Photo: © FAO

Çanakkale, Türkiye – A four-day training workshop to determine criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management in the Bayramiç and Kalkım Forest Districts Management was held in Çanakkale province from 24 to 27 April 2024.

The training was organized within the project “Strengthening the Conservation of Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of Forest Landscapes in Türkiye’s Kaz Dağları Region” executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the General Directorate of Forestry and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, , and financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The four-day workshop commenced with an introductory speech given by FAO Project Coordinator Erdoğan Ertürk, who provided an overview of the project. He explained: “One of the significant objectives of this project is to enhance the effectiveness of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, particularly at the regional level. We have therefore convened all relevant stakeholders in the main project areas of the Bayramiç and Kalkım Forest Districts Management. With this project, we aim to work towards more efficient and sustainable management of forests in the Kaz Dağları region.” Elaborating further he explained that “sustainable forest management entails taking measures against all threats and damages to ensure the best management of the biological diversity, productivity, ecological, and economic and social functions of forests, both nationally and globally. Therefore, the work conducted here is of significance for the whole region, and the outcomes will be integrated into other pilot areas to establish a comprehensive forest management approach.”

Fazıl Cabaroğlu, Deputy Regional Director of Forestry, highlighted the importance of the Kaz Dağları region, which possesses a rich capacity in terms of forest resources and forestry, and emphasized the need for meticulous execution of the conducted studies, outlining the benefits of these activities for the local community.

Concluding the opening speeches, Alper Tolga Arslan, Deputy Head of the Strategy Development Department at the General Directorate of Forestry, underscored the importance of all stakeholders playing an active role in the management of sustainable forests. He explained: “In recent years, climate change and global pandemics have reminded us of the paramount importance of our forest resources. While the economic, social and cultural functions of forests exhibit a complex interplay, they inherently overlap.” He elaborated: “Monitoring and assessing whether these aspects are sustainably preserved or enhanced pose significant challenges. Hence, there is a need for more tangible parameters to facilitate this monitoring and assessment. Therefore, the criteria and indicators to be established here hold great importance for our region.”

During the workshop, working groups were formed to address topics such as the contribution of forest resources to the global carbon cycle, the health, vitality and integrity of forests, their protective functions, biodiversity, production capacity and their socio-economic functions. The findings and methodologies developed from the workshop results will contribute to a better understanding of the concept of sustainable forest management and enhance the capacities of local implementation units.