Forest Resource and Management Status in the Region
M. Kashio
Forest Resources Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Introduction to the
Forestry Development Group
FAO Regional Office for
Asia and the Pacific
Basic statistics in Asia-Pacific
• 38 member countries, 3,005 million ha, accounting for 23% of the world’s land area
• Total forest = 699 million ha, covering 23 % of the total land area
• Asia-Pacific forests = 18% of global total
• 1990-2000 regional total declined 10.5 million ha (1%) (Net change: -8 mil. ha)
Contributors to degradation and deforestation
n Advance of agricultural frontiers
n Pastoral agriculture
n Cropping
n Shifting cultivation
n Urbanization
n Industrial forestry
n Forest fires (deliberate and accidental)
Contributing to sustainable
forest management
n Forest management plans
n Model forests
n Criteria and indicators
n NFP
n Reduced impact logging, Codes of Practice
n Promotion of protected area management (TigerPaper, RAPO Conservation strategy, Asian elephant programmes)
Perspectives and Approaches
SFM requires following perspectives and approaches
n Increasing environmental priorities
n Review on functions and responsibilities of forestry institutions (major institutional restructurings)
n Decentralized forest management
n Participatory approach
n Rural development
n Requirements for new & different skills
