STATE OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS 2003 PART THE SITUATION AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FOREST SECTOR
2003 FORESTS S’WORLD THE OF STATE I PART AND SITUATION THE DEVELOPMENTS SECTOR FOREST THE IN
PART I THE SITUATION AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FOREST SECTOR Forest resources n 2001, FAO published the Global Forest close collaboration among international Resources assessment 2000 forest-related processes such as those related most comprehensive such survey ever to criteria and indicators for sustainable undertaken. Largely based on information forest management; provided by the countries themselves and a the involvement of countries remote sensing survey of tropical countries, it the neutral role of FAO and its partners in was supplemented by special studies implementation of the assessment undertaken by FAO. Among the outputs were Several initiatives along these lines have two new global forest cover maps, estimates of recently been taken: a global and forest cover, deforestation rates and forest interorganizational process to harmonize forest biomass for each country, and several definitions met twice in 2002 the Collaborative on su Partnership on Forests(CPF)established a task management and forest fires. After the release of force on monitoring, assessment and reporting: FRA2000(FAO, 2001), an international meeting and steps have been taken to establish an of experts was convened to review results and advisory group on the global Forest Resources plan future steps. The present chapter highlights Assessment. some of the recommendations arising from these I discussions, notes trends pointing to continued More than changes in forest area deforestation as a result of pressure to increase Assessments have shown for many years that agricultural production, and reports on the the area of the world 's forests is shrinking conversion and conservation of mangroves Estimates have become more reliable over repeated assessments, particularly with the GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES recent agreement that FRA2000 use one definition ASSESSMENT for forest. According to current estimates(FAO, FAOs Global Forest Resources assessment 2001),0.38 percent of the worlds forests were designed to serve countries, international converted to other land uses(i.e deforested) processes and the public by providing every year in the 1990s. At the same time, large information that can be used in policy-making, areas reverted to forest, leaving a net annual loss planning and evaluation of progress in achieving of 0. 22 percent. While these findings clearly sustainable forest management. Forests and trees show a substantial loss, particularly in the but also provide numerous environmental goods area is not the only indicator of the state of the not only provide wood and non-wood products, tropics, it is equally obvious that change in fores and services such as conservation of biological world's forest resources or their capacity to diversity and mitigation of climate change, and supply goods and services. they have a key role in alleviating poverty and Another way to describe declining forest improving food security. These multiple uses, resources is the extent to which they have been especially local and gender-specific ones, have in degraded (FAO, 2001). For example, poo the past been under-represented in forest silvicultural practices may have lowered wood assessments, and their inclusion will help production, unwisely managed harvesting may determine the usefulness of future efforts. Key have led to reduced biological diversity, or characteristics of the global assessment are overharvesting of fuelwood -in combination agreed common sets of definitions for the with grazing-may have negatively affected soil fertility. However, it is hard to obtain an accurate
SECTOR FOREST THE IN DEVELOPMENTS AND SITUATION THE I PART I Forest Global the published FAO, 2001 n the), 2000 FRA (2000 Assessment Resources ever survey such comprehensive most information on based Largely. undertaken a and themselves countries the by provided it, countries tropical of survey sensing remote studies special by supplemented was were outputs the Among. FAO by undertaken of estimates, maps cover forest global new two forest and rates deforestation, cover forest several and, country each for biomass forest as topics such on studies specialized of release the After. fires forest and management meeting international an), 2001, FAO (2000 FRA and results review to convened was experts of highlights chapter present The. steps future plan these from arising recommendations the of some continued to pointing trends notes, discussions increase to pressure of result a as deforestation the on reports and, production agricultural .mangroves of conservation and conversion RESOURCES FOREST GLOBAL ASSESSMENT is Assessment Resources Forest Global s’FAO international, countries serve to designed providing by public the and processes ,making-policy in used be can that information achieving in progress of evaluation and planning trees and Forests. management forest sustainable ,products wood-non and wood provide only not goods environmental numerous provide also but biological of conservation as such services and and, change climate of mitigation and diversity and poverty alleviating in role key a have they ,uses multiple These. security food improving in have, ones specific-gender and local especially forest in represented-under been past the help will inclusion their and, assessments