| United Nations | E/CN.17/IPF/1996/18 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
9 August 1996
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
Third Session
8-20 September 1996
IMPLEMENTATION OF UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS RELATED TO FORESTS AT THE NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, INCLUDING AN EXAMINATION OF SECTORAL AND
CROSS-SECTORAL LINKAGES
Programme element I.5: Needs and requirements of countries
with low forest cover
Report of the Secretary-General
SUMMARY
The present report describes progress made in implementing decisions of
the Commission on Sustainable Development relating to programme element I.5,
"Implementation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development decisions related to forests at the national and international
level, including an examination of sectoral and cross-sectoral linkages".
Countries with low forest cover can be found in countries of both the
developed and the developing world. Given their social and economic
differences, they face a variety of practical problems. In the developing
countries, a strong dependence on forest goods and services for subsistence
and a lack of viable alternatives place a heavy burden on rural communities
and forest dwellers.
Some of the major problems in countries and areas with low forest cover
are poorly protected watersheds, a decreasing number of endemic species,
degradation of unique types of forests and scarcity of forest products,
including timber, firewood and non-timber products. Development in those
countries is often historically associated with periods of significant forest
loss, having disturbing present-day consequences on economic systems in terms
of land degradation and social, cultural and economic hardship.
Considering the present economic and financial situation at the global
level, with decreasing levels of official development assistance and a
concentration of private investment in countries with abundant forest
resources, special attention must be given to the needs of developing
countries with low forest cover.
The present report presents some proposals for the Panel's consideration,
based on discussions held during the Panel's second session. The proposals
are closely linked to those presented under other programme elements - in
particular, I.1, I.2, I.3, I.4, II, III.1a and III.1b.
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
INTRODUCTION .......................................... 1 - 5 4
I. OUTCOME OF DISCUSSIONS HELD BY THE PANEL AT ITS
SECOND SESSION ................................... 6 - 7 5
II. CURRENT STATUS OF ISSUES RAISED BY THE PANEL AT ITS
SECOND SESSION .................................... 8 - 17 6
A. Definitions ................................... 8 - 12 6
B. Countries with low forest cover .............. 13 - 17 6
III. ASSESSMENT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ................ 18 - 28 8
A. National case-studies ........................ 19 - 23 8
B. Forest-related studies and initiatives ....... 24 - 28 9
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION ............. 29 - 41 9
A. Conclusions .................................. 29 - 30 9
B. Proposals for action ........................ 31 - 41 10
Annex. LIST OF COUNTRIES WITH LOW FOREST COVER ........ 13
INTRODUCTION
1. The present report describes progress made in implementing decisions
of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development relating to
programme element I.5, "Implementation of the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development decisions related to forests at the national
and international level, including an examination of sectoral and cross-
sectoral linkages". At its third session, the Commission on Sustainable
Development defined the programme element as the need to "propose measures
to address the needs and requirements of countries with low forest cover in
order to promote the activities aimed at conserving the existing coverage,
with particular reference to the unique types of forests". 1/
2. At its first session, the Panel emphasized the need for preparation of
"a report on the specific needs of countries with low forest cover,
particularly developing countries, in order to promote activities aimed at
conserving the existing coverage, with particular attention to unique types
of forests. The report should consider particular situations where
communities and forest dwellers depend on forests to meet their subsistence
needs, such as fuel, food, forage, grazing provisions for livestock,
shelter and medicinal plants. The preparation for this issue should also
include an identification of areas of low forest cover, forests as
protected areas, and dry wood lands". 2/
3. The outcome of the substantive discussion on programme element I.5 is
contained in the report of the Panel at its second session
(E/CN.17/IPF/1995/3). During their deliberations, delegates noted the high
pressure placed upon forest ecosystems in countries with low forest cover,
particularly in developing countries. They stressed the need for concerned
countries and the international community to develop appropriate mechanisms
to address the needs and requirements of those countries, and particularly
of their forest dwellers and local communities. They also stressed the
need to conserve biodiversity, particularly in areas with unique types of
forests.
4. The present document takes into consideration paragraph 12 of the
Statement on Biological Diversity and Forests from the Convention on
Biological Diversity to the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests
(UNEP/CBD/COP/2/19). It is closely linked with matters discussed in the
Secretary-General's report on programme element I.2, Underlying causes of
deforestation and forest degradation (E/CN.17/IPF/1996/15). The proposals
for action suggested in both reports are highly complementary, particularly
for countries with low forest cover.
