Developing criteria and indicators for evaluating sustainable forest management: A case study in Kyrgyzstan

Published Date
August 2012, Vol.21:32–43, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2012.01.010

Author 

• Gulnaz Jalilova ^,
• Chiranjeewee Khadka
• Harald Vacik

• Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria

Received 5 April 2011. Revised 29 January 2012. Accepted 30 January 2012. Available online 19 February 2012. 

Abstract

The management of the walnut-fruit forests is one of the key issues in the forestry sector of Kyrgyzstan as it has to address the challenges related to the conservation of forest resources, socio-economic efficiency and the livelihoods of people. The demand for an assessment of the current forest management, which generally involves criteria and indicators (C&I) at all levels, from local to national has increased in the last decade. Therefore a case study has been done, applying a combination of a top-down and bottom-up approach with multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to identify a set of C&I with different groups of stakeholders in selected sites at the forestry management unit level (leshoz). Six workshops and a series of discussion meetings were conducted to perform a sound analysis of the preferences of four different stakeholder groups. A final set of C&I that consists of seven criteria and 45 indicators has been identified for evaluating sustainable forest management (SFM) in the walnut-fruit forests. Forest health and vitality was found to be the most important criterion, while the maintenance of forest biodiversity was found to be the least prioritized among other criteria. Furthermore, four different management strategies were developed by foresters, research groups, ecologists and forest administrators in order to overcome the present challenges in forest management. By utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), one particular management strategy (MS II) was identified by all stakeholder groups as being the overall best alternative strategy. It was shown that the consideration of non-timber forest products and other options for income generation can improve the livelihood of the people, increase the productivity of resources as well as conserving the gene pool for maintaining forest biodiversity. The findings of this study highlight the importance of a C&I evaluation and its further policy implications. Moreover, it is discussed how the involvement of local stakeholders in the decision making process and their participation in forest management could be stimulated by the C&I development process in the walnut forests of Kyrgyzstan.

Highlights

► Criteria and Indicators for SFM have been developed for the first time in the walnut fruit forests. ► The C&I process helped to support decision making in terms of increasing transparency, participation and power balance. ► 7 criteria and 45 indicators identified with the help of 112 experts and stakeholders. ► The MCA approach was useful in evaluating SFM strategies. ► Outcomes of the process support conclusions for further forest policy implications.

Keywords

Criteria and indicators

Sustainable forests management

Walnut-fruit forests

Management strategies

Analytic Hierarchy Process

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.: + 43 1 476544074; fax: + 43 1 476544092.
  
  

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Towards a European forest policy — Conflicting courses

Published Date
August 2013, Vol.33:87–93, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2012.06.002
Forest Land Use and Conflict Management: Global Issues and Lessons Learned

Author 

Peter Edwards 

Daniela Kleinschmit ^,

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Products, Box 7008, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden

Received 22 February 2012. Revised 11 June 2012. Accepted 12 June 2012. Available online 17 July 2012. 

Abstract

Over the past several years, at least three different forest policy processes have emerged in the European sphere, two of which are legally binding agreements — one under the auspices of Forest Europe, attempting to negotiate a legally binding agreement; and two, the possibility of a legally binding agreement within the European Union (EU). We aim to identify, reconstruct and classify the major conflicts in both the Commission Green Paper on forest protection and information in the EU: preparing forests for climate change and Forest Europe initiated LBA process. The theoretical framework of this study uses an adapted conflict regulation approach based on the conflict triangle model. Empirically four dimensions are analysed to reconstruct and classify the conflicts: substance, procedure, relationship and discourses around the conflict. Empirical data has been gathered by qualitative document analysis and expert interviews with stakeholders at the national and EU level. The results of the empirical analysis identify three major conflicting interests: a) the subsidiarity principle, b) forest management and c) the responsibility for conducting the negotiations. Classifying these three conflicts into substance and procedural dimensions highlights the major role of the latter within the recent European forest policy processes.

Highlights

► We examine 3 key conflicts in European forest policy processes. ► We use 4 dimensions: substance, procedure, relationship & discourse. ► Procedure plays a major role in European forest policy process conflicts. ► National interests are entrenched in both content and procedure, & hard to overcome.

