Popular sustainability
The challenge of sustainable forest management: What future for the world's forests? 1993. Rome, FAO. 128 pp. US$30.00.
The ideal of sustainability has deep roots in the history of forest management but the concept has now evolved, in line with thinking in other forms of land use, to comprise not only the outturn of woody products but also management for a wide range of goods and services within the context of planned rural development as well as the reconciliation of competing interests through dialogue and partnership.
The contents of this book reflects the wide interests contributing to sustainable forest management. Chapters are devoted to: sustainability in a changing world; the world's forests (with the latest figures derived from FAO's Forest Resource Assessment 1990); why forests are important; dealing with conflicting interests; forest management options, laws, institutions and people; and the international dimension (including sections on the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, debt-for-nature swaps, genetic materials derived from forests and consumer boycotts).
The challenge sustainable forest management presents a topical subject in an accessible manner for a non-technical audience.
The challenge sustainable forest management
It may, however, assist many foresters in the presentation of technical concepts connected with sustainability to decision-makers or the general public, and will be a useful source of further reading, since there are many references and summaries of technical information are given at the end of each chapter.
A companion volume of technical papers that synthesize current thinking on various aspects of sustainable forest management will soon be published under the title of Readings in sustainable forest management Together, the two books should make an important contribution to raising public awareness of forestry issues.
Directory of forestry research organizations
Directory of forestry research organizations. 1993. FAO Forestry Paper No. 109. Rome.
Compiled jointly by FAO and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), this handy directory provides a concise guide to approximately 600 organizations in 108 countries, arranged alphabetically by country and organization.
The directory is based on a questionnaire sent to all forestry research organizations on the mailing lists of FAO and IUFRO. The initial responses were compiled in a draft directory, dated August 1992. Copies of the draft directory were mailed to all the organizations that had responded, with a request for amendments and updated information.
In addition, IUFRO country representatives were requested to help in locating research organizations that had been missed.
The format of the directory has been made deliberately simple, including postal address, telephone, fax, telex, number of graduate staff, establishment date, main areas of research and name of director. The basic data provided are intended to facilitate an initial contact; additional information can be obtained subsequently by direct communication.
FAO is aware that the directory is still not complete. Any organization that has been omitted is requested to provide information for the next edition by completing the form below and sending it to the Chief, Forest Research Education and Training Branch, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
Directory of forestry research organizations
Country: ____________________________________________________
Name of organization: _______________________________________
Address: ____________________________
Telephone (Including country and local area code): ________________
Fax: _____________________________________________________
Telex: ____________________________________________________
Cable: ____________________________________________________
Number of staff who have a university degree: ____________________
Year of establishment: _______________________________________
Main research areas (list up to ten Items): ________________________
Name of head of organization: _________________________________
Name and designation of person completing this form: ______________
Forestry research experts meet at FAO
Proceedings of the Meeting of Experts on Forestry Research. 1993. FAO Forestry Paper No. 110. Rome.
This volume contains the recommendations and working papers of an expert meeting convened by FAO in October 1992 to deliberate on the strengthening of national forestry research; the training and development of scientists; research support networks; and global overviews of forestry research. The meeting was supported, through sponsorship of the various participants, by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA) and the international Union of Forest Research Organizations' Special Programme for Developing Countries.
Recommendations
The recommendations of the expert meeting are reproduced in full below:
The expert meeting recognizes that forestry research capabilities in many countries are very weak in relation to the immense task of providing necessary scientific and technological support for the sustainable management of forest resources, the rehabilitation of degraded lands, environmental protection and the long-term welfare of human communities.
The 24 working papers together form a comprehensive survey of recent development in forestry research around the world. It is difficult to single out particular papers for special mention. However, the paper by Lundgren et al. on "Training and development of scientists for forestry research in the USA" describes what is arguably the most advanced programme so far devised for the development of scientific human resources in forestry. It is a programme worth emulating in other countries.