5. This progress report was prepared by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), as lead agency for programme element I.5, in consultation
with the secretariat of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Panel on Forests in
the Division of Sustainable Development of the Department for Policy
Coordination and Sustainable Development of the United Nations Secretariat.
It builds upon the report of the Secretary-General to the Panel at its
second session (E/CN.17/IPF/1995/2) and is based on a document prepared
with the assistance of the Overseas Development Administration. Proposals
applicable to developed and developing countries are presented for the
Panel's consideration.
I. OUTCOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS HELD BY THE PANEL AT
ITS SECOND SESSION
6. During the substantive discussions on issues under programme element
I.5 at its second session, the Panel noted that:
(a) Countries with low forest cover have a particular need to ensure
security of goods and services through the sustainable management of
forests. Appropriate policy options need to be defined, taking into
account the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on
Biological Diversity;
(b) The restricted area of forests in countries with low forest cover
is of special importance for the production of timber and the provision of
goods and services. Those services, including protecting water catchments,
supplying energy, establishing protected areas and biological corridors,
maintaining biodiversity and contributing to food security, recreation and
health rehabilitation, need to be properly evaluated;
(c) The concept of national permanent forest estates needs to be
further elaborated;
(d) The conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of
its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out
of the utilization of genetic resources should be integrated into national
forest programmes;
(e) Many of the forest types in countries with low forest cover are
distinctive or even rare, while the proportion included in nationally
designated protected areas is often below average;
(f) The environmental and socio-economic implications of importing
forest goods or using substitutions should be carefully considered;
(g) Additional information may be required, and should be collected
and disseminated, where doing so is cost-effective;
(h) Areas with low forest cover within forest-rich countries suffer
from problems and pressures similar to those faced by countries with low
forest cover and could in some cases benefit from similar solutions.
7. The Panel requested the secretariat to propose a working definition of
low forest cover and consider ways of improving the productivity,
conservation and enhancement of areas with low forest cover, taking into
account the social and cultural dimensions.
II. CURRENT STATUS OF ISSUES RAISED BY THE PANEL AT
ITS SECOND SESSION
A. Definitions
8. The following definitions are consistent with the terminology used in
the Secretary-General's reports on programme elements I.1, National forests
and land-use plans (E/CN.17/IPF/1996/14), and III.1 (a), Forest assessment
(E/CN.17/IPF/1996/20).
1. Forests
9. Forests - whether natural, modified or planted - are biotic
communities characterized by a predominance of woody vegetation. They are
found in all climatic zones (boreal, temperate, tropical and mountainous)
and may take the form of closed canopy forests or open canopy woodlands.
They comprise all the components of forest ecosystems and their natural
resources. Forest lands may be covered by forests or degraded - that is,
currently devoid of trees or not maintained in a sustainable manner.
10. Forests and forest lands should be viewed as one part of a complex
variety of land uses, together with their human and societal relationships,
and not as an independent sector.
2. Low forest cover
11. According to the FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment, 3/ any area
with 20 per cent minimum crown cover in developed countries or 10 per cent
cover in developing countries is considered a forest. (Of the countries
covered by the 1995 Assessment, 25 per cent had less than 7 per cent of
their land under forest cover.) Forest cover may not adequately reflect
the availability or accessibility of goods and services, since it fails to
take into account geographical and climatic variations, the environmental,
social and economic perspectives or issues of forest ownership or land
tenure. Although the FAO data are not truly comparable across the globe,
they are the only ones available for all forested countries.
12. Low forest cover is insufficient forest to ensure the sustainability
of key components and processes essential for survival and development.
B. Countries with low forest cover
13. Countries with low forest cover are those in which the lack of forests
is damaging to ecological processes. They may be either high- or low-
income (see the table below). Given their social and economic differences,
the four groups of countries shown face a variety of practical problems.
In developing countries, strong dependence on forest goods and services for
subsistence and a lack of foreseeable alternatives place a heavy burden on
rural communities and forest dwellers.
Table. Income level and forest cover in
selected countries
-----------------------------------------------------
Forest cover
-----------------------------
Income Low High
------------------------------------------------------
High United Kingdom Canada
Denmark United States
Netherlands Finland
Singapore Sweden
-------------------------------------------------------
Low China Gabon
Kenya Indonesia
Somalia Malaysia
Tonga Papua New Guinea
--------------------------------------------------------
14. Analyses such as the one in the table above are of particular
importance when decisions have to be made on countries which require a
substantial amount of development assistance.
