Strengthening sustainable forest management
Over the last 25 years criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management (C&I for SFM) have become a vital tool for developing a common understanding of the key components of sustainable forest management. They have been adopted and widely applied particularly for international and national reporting and for forest certification. They have undoubtedly helped to define SFM, providing a framework for discussion, and have stimulated improved monitoring. However, their use in policy and practice is limited, for a range of reasons.
The project was designed to take stock of the status and use of forest indicators globally, and to consider how the full potential of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management could be mobilized to promote and demonstrate sustainability of forest management, including through a possible global set of SFM indicators.
Goal
A broad agreement at technical level among key bodies and C&I processes on further elaborated and harmonized global forest indicators in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Strategic Plan of the International Arrangements of Forests, as well as a proposed common vision and roadmap on the further promotion and use of forest indicators as a tool for strengthening SFM in policy and practice.Impact
Increased use of further developed C&Is or forest indicators as tool for strengthening SFM in planning, decision-making and in monitoring and reporting in policy at national, regional and global levels and in practice.Approach
A draft set of 21 global forest indicators and the SDG indicator 15.2.1 “Progress towards SFM” developed in collaboration with key UN bodies and C&I processes.
Forest indicators and their use promoted and discussed in regional workshops in Latin America, Africa and Near East and North Africa (NENA) regions.
Joint vision statement and roadmap presented at the World Forestry Congress as well as Ottawa C&I Action Plan developed.