A paper by the FAO Evaluation Service on "Guidelines for the establishment and support of technical cooperation networks" summarizes a review of 135 networks in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development, from which it draws important lessons Network managers and planners will find these lessons useful.
Papers on the state of forestry research organizations in Mexico, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Brazil, Pakistan, Malaysia and the United Republic of Tanzania provide interesting glimpses of the situation in a cross-section of countries around the world.
The state of tropical forest resources
Forest resources assessment 1990: Tropical countries. FAO Forestry Paper No 112. 1993. Rome.
Sound decisions and actions in forest management at any level, whether local or global, require reliable information regarding the situation and evolution of the resource over time. In pursuance of its mandate, FAO has undertaken periodic assessments of the world's forest resources, of which the first was carried out nearly 50 years ago in 1946 and the most recent in 1980. As reported in depth in Unasylva, 44(174), the 1990 Global Forest Resources Assessment builds on the 1980 study and has three components: the assessment for the tropical countries (presented in this Forestry Paper); the assessment of the forest resources of the industrialized countries, carried out and published jointly by FAO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; and the assessment for the non-tropical developing countries, which is to be published in 1994.
FAO Forestry Paper No. 112 provides comprehensive information on the current state of tropical forests, including deforestation, management, conservation and development of the resource. It addresses for the first time issues related to forest degradation, and loss of biomass and biodiversity. A new methodology has been developed for a more accurate estimation of changes in forest cover. The core of this methodology is the ability to analyse forest resource data in the form of time series. Both data that were made available by member countries and new data obtained from satellite remote sensing images have been used for this purpose. An important part of this report is the country data. To arrive at a common classification, format and reference date, original data provided by countries had to be reorganized (classifications and definitions often differ from country to country). However, it must be stressed that the standardized country results in this publication are intended only to secure a consistent global picture; they do not replace the original country statistics, which will remain a unique source of reference. This assessment is intended to satisfy most of the urgent information needs of policy-makers, the scientific community and the general public. However, the exercise has revealed gaps in information and knowledge and a need to improve national capacities to carry out their own forest resource assessments. These will be areas receiving increased attention from FAO in the future.
S.A. Dembner
Debt-for-nature swaps
Debt-for-nature swaps to promote natural resource conservation. FAO Conservation Guide No 23 1993. Rome.
The external debt liabilities of developing countries are a major constraint to their social and economic development and have resulted in a significant outflow of capital. This has limited government willingness to protect the natural resource base and to invest in social infrastructure, lowering the quality of life of large sectors of the population. The debt burden has threatened social and political stability and sometimes damaged international economic relations.
The dimension of environmental problems and external funding experiences between 1980 and 1985 clearly indicated that the resources needed to protect and manage the natural heritage called for new ideas and efficient, long-lasting mechanisms. It was against this background that the debt-for-nature swap mechanism was brought forth in Latin American countries in 1986. Although it is not a solution to the debt problem, given its sheer magnitude, the debt-for-nature swap programme is nevertheless a highly innovative and effective means of converting a financial problem into a means of supporting the conservation and sustainable development of wildlands; constructive reforestation; and a more scientific and productive management of natural woodlands.
This document sets out to describe the forms and conceptual framework of the main debt-for-nature swaps before 1990. Subsequent initiatives have not been included, nor have other instances of debt swaps for non-environmental purposes, such as debt-for-education, -industrial development and -science and technology. Nonetheless, the variety of structures and operating mechanisms involved is indicative of the potential of such swaps.
It is noteworthy that, whereas the study on which this document is based was entitled Estudio sobre el canje de la deuda externa pare promover la conservación de los recursos forestales, the focus of the final work was broadened to cover all natural resources (including forests). This provided a greater number of case-studies, as one of the main objectives of the document is to highlight the conversion mechanisms and flexibility in terms of beneficiaries and end-use options.
The inclusion of instances of debt swaps for the protection of wildlands results from a broad interpretation of forest land use, extending beyond timber extraction to include soil and water conservation as well as the protection of genetic material and scenic beauty.