Key. efforts future of usefulness the determine :are assessment global the of characteristics the for definitions of sets common agreed• ;parameters important most resources Forest international among collaboration close• related those as such processes related-forest sustainable for indicators and criteria to ;management forest ;countries of involvement the• in partners its and FAO of role neutral the• .assessment the of implementation have lines these along initiatives Several and global a: taken been recently forest harmonize to process interorganizational Collaborative the; 2002 in twice met definitions task a established) CPF (Forests on Partnership ;reporting and assessment, monitoring on force an establish to taken been have steps and Resources Forest Global the on group advisory .Assessment area forest in changes than More that years many for shown have Assessments .shrinking is forests s’world the of area the over reliable more become have Estimates the with particularly, assessments repeated definition one use 2000 FRA that agreement recent ,FAO (estimates current to According. forest for were forests s’world the of percent 38.0), 2001 (deforested. e.i (uses land other to converted large, time same the At. 1990s the in year every loss annual net a leaving, forest to reverted areas clearly findings these While. percent 22.0 of the in particularly, loss substantial a show forest in change that obvious equally is it, tropics the of state the of indicator only the not is area to capacity their or resources forest s’world .services and goods supply forest declining describe to way Another been have they which to extent the is resources poor, example For). 2001, FAO (degraded wood lowered have may practices silvicultural may harvesting managed unwisely, production or, diversity biological reduced to led have combination in – fuelwood of overharvesting soil affected negatively have may – grazing with accurate an obtain to hard is it, However. fertility 1
STATE OF THE WORLDs FORESTs 2003 Planning future direction In July 2002, FAO and several partners convened Gaps in the forest estate a global expert consultation on forest assessments in Finland (entitled Global Forest Resources Assessments- Linking National and International Efforts referred to in short as kotka Much of the agricultural expansion on to forest lands, particu IV)to review the results of FRA 2000 and to plan larly in the tropics, is temporary, inasmuch as fields are aban- the future direction of FAo global assessments doned three or four years after clearing because of a significant Among its many recommendations, Kotka IV loss of nutrients and hence of agricultural productivity. Some of agreed on the importance of capacity building in develop true shifting cultivation, becomes managed forest fallows. The the quality, timeliness and usefulness of forest official figures indicating the balance between the removal of inventories and assessments Kotka iv also forest and reforestation or afforestation miss these additions to concluded that national forest inventories and the forest estate, as well as the millions of trees outside forests that assessments should be driven by the needs of are planted and tended by rural inhabitants. Many forest fallows ational policy processes in Africa and other tropical regions that appear to be unproduc- In addition, the meeting noted that global tive are in fact well managed to meet a variety of basic local forest assessments should continue to be broad needs resources. This means that the wide range of forest goods and services must be assessed and the quantitative and qualitative values of the benefits studied, so far as possible. The provision overall picture of forest degradation without of industrial wood and conditions for biological also taking into account improvements that diversity, for example, should therefore be result in increased benefits. In this regard, future reported assessments will have to delve into aspects Precedents for assessing all benefits from related to function, impact and potential, forests have already been set with the providing much more information than in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year past. Weighing different benefits to determine initiative designed to provide decision-makers whether the total is increasing or decreasing in a and the public with relevant scientific given forest stand therefore becomes an information on the condition of ecosystems, equation. Similarly, there is a need to review the options for response; and the United Nationg o important element in the forest assessment expected consequences of ecosystem change and omplementarity of products and services from Environment Programme(UNEP)Global different forest stands at the landscape and Environmental Outlook studies which, while national levels. While it is generally agreed that focusing on environmental issues, also place forest degradation is more common than forest trends in the context of forest benefits systematic data prevents a balanced calculation systematic assessments and generate theonduct improvement in many countries, the lack of As many countries lack the capacity to of positive and negative trends information required to meet policy and Although evaluating trends in local forest planning needs, FAO has a programme to stands is a fairly straightforward matter, the support national forest assessments and build challenge is to make such samples representative country capacity. The pr ogramme for a country or the world. It would therefore support for systematic field measurements and appear that the solution to complex national or observations of forests and their use in order to global accounting of forest resources lies in obtain national-level statistics. a balanced use of stematic local observation and assessment remote sensing and field sampling is essential, as
