Beirut, Republic of Lebanon, 21-22 May 2004
Preamble
The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA 2005) is conducting a series of regional workshops as part of the preparatory work for the country reporting process. These regional workshops respond to requests made by many member countries during the global training session held at FAO Headquarters in Rome in November 2003.
The Near East Regional Workshop was the first in the series and was held in conjunction with the Near East Forestry Commission. It was hosted by the Lebanese Government and jointly organized by the FAO Forestry Department in Rome and the Regional Office for the Near East in Cairo, together with the local NGO, The Association for Forestry Development and Conservation (AFDC).
Invitations to the workshop were extended to all the nominated National Correspondents (NCs) for countries that belong to the Near East Region. In total 24 participants from 16 countries, one regional organization and one private sector company attended the meeting (Appendix 1).
Objectives and content
The main objectives of the workshop were to:
• present and discuss the fifteen National Reporting Tables which the countries are being requested to compile for FRA 2005 (especially for those NCs who did not attend the November 2003 Training Session in Rome);
• present the new tools that have been developed for facilitating the work of the National Correspondents, such as the documents “Guidelines for country reporting” and the “Country Reporting template”;
• review the work done so far by the Near East countries in compiling the national reporting tables for FRA 2005, to share country experiences on the reporting process and to describe how FAO may provide support to linked activities such as National Forest Assessments;
• establish the time schedule and define deadlines for the country reporting to FRA 2005; and
• provide technical assistance and further guidance in order to ensure consistent high-quality reporting that meets the specifications established for FRA 2005.
The first day of the workshop was dedicated to a presentation of the FRA Process, the National Reporting Tables and the common methodological framework established for FRA 2005. Each presentation was followed by a time assigned for questions, answers and discussion.
The second day of the workshop started with the presentation of country experiences in reporting to FRA 2005. The following countries presented their experiences of completing the National Reporting Tables:
• Cyprus
• Uzbekistan
• Sudan
• Turkey
The country presentations were followed by a discussion where common problems in the country reporting were identified, as well as proposals on how to address these problems. Common problems included the lack of or weak and incomplete data, difficulties in adapting national definitions to the FRA definitions, etc.
Another item covered on the second day was National Forest Assessments (NFA). A presentation was made of the support provided by FAO to National Forest Assessment and the basic methodology suggested by FAO. This was followed by a presentation by Lebanon on the country’s NFA experience, which is one output of the soon to be concluded TCP/LEB/2903 project, and by a presentation by the Islamic Republic of Iran on its work in preparing a NFA.
There was great general interest in undertaking NFAs and the participating countries found that the experiences from Lebanon were important for designing good NFAs for the low forest cover countries (LFCCs) in the region. Iran has already begun the design of a NFA and it was suggested that it contact FAO to obtain support for its initiative. General country statements were also made by Egypt and Iraq.
The second day was concluded by presenting the means of technical support provided to the NCs by the FRA Secretariat in Rome in order to help them solve technical questions and to elaborate the country reports. The timetable for the work to be undertaken by the countries was also presented and discussed.
Issues raised, recommendations and requests
During the workshop, several issues were raised and recommendations made on how to handle specific reporting problems. In particular, the meeting requested FAO support with the following:
• translation of the basic FRA 2005 documents into Arabic;
• compilation of a CD-ROM with all the presentations and documentations to be sent to the NCs;
• consolidation of communication between the NCs and the FRA Secretariat in Rome;
• future FRAs should take more into consideration some particular characteristics of the LFCCs, such as: land with multiple land use, and importance of trees outside forest.
• many countries lack data on their forest resources and thus support to National Forest Assessments is needed;
• some of the countries in the region are in need of particular support due to recent and on-going political unrest.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
AFGHANISTAN
Ghulam Haideri
Head of Environment, Forest and Range – Environment Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
P.O. Box #1235
Kabul
Tel.:+93-079334067
E-mail: Thr. FAOR [email protected]
Abdul Wali Modaqiq
Director General of Forest Improvement
Forest and Range Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
P.O. Box #1235
Kabul
Tel.:+93-079212497
E-mail: [email protected]
CYPRUS
Charalampos Alexandrou
Forestry Officer
Department of Forests
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment
26, Louki Akrita Avenue
1414 Nicosia
Tel.:+357-2-2805517
Fax.:+357-2-2781419
E-mail: [email protected]
EGYPT
(Ms) Hoda Salah El Din Rashed
Director General for Afforestation Department
Under-Secretariat of Afforestation and Environment
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation
Nadi El Seid Str.