The document is divided into five basic sections: an introduction; an analysis of the external debt of developing countries and the debt-for-nature swap initiative; case-studies of debt-for-nature swaps in seven countries (five in Latin America, one in Africa and one in Asia); the perspective of the industrialized countries; and prospects for the future. An annex contains the conclusions and recommendations of an FAO workshop on debt-for-nature swaps, held in Santiago, Chile, in December 1991.
This document should be of considerable use to both developing and developed countries, international technical cooperation agencies, national and international nongovernmental organizations and development banks. The hope is that it will serve as a basis for the development and exploration of new collaborative strategies to protect the environment and use its resources sustainably while improving the external debt situation of developing countries.
For further details log on website:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/t2230e/t2230e0d.htm#TopOfPage
The challenge of sustainable forest management: What future for the world's forests? 1993. Rome, FAO. 128 pp. US$30.00.
The ideal of sustainability has deep roots in the history of forest management but the concept has now evolved, in line with thinking in other forms of land use, to comprise not only the outturn of woody products but also management for a wide range of goods and services within the context of planned rural development as well as the reconciliation of competing interests through dialogue and partnership.
The contents of this book reflects the wide interests contributing to sustainable forest management. Chapters are devoted to: sustainability in a changing world; the world's forests (with the latest figures derived from FAO's Forest Resource Assessment 1990); why forests are important; dealing with conflicting interests; forest management options, laws, institutions and people; and the international dimension (including sections on the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, debt-for-nature swaps, genetic materials derived from forests and consumer boycotts).
The challenge sustainable forest management presents a topical subject in an accessible manner for a non-technical audience.
The challenge sustainable forest management
It may, however, assist many foresters in the presentation of technical concepts connected with sustainability to decision-makers or the general public, and will be a useful source of further reading, since there are many references and summaries of technical information are given at the end of each chapter.
A companion volume of technical papers that synthesize current thinking on various aspects of sustainable forest management will soon be published under the title of Readings in sustainable forest management Together, the two books should make an important contribution to raising public awareness of forestry issues.
Directory of forestry research organizations
Directory of forestry research organizations. 1993. FAO Forestry Paper No. 109. Rome.
Compiled jointly by FAO and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), this handy directory provides a concise guide to approximately 600 organizations in 108 countries, arranged alphabetically by country and organization.
The directory is based on a questionnaire sent to all forestry research organizations on the mailing lists of FAO and IUFRO. The initial responses were compiled in a draft directory, dated August 1992. Copies of the draft directory were mailed to all the organizations that had responded, with a request for amendments and updated information.
In addition, IUFRO country representatives were requested to help in locating research organizations that had been missed.
The format of the directory has been made deliberately simple, including postal address, telephone, fax, telex, number of graduate staff, establishment date, main areas of research and name of director. The basic data provided are intended to facilitate an initial contact; additional information can be obtained subsequently by direct communication.
FAO is aware that the directory is still not complete. Any organization that has been omitted is requested to provide information for the next edition by completing the form below and sending it to the Chief, Forest Research Education and Training Branch, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
Directory of forestry research organizations
Country: ____________________________________________________
Name of organization: _______________________________________
Address: ____________________________
Telephone (Including country and local area code): ________________
Fax: _____________________________________________________
Telex: ____________________________________________________
Cable: ____________________________________________________
Number of staff who have a university degree: ____________________
Year of establishment: _______________________________________
Main research areas (list up to ten Items): ________________________
Name of head of organization: _________________________________
Name and designation of person completing this form: ______________
Forestry research experts meet at FAO
Proceedings of the Meeting of Experts on Forestry Research. 1993. FAO Forestry Paper No. 110. Rome.
This volume contains the recommendations and working papers of an expert meeting convened by FAO in October 1992 to deliberate on the strengthening of national forestry research; the training and development of scientists; research support networks; and global overviews of forestry research. The meeting was supported, through sponsorship of the various participants, by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Forestry Research Support Programme for Asia and the Pacific (FORSPA) and the international Union of Forest Research Organizations' Special Programme for Developing Countries.