15. A list of countries with low forest cover is given in the annex below.
Of the 61 countries, islands, countries with critical watersheds, and arid
and semi-arid countries make up a large proportion. This indicates the
need for institutions involved in forest-related activities to work closely
with those involved in the implementation of the Convention on Biological
Diversity, 4/ the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in
those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification,
particularly in Africa, 5/ the Barbados Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, 6/ and other
initiatives tackling hydrological issues (see particularly chapter 18 of
Agenda 21, "Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources:
application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use
of water resources". 7/) Although the area of some island forests may be
small, their value can be very high - for example, degradation of the
watershed on the small Caribbean Island of Carriacou made it necessary to
import fresh water. The application of the diagnostic framework proposed
in IPF programme element I.2 has major relevance in this context.
16. The major problems faced in small island States and in semi-arid and
arid countries with low forest cover are poorly protected watersheds, a
decreasing number of endemic species, and scarcity of forest products,
including timber, firewood and non-timber products used for medicine and
food. Development in those countries, particularly in the Caribbean, is
historically associated with tremendous forest loss, a loss that has come
to have disturbing ramifications for their ecosystems, particularly land
degradation, and their economies. Yet the value of the remaining forests
for supporting other systems (e.g., water supply for agriculture, landscape
for tourism) are neither well understood nor properly included in
development planning.
17. Rural people in countries with low forest cover, especially those in
semi-arid and arid environments, are either nomadic - grazing and browsing
their livestock in dry woodlands and shrub savannas - or settled - eking
out a living from the land through a diversity of activities, including
charcoal production, agriculture, gum collection and livestock production.
In these areas, the benefits of land and resource utilization
(i.e., woodland, crop and livestock management) are closely linked,
reflecting the need for strong integrated and cross-sectoral approaches.
III. ASSESSMENT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
18. A few national case-studies give cause for optimism. Some recent
international initiatives of relevance to countries with low forest cover
are outlined below.
A. National case-studies
19. In Guinea, recent studies have shown that, contrary to previously
published reports on deforestation, forest cover is increasing. Many of
the patches of forest are not remnants of a formerly widespread forest
cover, cleared by farmers, as believed in the past, but are there only
because local farmers have created them.
20. In Viet Nam the success of lowland paddy agriculture is entirely owing
to the hydrological control provided by healthy upland watersheds.
Viet Nam has become one of the major rice exporters of South-East Asia.
The most recent forest inventory (1996) showed that deforestation had been
almost entirely halted, that management of existing natural forests had
improved, and that there had been a considerable increase in plantation
area and in the numbers of trees in farmlands. Farmers who, under the new
"Doi Moi" policy, have been allocated land report that they are
diversifying production by growing trees, since they are now able to
benefit from timber and wood sales.
21. Since the early 1970s St. Helena has developed a forestry programme
with three elements: plantations of fast-growing pines; a small sawmill to
meet local demand for timber; and a conservation programme to protect areas
that contain rare and endangered endemic species, some of which are near
extinction and require special propagation techniques. Plantations are of
mostly Pinus pinaster (maritime pine). The sawmill is able to meet the
demand for sawn timber and fence posts, although some high quality hardwood
is still imported.
22. Many other countries, including India, Ireland, Finland and Kenya, are
reporting increasing tree cover.
23. The common factor in these examples is the initiative that local
people, notably women, have been able to take within a good planning and
policy framework.
B. Forest-related studies and initiatives
24. Little forest-related research has been carried out in countries with
low forest cover. Yet the future supply of and demand for forest products
are particularly important in those countries, considering that most of
them currently face difficulties in addressing forest-related subsistence
needs.
25. Two recent global studies and initiatives are noteworthy:
(a) A Norwegian study on the long-term trends and prospects in the
supply of and demand for wood products and their possible implications for
sustainable forest management, conducted in support of IPF, concluded that
the demand for forest goods and services will increase in the coming years;
(b) A study conducted by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development Study on the Paper Cycle concludes that over the next 50 years
the consumption of pulpwood is expected to double. For the demand to be
met, more forests are required. At least 15 million ha of new, fast-
growing plantations worldwide are needed to meet the increasing forest
demand.
26. The harshness of the climatic conditions in some of the countries with
low forest cover, particularly developing countries in arid and semi-arid
regions, combined with the long-term nature of most interventions in the
forest sector, calls for more urgent and long-term commitments from
Governments and donors.