Keywords

European forest policy

Conflict

Forest Europe

European Union

Interests

Discourses

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• ☆
  This article belongs to the Special Issue: Forest Land Use and Conflict Management: Global Issues and Lessons Learned.

• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author. Tel./fax: + 46 18 67 3490.

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Citizens' view of legitimacy in the context of Finnish forest policy

Published Date
March 2013, Vol.28:52–59, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2013.01.004

Author 

• Annukka Valkeapää ^a,,
• Heimo Karppinen ^b,1,

• aUniversity of Helsinki, Department of Social Research, Po. Box 54, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
• bUniversity of Helsinki, Department of Forest Sciences, Po. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

Received 11 July 2012. Revised 31 December 2012. Accepted 1 January 2013. Available online 11 February 2013. 

Abstract

The goal of forest policy is to enhance sustainable production of the material and immaterial benefits of forests to serve the needs of all citizens. A theoretical model for explaining the formation of legitimacy in a certain political sector was developed and empirically tested in the context of Finnish forest policy. Nationwide mail survey data was used to determine the differences in the perceptions of forest policy by Finnish forest owners and other citizens. The questionnaire measured the legitimacy of the forest policy, the acceptance of laws, the justice of the procedures, the fairness of power relations, the acceptance of forestry operations and the competence in forest policy issues. Overall legitimacy was evaluated positively, and the forest owners considered forest policy in general to be more acceptable than other citizens did. The most criticized aspects of forest policy were the justice of the procedures and the use of clearcutting. Procedural justice and acceptance of forestry operations were the strongest explanatory factors for the legitimacy. Acceptance of the power relations of different stakeholder groups explained legitimacy for non-owners but not for forest owners. In both groups, forest policy competence led to a more negative evaluation of legitimacy.

Graphical abstract

Highlights

► Procedural justice and acceptance of forestry operations explained the legitimacy. ► Forest owners were in general more content with forest policy than non-owners. ► Justice of the procedures was criticized, especially equal treatment of stakeholders. ► Clearcutting and even-aged forest management were criticized. ► Forest policy competence led to a more negative evaluation of legitimacy.

Keywords

• Legitimacy
• Survey
• Citizens
• Forest owners
• Forest policy
• Participation

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author at: Tel.: + 358 40 191 24975; fax: + 358 9 191 24877.
  
  

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Decision-making for the selection of a best wood extraction method: An analytic network process approach

Published Date
January 2015, Vol.50:200–209, doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2014.09.010

Author

• Abolfazl Jaafari ^a
• Akbar Najafi ^a,b,,
• Mónica García Melón ^c

• aDepartment of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Noor, Iran
• bDepartment of Forest Harvesting Logistic and Amelioration, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
• cDINGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Received 26 January 2014. Revised 4 August 2014. Accepted 13 September 2014. Available online 8 October 2014. 

Highlights

• •
  We propose an approach to compare wood extraction methods using ANP with BOCR.
• •
  The approach is illustrated with reference to the case studies of the Caspian Forest.
• •
  The most suitable alternative under each merit is identified.
• •
  The ranking of the alternatives is sensitive to changes in the weight of the merits.
• •
  The developed methodology assists managers in reorganizing of forest operations.

Abstract

The importance of environmental and economical aspects in sustainable forest management (SFM), demands a continuing need for the application of efficient methods in this field. In this paper, we applied analytic network process (ANP) with benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks (BOCR) to evaluate four existing wood extraction methods (rubber-tired skidder, tracked skidder, cable logging and animal skidding) and select the best one based on SFM strategies in the Caspian (Hyrcanian) Forest, in northern Iran. The required data were obtained either from the previous studies or through pairwise comparisons conducted by a panel of forest engineering experts. Based on the BOCR subnetworks and their corresponding criteria, four alternatives were synthesized. ANP analysis indicated that the benefits and risks were more important in terms of decision-making, compared to the opportunities and costs. Finally, the alternative of ‘rubber-tired skidder’ was selected as the most suitable method for meeting SFM strategies. The decision framework proposed in this study offers a means for the reorganizing and planning of timber harvesting operations as an integral step toward SFM. By making minor adjustments for local conditions, this decision framework can be adapted for many other regions and countries.

Keywords

• ANP
• BOCR
• Caspian Forest
• Forest harvesting
• Sustainable forest management

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  Corresponding author at: Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box: 64414-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran.

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