Dokki Giza, Cairo
Tel.:+20-2-3373790
Fax.:+20-2-3354983/7498128
E-mail: [email protected]
IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF
Gholam Abbass Abdinejad
Member of High Council for Forest, Range and Soil
Forest Range and Watershed Management Organization
P.O. Box 19576/567
Tehran
Tel.:+98-21-2446505/2
Fax.:+98-21-2446551
E-mail: [email protected]
Majid Seifollahim
Member of High Council for Forest, Range and Soil
Forest Range and Watershed Management Organization
P.O. Box 19576/567
Tehran
Tel.:+98-21-2446505
Fax.:+98-21-2446551
E-mail: fano [email protected]
m [email protected]
IRAQ
Sabah Salem Al-Kawaz
General Director of Horticulture and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture
Abou Gharib
Baghdad
Tel.:+964-1-5111534
Cell : +964 0790922865
E-mail: [email protected]
JORDAN
Mohammed Ahmed Ali Al Daqish
Head of the Department
Ministry of Agriculture
P.O. Box 961044
Amman
Tel.:+962-6-5686151
Fax.:+962-6-568631
E-mail: [email protected]
LEBANON
Fady Asmar
Head of Service of Rangelands, Public Gardens and Protected Forests
Ministry of Agriculture
Bir Hassan
Beirut
Tel:+961-3-259818
E-mail: [email protected]
Jean Stephan
Head of Service of Rural Development and Natural Resources, Mount Lebanon
Ministry of Agriculture
Furn al Chebbak
Damascus Street, Jabre Building
Beirut
Tel.:+961-1-283916
Fax.:+961-1-283915
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Michel Bassil
Head of Service, Reforestation and Harvesting
Ministry of Agriculture
Bir Hassan, Beirut
Tel. :+961-3-408424
E-mail: [email protected]
OMAN
Ahmed Mohamed Bin Mostahil Al Kathiry
Specialist, Plant Studies
Head of Camels Management Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Fish Resources
P.O. Box H82-211, Salalah
Tel.:+968-9490177 - 290175
E-mail: [email protected]
Mohamed Salim Al-Mashikhi
Manager, Range Resources Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Fish Resources
P.O. Box 49
Taka Salalah
Tel.:+968-294421
Fax.:+968-293733
E-mail: [email protected]
PAKISTAN
Kanmwar Muhammad Suleman
Director, Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar
Ministry of Environment
Old Naval Headquarters, Block-4
Islamabad
Tel.:+92-91-9216137 - 845195
Fax.:+92-91-9216203
E-mail: [email protected]
SAUDI ARABIA, KINGDOM OF
Khalid Bin Nasser Al Mousa
Director of Forestry
Department of Range and Forests
Ministry of Agriculture and Water
Ministry of Agriculture 11195
Riyadh
Tel.:+966-1-4544890
E-mail: [email protected]
SUDAN
Salah Yousif Mohammed
Forests National Corporation
National Authority for Forests
P.O. Box 658, Khartoum
Tel.:+249-11-499923
E-mail: [email protected]
Private: [email protected]
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Ali Dawood
Director, Forestry Directorate
Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform
Al Sabaa Bahrat-Al Abed Street
Damascus
Tel.:+963-11-2248964 963 112241382
Fax.:+963-11-2240826
E-mail: [email protected]
TURKEY
Yuksel Erdogan
Forest Engineer
General Directorate of Forestry
Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Orman Genel Mudurlugu Bilisim Destek
Servisi 1 Nolu Bina
Gazi/Ankara
Tel.:+90-312-2230969
Fax.:+90-312-2222078
E-mail: [email protected]
Tamer Otrakcier
Department Head – RPC Forestry
General Directorate of Forestry
Ministry of Environment and Forestry
OGM Gazi Tesisleri No. 1
Gazi-Ankara
Tel.:+90-312-2128042
Fax.:+90-312-2227336
E-mail: [email protected]
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Abdullah Bin Rashed Al Moalla
Director of Central Agricultural Region
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
P.O. Box 1509
Dubai
Tel.:+971-6-8822228
Fax.:+971-6-8822777
E-mail: [email protected]
Private: [email protected]
UZBEKISTAN
(Ms) Gulusa Vildanova
Forestry Officer
FRA 2005 National Correspondent
Main Forestry Department
Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources
21 Katartal Street
Tashkent
Tel: +99 8 71 1734386/99 8 71 162 8864
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
YEMEN, REPUBLIC OF
Mohamed H. Moqbil
Head of Natural Forest Department
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
P.O. Box 354
Tel: +967 1 250 976
Fax: + 967-1-225979
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
ARAB ORGANIZATION FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (AOAD)
Mohammad Abido
Head of AFRI
P.O. Box 142
Lattakia, Syria
Tel.:+963-41-418459
Fax.:+963-41-418459
E-mail:[email protected]
[email protected]
TAK SABZ (IRAN)
Abbasgholi Espah Boroojeni
Managing Director
No. 35 Molla Sadra Ave.
Tehran 19919
Tel.:+98-21-8772383
Fax.:+98-21-8797675
E-mail: [email protected]
FAO SECRETARIAT
Hassan AbdelNour
Senior Forestry Officer
Regional Office for the Near East
P.O. Box 2223
Cairo, Egypt
Tel.:+20-2-3316000-3316136 (Dir.)
Fax.:+20-2-7495981-3373419
E-mail: [email protected]
LarsGunnar Marklund
Forestry Officer
Forest Resources Assessment (FORM)
Forestry Department
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Tel.:+39-0657053255
Fax.:+39-0657052151
E-mail: [email protected]
(Ms) Federica Urbani
Consultant
Forest Resources Assessment (FORM)
Forestry Department
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Tel.:+39-0657053255
Fax.:+39-0657052151
E-mail: [email protected]