2003 FORESTS S’WORLD THE OF STATE 2 without degradation forest of picture overall that improvements account into taking also future, regard this In. benefits increased in result aspects into delve to have will assessments ,potential and impact, function to related the in than information more much providing determine to benefits different Weighing. past a in decreasing or increasing is total the whether an becomes therefore stand forest given assessment forest the in element important the review to need a is there, Similarly. equation from services and products of complementarity and landscape the at stands forest different that agreed generally is it While. levels national forest than common more is degradation forest of lack the, countries many in improvement calculation balanced a prevents data systematic .trends negative and positive of forest local in trends evaluating Although the, matter straightforward fairly a is stands representative samples such make to is challenge therefore would It. world the or country a for or national complex to solution the that appear in lies resources forest of accounting global .assessment and observation local systematic direction future Planning convened partners several and FAO, 2002 July In forest on consultation expert global a Forest Global entitled (Finland in assessments and National Linking – Assessments Resources Kotka as short in to referred, Efforts International plan to and 2000 FRA of results the review to) IV .assessments global FAO of direction future the IV Kotka, recommendations many its Among ,building capacity of importance the on agreed increase to, countries developing in especially forest of usefulness and timeliness, quality the also IV Kotka. assessments and inventories and inventories forest national that concluded of needs the by driven be should assessments .processes policy national global that noted meeting the, addition In ,broad be to continue should assessments forest forest of aspects all on information including of range wide the that means This. resources and assessed be must services and goods forest the of values qualitative and quantitative the provision The. possible as far so, studied benefits biological for conditions and wood industrial of be therefore should, example for, diversity .reported from benefits all assessing for Precedents the with set been already have forests year-four a, Assessment Ecosystem Millennium makers-decision provide to designed initiative scientific relevant with public the and ,ecosystems of condition the on information and change ecosystem of consequences expected Nations United the and; response for options Global) UNEP (Programme Environment while, which studies Outlook Environmental place also, issues environmental on focusing .benefits forest of context the in trends conduct to capacity the lack countries many As the generate and assessments systematic and policy meet to required information to programme a has FAO, needs planning build and assessments forest national support on focuses programme The. capacity country and measurements field systematic for support to order in use their and forests of observations of use balanced A. statistics level-national obtain as, essential is sampling field and sensing remote significant a of because clearing after years four or three donedaban are fields as inasmuch, temporary is, tropics the in larlyparticu, lands forest to on expansion agricultural the of Much of Some. productivity agricultural of hence and nutrients of loss of case the in, some while, forest abandoned remains land this The. fallows forest managed becomes, cultivation shifting true of removal the between balance the indicating figures official to additions these miss afforestation or reforestation and forest that forests outside trees of millions the as well as, estate forest the fallows forest Many. inhabitants rural by tended and planted are local basic of variety a meet to managed well fact in are tiveunproduc be to appear that regions tropical other and Africa in .needs estate forest the in Gaps
PART I THE SITUATION AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FOREST SECTOR is close collaboration among national institutions expected to be negative and more significant and the newly established National Forest than in industrialized countries(IIaSa and Programme Facility(see p. 55) FAO,2002) Such extreme conditions over the next 50 years AGRICULTURAL EXPANSION AND are likely to result in significant incentives to DEFORESTATION expand agriculture, mostly but not entirely Over the years, researchers have identified new land cleared through deforestation. In many gricultural expansion as a common factor in industrialized countries, however, the area under almost all studies on deforestation. Indeed, much agriculture is shrinking, and land thus of the increase in food production has been at the abandoned is being converted to forest. expense of hundreds of millions of hectares of forest. Although there are no solid estimates of Relationship between forested and agricultural how much farm and grazing land was originallyareas under forest, the point remains that a large To shed light on whether there is a clear portion was cleared for agriculture, and that relationship in the dynamics between forested