Recommendations
The recommendations of the expert meeting are reproduced in full below:
The expert meeting recognizes that forestry research capabilities in many countries are very weak in relation to the immense task of providing necessary scientific and technological support for the sustainable management of forest resources, the rehabilitation of degraded lands, environmental protection and the long-term welfare of human communities.
A. On national forestry research, the expert meeting recommends:
i) That urgent attention be paid to the strengthening of national forestry research systems, with emphasis on those institutions mandated to implement major forestry research programmes but also involving all other relevant components of the system such as universities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
ii) That, where feasible and appropriate, research components be incorporated into forestry development programmes to ensure sustained scientific support for such programmes through the strengthening of local scientific expertise and institutions.
B. On the training and development of forestry research human resources, the expert meeting recommends:iii) That national self-reliance and sustainability in forestry research be promoted by better identification of clients and their needs, and by increasing the internal sources of funding from the private as well as the public sector.
iv) That all avenues for training, in-country as well as overseas, including part-time, full-time, "sandwich", and distance" learning courses as well as twinning arrangements, be utilized for training.
v) That the academic training of scientists be supplemented by additional training in specific practical skills, implemented through short courses, seminars and other means; such specific skills include research leadership and management, research project formulation and management, research evaluation, technical writing and publication, technology transfer and impact assessment.
vi) That the training and development of scientists be viewed as a process that should continue into mid-career and beyond so that skills are continually improved.C. On research support networks, the expert meeting recommends:
vii) That research support networks be set up on a regional and subregional basis wherever possible in order to promote scientific interaction for the mutual benefit of the scientists and countries concerned.
viii) That, where appropriate, FORSPA be used as a networking model for adaptation to other regions and subregions.
ix) That FAO promote and support discussions with relevant national institutions on the operation of regional and subregional forestry research support networks. x) That efforts be made to explore possibilities for increasing private sector involvement in research networks and the exchange of research information.D. On global support for forestry research, the expert meeting recommends:
xi) That CIFOR and the International Council for Research on Agroforestry, as the pivotal Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres for international forestry and agroforestry research, respectively, should continue to explore creative ways to complement and supplement forestry and agroforestry research support networks.
xii) That FAO, IUFRO and CGIAR centres should continue to work closely with each other and with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) as well as other international organizations to strengthen global support for forestry research.E. The group of experts expresses its appreciation for this timely and useful meeting and congratulates FAO for convening it; the group recommends:
xiii) That FAO continue to hold expert meetings on forestry research at regular intervals to provide an interregional forum for reviewing the state of forestry research, identifying problems and exploring options for national, regional and international cooperation and action.Working papers
The 24 working papers together form a comprehensive survey of recent development in forestry research around the world. It is difficult to single out particular papers for special mention. However, the paper by Lundgren et al. on "Training and development of scientists for forestry research in the USA" describes what is arguably the most advanced programme so far devised for the development of scientific human resources in forestry. It is a programme worth emulating in other countries.
A paper by the FAO Evaluation Service on "Guidelines for the establishment and support of technical cooperation networks" summarizes a review of 135 networks in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development, from which it draws important lessons Network managers and planners will find these lessons useful.
Papers on the state of forestry research organizations in Mexico, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Brazil, Pakistan, Malaysia and the United Republic of Tanzania provide interesting glimpses of the situation in a cross-section of countries around the world.
The state of tropical forest resources
Forest resources assessment 1990: Tropical countries. FAO Forestry Paper No 112. 1993. Rome.
Sound decisions and actions in forest management at any level, whether local or global, require reliable information regarding the situation and evolution of the resource over time. In pursuance of its mandate, FAO has undertaken periodic assessments of the world's forest resources, of which the first was carried out nearly 50 years ago in 1946 and the most recent in 1980. As reported in depth in Unasylva, 44(174), the 1990 Global Forest Resources Assessment builds on the 1980 study and has three components: the assessment for the tropical countries (presented in this Forestry Paper); the assessment of the forest resources of the industrialized countries, carried out and published jointly by FAO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; and the assessment for the non-tropical developing countries, which is to be published in 1994.
