conflict Resolution, led by the Community Forestry Unit of the FAO Forestry Department, are completing a compilation of the proceedings of the recently concluded electronic mail conference, and evaluating this new way of holding meetings of the global village.
What kinds of conflict demand resolution in community forestry? Disputes are based in power relationships and the use to which a given segment of society would put the forest. Two examples illustrate the problems and potential for success in seeking resolution of disputes in community forestry:
In Cameroon in 1993, conflicts between communities and transnational logging companies erupted in incidences of kidnapping expatriate logging company personnel and blockading logging roads by villagers, some of whom ended up in prison. But in Orissa in the Indian state of West Bengal, villagers formed their own forest protection committees in response to severe degradation of nearby sal (Shorea robusta) forests. Community members set limits on local forest use and, with or without official sanction, established forest patrols. Their efforts were repaid by the gradual regeneration of the forests and imitation of their programme by other villages.
Against this background, FAO's Community Forestry Unit convened an electronic mail "virtual conference" entitled Addressing Natural Resource Conflicts through Community Forestry from 15 January to 28 April 1996.
More than 450 subscribers from 46 countries contributed over two megabytes of discussion, case-studies and literature, The FAO conference facilitators prepared nine discussion papers as starting points for electronic discussions on gender relations, power imbalances, the viability of traditional methods of dispute resolution and laws relating to forest access and joint forest management.
Key themes discussed were incorporation of gender considerations; legal issues; indigenous knowledge systems; and power and equity. Conference participants read about and debated questions such as:
· How might a social scientist and a forester in East Africa, trained in techniques of conflict resolution, facilitate development of a forest management plan involving all interested parties?· What tools would someone need to analyse gender-based conflicts brought on by a community forestry initiative in India?
· In the Andes, how did a non-governmental organization bring together big logging interests, government officials and peasants dependent on the forest, for a fruitful discussion on changing national forestry laws?
The official language of the E-mail conference was English, but regional focal points and national working groups located in Quito (Ecuador), Cochabamba (Bolivia), Dakar (Senegal) and Nairobi (Kenya) also worked in Spanish, French, Bambara and Swahili. Summaries of the regional and national discussions in these other languages were collected and sent out in English to all participants.
Evaluations of the E-mail conference are still coming in to the Secretariat, but the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. People spoke of making "new friends" (as well as "enjoying a few tussles") and, indeed, networking is one of the obvious strengths of E-mail as a conference medium.
It is clear as well that there are drawbacks to using E-mail for a conference. As one participant wrote in her evaluation, "it is difficult to lead a conference of this sort into consensus or agreement. You cannot even get people to answer specific questions or comment on particular things! It works, in fact, as an inverse funnel, generating more ideas, not agreeing on them. It seems to me the real benefit is in the serendipity: every individual gets something out of it for him/herself, through inspiration from other individuals, even if there is no final statement as such. I can imagine this is frustrating for the moderators and facilitators, but it is fine for the participants."
Another evident limitation is that, notwithstanding the rapid growth of E-mail, the vast majority of people involved in agriculture and rural development still do not have access. Nonetheless, in comparison with a "live" conference which requires participants' physical presence in one place at one time, electronic conferences can bring together far more people from more diverse places.
The E-mail conference proceedings and a logistical report will be available at the end of 1996 from the Community Forestry Unit, Forestry Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla. 00100 Rome, Italy.
Participating countries in the conflict resolution E-mail conference
Countries with direct E-mail subscribers. Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (Province of China), Thailand, Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States, Viet Nam. Countries with participants involved in the E-mail conference through working groups. Benin, Cameroon, Colombia, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, the Niger, the United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela.
Informed decision-making for the conservation and wise utilization of forest genetic resources requires reliable and up-to-date information on the status of the genetic resources and ongoing activities and programmes. Since 1993, FAO's Forestry Department, in close collaboration with governments and national institutes of countries concerned, has been working on the development of a worldwide information system on forest genetic resources. The objective is to make available reliable and up-to-date information on forest genetic resources for use in planning and decision-making at the subregional, regional and international levels. All information is aggregated at the country level and includes information on:
· institutions dealing with conservation and utilization of forest genetic resources in the country;
· main native and introduced tree species in the country and their main uses;
· endangered tree species at the species and/or population level;
· tree species managed for in situ conservation;
· ex situ conservation activities in vivo and in vitro;
· tree improvement programmes; and
· availability of forest reproductive materials for conservation and research purposes.
The core information in the system was provided by FAO member countries through replies to a questionnaire sent in 1993 to heads of Forest Services in all countries. These data were complemented by data from other sources, e.g. information on forest genetic resources included in the Country Reports submitted to FAO in preparation for the fourth International Technical Conference in Plant Genetic Resources, held in Leipzig, Germany in June 1996.
Once the system is fully operational, and the data in the system have been checked and approved by member countries, the information system will be made available on the FAO Home Page of the World Wide Web, where it can be accessed from personal computers all over the world using Internet connections. It is envisaged that periodic updating of the information in the system will be undertaken based on information provided by collaborating institutes in member countries, but the frequency and the modus operandi are yet to be decided.
For additional information, contact the Forest Resources Division, Forestry Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
New land management and land tenure policies of the Government of Viet Nam aim at distributing both agricultural and forest land to the local people. This has created a situation in which individuals, grassroots associations and self-help groups can take a leading role in the development and management of productive land. An FAO project, funded by a Belgian trust fund, is providing support to the Quang Ninh Province forestry administration in introducing participatory planning and integrated watershed management in the commune of Bang Ca, in Hoang Bô district.
Until a few decades ago, shifting cultivation practices were not a threatening factor for the watersheds of Viet Nam. The local inhabitants, few in number and mostly of ethnic minorities, used only those sites that were little affected by erosion, but the situation is rapidly changing. Apart from rapid increases in population, migration from densely populated delta areas into the mountain regions is putting these lands under increasing pressure. Moreover, the land-use patterns of the new populations are often inspired by delta area agricultural techniques, generally not suited to fragile upland areas.
Under the three-year project which began in June 1995, the experience and the knowledge of the farmers who are native to the area are being used as the foundation for the development of integrated land husbandry and rural development in general and the sustainable use of the watershed's natural resources in particular. Based on a Participatory Rural Appraisal approach built up under another FAO project (Country capacity strengthening for TFAP implementation in Argentina, Mozambique and Viet Nam - supported by Italy), local grassroots organizations are working in tandem with the provincial technical services to address the challenges and opportunities related to sustainable land husbandry and environmental conservation.
By the end of the project, it is expected that four basic results will have been achieved. The population of approximately 1700 people of Bang Ca commune will have benefited directly in terms of improvement of crops, livestock and forestry and their integration with ensured environmental stability, thus reducing poverty and increasing sustainable livelihoods. Local grassroots organizations will have been strengthened and participatory methods and tools for integrated watershed management designed, tested and refined. The siltation rates of the Yen Lap reservoir (below the watershed area) will have been reduced, its expected life span will have increased and downstream irrigations schemes and the quality of life of the 160000 people who depend on the reservoir as a source of water will be improved. Finally, models of participatory watershed management will have been developed for further expansion and replication, first in the project area and later on a wider scale. This, in turn, will help to speed up progress in implementation of the government policy to distribute forest land to local people, now stalled partly owing to the lack of appropriate models for participatory management of upland forest areas.
