4. Improvements of National Forestry Statistics Process

The data already collected such as the statistics on the status of standing forest resources and from the forest permit system is being used to make informed predictions or to project future trends based on economic forecasts, population etc. For example, this information has been used in the preparation of the Second National Development Plan (NDPII).

National Forestry statistics on wood products have not been systematically and periodically reported in Namibia. Therefore, a process needs to be started to improve the collection and compilation of National Forestry Statistics. Appendix 1 shows the list of companies dealing with wood products in the country. Data on wood products production, consumption and trade must be collected systematically from these institutions. A centralised system of national data collection, analysis and dissemination must be established.

The following are some measures that should be considered towards the improvement of data collection, data processing and regular dissemination of statistics related to wood products:

Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Finance (Customs and Excise) and National Planning Commission (Central Statistics Bureau) should have databases for the capture of forestry data.

The Directorate of Forestry must become the focal point for regular data processing and regular dissemination of statistics related to wood-products in Namibia. It should design specific forms for recording wood products data from other institutions that are engaged in the collection of wood products data. These relevant ministries/institutions should periodically complete and forward the forms to the Directorate of Forestry. On the other hand, the Directorate of Forestry should obtain copies of the digital data from the above institutions for analysis.

In view of item 2 above, there will be need for a full time official in the Directorate of Forestry to follow up this exercise to ensure that the forms are indeed completed and returned to forestry and the data entered into the forestry data base and analysed.

The Chamber of Commerce (Companies dealing in wood products) should be consulted and their co-operation sought about the need to systematically and periodically report on wood products produced and traded in their companies. This information is beneficial to them because it will eventually show their contribution to the forestry sector, which in turn contributes to the Namibian economy.

Send out a questionnaire regularly to the dealers in wood products (Appendix 1). This list needs to be updated. This contact will enable and facilitate the sharing of important technical and trade information with the wood products dealers to create a friendly relationship which is good for data collection.

The Directorate of Forestry should produce annually a publication on Wood-Products Statistics in Namibia. This document should provide statistics of the whole forestry sector.

A forest Official should be appointed to periodically liase with other organisations/ministries involved in collection of forestry data. A committee, chaired by Directorate of Forestry, should be set up comprising of officials from relevant organisations so that they can meet regularly to exchange views on forestry data collection, compilation and dissemination. They can also form the editorial board for the publication Wood-Products Statistics in Namibia.

An expanded wood products database to capture all other wood products statistics currently not covered by the Forest Permit System should be created at the Directorate of Forestry. The new system must be designed in such a way that it is able to store data from other institutions and is easier to retrieve the information to produce the Wood-Products Statistics in Namibia being a publication in some agreed format. In this way, the information can be quickly disseminated to the public. The designated Forestry official could collect the raw data from the participating relevant institutions and enter it into the forestry wood products database.

The Forest Inventory and Mapping Section, the Windhoek District Forestry Office (hosting the Forest permit System) and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) are the possible candidates to easily play a role in the data capture, analysis and dissemination of wood products information. The data capture and processing can be handled by the Forest Inventory/Mapping Section and the Windhoek District Forestry Office while production of wood products information in map and other graphic form can be handled by the National Remote Sensing Centre.