FAO Forestry Paper No. 112 provides comprehensive information on the current state of tropical forests, including deforestation, management, conservation and development of the resource. It addresses for the first time issues related to forest degradation, and loss of biomass and biodiversity. A new methodology has been developed for a more accurate estimation of changes in forest cover. The core of this methodology is the ability to analyse forest resource data in the form of time series. Both data that were made available by member countries and new data obtained from satellite remote sensing images have been used for this purpose. An important part of this report is the country data. To arrive at a common classification, format and reference date, original data provided by countries had to be reorganized (classifications and definitions often differ from country to country). However, it must be stressed that the standardized country results in this publication are intended only to secure a consistent global picture; they do not replace the original country statistics, which will remain a unique source of reference. This assessment is intended to satisfy most of the urgent information needs of policy-makers, the scientific community and the general public. However, the exercise has revealed gaps in information and knowledge and a need to improve national capacities to carry out their own forest resource assessments. These will be areas receiving increased attention from FAO in the future.
S.A. Dembner
Debt-for-nature swaps
Debt-for-nature swaps to promote natural resource conservation. FAO Conservation Guide No 23 1993. Rome.
The external debt liabilities of developing countries are a major constraint to their social and economic development and have resulted in a significant outflow of capital. This has limited government willingness to protect the natural resource base and to invest in social infrastructure, lowering the quality of life of large sectors of the population. The debt burden has threatened social and political stability and sometimes damaged international economic relations.
The dimension of environmental problems and external funding experiences between 1980 and 1985 clearly indicated that the resources needed to protect and manage the natural heritage called for new ideas and efficient, long-lasting mechanisms. It was against this background that the debt-for-nature swap mechanism was brought forth in Latin American countries in 1986. Although it is not a solution to the debt problem, given its sheer magnitude, the debt-for-nature swap programme is nevertheless a highly innovative and effective means of converting a financial problem into a means of supporting the conservation and sustainable development of wildlands; constructive reforestation; and a more scientific and productive management of natural woodlands.
This document sets out to describe the forms and conceptual framework of the main debt-for-nature swaps before 1990. Subsequent initiatives have not been included, nor have other instances of debt swaps for non-environmental purposes, such as debt-for-education, -industrial development and -science and technology. Nonetheless, the variety of structures and operating mechanisms involved is indicative of the potential of such swaps.
It is noteworthy that, whereas the study on which this document is based was entitled Estudio sobre el canje de la deuda externa pare promover la conservación de los recursos forestales, the focus of the final work was broadened to cover all natural resources (including forests). This provided a greater number of case-studies, as one of the main objectives of the document is to highlight the conversion mechanisms and flexibility in terms of beneficiaries and end-use options.
The inclusion of instances of debt swaps for the protection of wildlands results from a broad interpretation of forest land use, extending beyond timber extraction to include soil and water conservation as well as the protection of genetic material and scenic beauty.
The document is divided into five basic sections: an introduction; an analysis of the external debt of developing countries and the debt-for-nature swap initiative; case-studies of debt-for-nature swaps in seven countries (five in Latin America, one in Africa and one in Asia); the perspective of the industrialized countries; and prospects for the future. An annex contains the conclusions and recommendations of an FAO workshop on debt-for-nature swaps, held in Santiago, Chile, in December 1991.
This document should be of considerable use to both developing and developed countries, international technical cooperation agencies, national and international nongovernmental organizations and development banks. The hope is that it will serve as a basis for the development and exploration of new collaborative strategies to protect the environment and use its resources sustainably while improving the external debt situation of developing countries.
For further details log on website:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/t2230e/t2230e0d.htm#TopOfPage
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