dditional land will be cleared in the future and agricultural areas, FAO analysed qualitative Efforts are therefore under way to gain a better temporal change trends on the basis of global understanding of the relationship between the statistics. However, this analysis excluded the wo sectors identification of factors that drive agricultural expansion or contraction and the processes that Added pressure from population increases and facilitate such change growing consumption Preliminary findings indicate that agricultural Large population increases and growing per land is expanding in about 70 percent of capita consumption will place unprecedented countries, declining in 25 percent and roughly strains on resources and present new challenges static in 5 percent(Figure 1) to the sustainable management of forests In two-thirds of the countries where including other wooded lane agricultural land is expanding, forest area is About 50 percent of the worlds inhabitants, decreasing but in the other one-third, forests mostly in developing countries, are likely to are expanding suffer malnutrition and poverty in the next 50 In 60 percent of the countries where years unless technologies to increase current agricultural land is decreasing, forests are levels of agricultural productivity are expanding. In most of the rest(36 percent), developed in time(IIASA and FAO, 2002) forests are decreasing Capital formation per agricultural worker Other wooded lands(shrub and forest fallows) has remained stagnant or declined in have roughly maintained their share of the land countries where more than 20 percent of the However, given the dynamic nature of land use, population is undernourished and where some land might revert to secondary forests over agriculture is essential to alleviate poverty time and improve food security(FAO, IFAD and Because other wooded lands may be a buffer WFP2002) for changes in land use, it is important to By 2050, the global population is expected to understand changes in these areas. Integrated increase by about 3 billion to a total of about assessment and monitoring of trees outside 9 billion, with growth occurring primarily in forests is necessary to draw meaningful developing countries where the potential to inferences for wider cross-sectoral policy ncrease arable land is minimal(IIASa and interventions in the forest, agriculture and FAO2002) environment sectors(IIASA and FAO, 2002).As The net impact of climate change on agricultural expansion into forests seems agriculture in developing countries is inevitable(FAO, 2001 ) a key question for future
3 SECTOR FOREST THE IN DEVELOPMENTS AND SITUATION THE I PART institutions national among collaboration close is Forest National established newly the and .(55. p see (Facility Programme AND EXPANSION AGRICULTURAL DEFORESTATION identified have researchers, years the Over in factor common a as expansion agricultural much, Indeed. deforestation on studies all almost the at been has production food in increase the of of hectares of millions of hundreds of expense of estimates solid no are there Although. forest originally was land grazing and farm much how large a that remains point the, forest under that and, agriculture for cleared was portion .future the in cleared be will land additional better a gain to way under therefore are Efforts the between relationship the of understanding .sectors two and increases population from pressure Added consumption growing per growing and increases population Large unprecedented place will consumption capita challenges new present and resources on strains ,forests of management sustainable the to .land wooded other including ,inhabitants s’world the of percent 50 About• to likely are, countries developing in mostly 50 next the in poverty and malnutrition suffer current increase to technologies unless years are productivity agricultural of levels .(2002, FAO and IIASA (time in developed worker agricultural per formation Capital• in declined or stagnant remained has the of percent 20 than more where countries where and undernourished is population poverty alleviate to essential is agriculture and IFAD, FAO (security food improve and .(2002, WFP to expected is population global the, 2050 By• about of total a to billion 3 about by increase in primarily occurring growth with, billion 9 to potential the where countries developing and IIASA (minimal is land arable increase .(2002, FAO on change climate of impact net The• is countries developing in agriculture significant more and negative be to expected and IIASA (countries industrialized in than .(2002, FAO years 50 next the over conditions extreme Such to incentives significant in result to likely are on entirely not but mostly, agriculture expand many In. deforestation through cleared land new under area the, however, countries industrialized thus land and, shrinking is agriculture .forest to converted being is abandoned agricultural and forested between Relationship areas clear a is there whether on light shed To forested between dynamics the in relationship qualitative analysed FAO, areas agricultural and global of basis the on trends change temporal the excluded analysis this, However. statistics agricultural drive that factors of identification that processes the and contraction or expansion .changes such facilitate agricultural that indicate findings Preliminary of percent 70 about in expanding is land roughly and percent 25 in declining, countries .(1 Figure (percent 5 in static where countries the of thirds-two In• is area forest, expanding is land agricultural forests, third-one other the in but, decreasing .expanding are where countries the of percent 60 In• are forests, decreasing is land agricultural ,(percent 36 (rest the of most In. expanding .decreasing are forests (fallows forest and shrub (lands wooded Other .land the of share their maintained roughly have ,use land of nature dynamic the given, However over forests secondary to revert might land some .time buffer a be may lands wooded other Because to important is it, use land in changes for Integrated. areas these in changes understand outside trees of monitoring and assessment meaningful draw to necessary is forests policy sectoral-cross wider for inferences and agriculture, forest the in interventions As). 2002, FAO and IIASA (sectors environment seems forests into expansion agricultural future for question key a), 2001, FAO (inevitable
STATE OF THE WORLDs FORESTs 2003 sustainable livelihoods, food security and sustainable forest management is the extent to Expansion and contraction of agriculture and forests: which this buffer can absorb or cushion the percentage of global area expected increase in the demand for agricultural production. Agriculture contracting d agricultural technology and its It is equally important to recognize that many Innovations agricultural production since the greer revolution have had a positive impact on forest area. without them much more land would be needed to produce todays amounts of wheat, maize rice and oth Indeed, the more agriculture is intensified on a sustainable basis, the less pressure there will be to deforest in order to provide new areas for implications in terms of forging links among environmental interests, agricultural research and intensification efforts. The following particularly needed agricultural uses of land, perhaps through national or regional land-use policy Agriculture expanding initiatives: Forest new initiatives to support agricultural Forest area contracting Forest area stable research, technological development and activities that help bring about sustainable increases in yields per hectare of farmland development of planted forests and land-use policies that can help to reduce pressure on Forestry and agriculture are inseparable ancient and fragile forests -areas that are also linked to economic aspects of forest production, industry development and trade MANGROVE CONVERSION AND It is rightly said that the solution to problems of deforestation and forest land degradation lies outside the forests .. FAO is fully CONSERVATION convinced, based on its many years of experience, that it is es- Mangroves are found along sheltered coastlines ential for forestry and agriculture to work hand in hand in the tropics and subtropics, where they fulfil important functions in conserving biological Dr Jacques Diouf, FAO Director-General diversity and providing wood and non-wood forest products(NWFPs); coastal protection; and Rome. 8 to 9 March 1999 habitat, spawning grounds and nutrients for a ariety of fish and shellfish, includin commercial species. High population pressure in
2003 FORESTS S’WORLD THE OF STATE 4 and security food, livelihoods sustainable to extent the is management forest sustainable the cushion or absorb can buffer this which agricultural for demand the in increase expected .production its and technology agricultural Improved forests on impact many that recognize to important equally is It intensify to innovations technological green the since production agricultural forest on impact positive a had have revolution be would land more much, them Without. area ,wheat of amounts s’today produce to needed .crops food major other and rice, maize on intensified is agriculture more the, Indeed will there pressure less the, basis sustainable a for areas new provide to order in deforest to be significant has point This. agriculture among links forging of terms in implications research agricultural, interests environmental are following The. efforts intensification and :needed particularly and forest between linkages policy direct• through perhaps, land of uses agricultural policy use-land regional or national ;initiatives agricultural support to initiatives new• and development technological, research sustainable about bring help that activities ;farmland of hectare per yields in increases the, research forestry for support increased• use-land and forests planted of development on pressure reduce to help can that policies are that areas – forests fragile and ancient forest of aspects economic to linked also .trade and development industry, production AND CONVERSION MANGROVE CONSERVATION coastlines sheltered along found are Mangroves fulfil they where, subtropics and tropics the in biological conserving in functions important wood-non and wood providing and diversity and; protection coastal); NWFPs (products forest a for nutrients and grounds spawning, habitat many including, shellfish and fish of variety in pressure population High. species commercial 1 FIGURE :forests and agriculture of contraction and Expansion area global of percentage stable Agriculture expanding Agriculture contracting Agriculture expanding area Forest contracting area Forest stable area Forest inseparable are agriculture and Forestry and deforestation of problems to solution the that said rightly is It“ fully is FAO. ... forests the outside lies degradation land forest “.hand in hand work to agriculture and forestry for sentiales is it that, experience of years many its on based, convinced General-Director FAO, Diouf Jacques Dr ,Forestry on Meeting Ministerial 1999 March 9 to 8, Rome