27. One mechanism, developed by the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), to address the problem is the concept of forest partnership
agreements. In such agreements, national commitments and donor support
would be brought together in a legally binding form. The concept is based
on the premise that the interests of donors and of recipient countries in
preventing forest loss or increasing tree cover and in conserving
biodiversity will coalesce. An agreement would have to be carefully
negotiated so as to ensure that any resulting programme would be country-
led, reflecting national needs and requirements, particularly those of
local communities and forest dwellers, and not driven by the requirements
of the donor. Long-term commitments would be required.
28. Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), there has been increasing interest in incentives for sustainable
forest management. Some are of a fiscal or financial nature. Others are
part of the framework of policy, custom, tenure and legislation within
which forests are managed. Such incentives should give positive signals to
users that improved custody will bring benefits.
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
A. Conclusions
29. National forest cover can be measured in three ways: as a percentage
of total land area, as forest area per capita or as a proportion of world
forest resources contained within the country. Which assessment will prove
most useful will depend on the purpose of the assessment. Although all
three are different, interestingly, when applied (with some exceptions),
they identify many of the same countries (see the annex).
30. International, regional and national studies, based on situation
analyses, future trends or alternatives, and tools for sustainable forest
management, particularly in countries with low forest cover, are being
developed and should be taken into account in national forest programmes.
Mechanisms such as the UNDP forest partnership agreements should be
capitalized on in order to reduce problems relating to securing long-term
commitments and coordinating international assistance for the management,
conservation and sustainable development of forests. Considering the
current economic and financial situation worldwide, the decreasing levels
of official development assistance and the concentration of private
investment in countries with abundant forest resources, special attention
will have to be given to the needs of the least developed countries with
low forest cover.
B. Proposals for action
31. In addressing the needs and requirements of countries with areas of
low forest cover or with low forest cover overall, particularly developing
countries, the Panel may wish to consider the proposals outlined below.
1. National forest programmes
32. Countries are urged to develop a national forest programme to address
production and conservation needs, using an integrated and participatory
process involving all interested parties, particularly rural communities
and forest dwellers.
33. Countries are urged to define a permanent forest estate around which
all management and investment decisions would be made, based on the demand
for forest goods and services currently and in the foreseeable future and
on available forests and plantable land under all kinds of ownership.
34. Countries are urged to identify ways and means of addressing the
problems of forest dwellers and local communities, making full use of
existing local knowledge and taking into account the national conservation
and development goals.
35. Countries are urged to incorporate into national forest programmes
both qualitative and quantitative aspects of forest ecosystems and the
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
2. Forest plantations
36. Countries are urged to heed the need for additional forest plantations
which would address certain country needs, including those of a
macroeconomic nature (i.e., earning foreign currency by supplying the
international market with forest products). They should have minimal
environmental impact and should not replace natural ecosystems of high
ecological and/or cultural value.
3. Importation and substitution
37. Countries are urged to consider, whenever possible, the option of
importing forest goods and services from forest-rich areas or substituting
other products for specific forest goods and services, taking into account
the related social, economic and environmental implications.
4. Participatory mechanisms
38. Countries are urged to develop appropriate policies and incentive
packages to ensure the continuous participation of all interested parties,
particularly women, rural communities, forest dwellers and private
investors, in the implementation of the national programme.
5. Information collection and dissemination
39. Countries are urged to develop adequate information systems, based on
reliable monitoring activities and sectoral and cross-sectoral exchange
mechanisms, in order to allow for timely decisions relating to the national
programme and/or policies. Tools such as forest resources accounting,
being used in a few countries, could prove to be very useful for
information-gathering.
6. Capacity-building
40. Countries are urged to embark on capacity-building programmes, based
on an analysis of existing institutions at all levels, to ensure efficiency
and effective participation in decision-making throughout the planning and
implementation process, thus taking full advantage of the wealth of
traditional knowledge available in the country.
7. Coordination mechanism
41. Countries are urged to establish good coordination mechanisms,
involving relevant national and international institutions and
organizations (governmental and non-governmental), including forest
partnership agreements, in order to secure the long-term objectives of the
national forest programme.
Notes
1/ Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1995,
Supplement No. 12 (E/1995/32), chap. II, sect. D.5, annex I, sect. III (I),
para. 5.
2/ E/CN.17/IPF/1995/3, para. 18 (I.5).
3/ FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment: Global synthesis. FAO
Forestry Paper No. 124 (Rome, 1995).
4/ United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological
Diversity (Environmental Law and Institutions Programme Activity Centre),
June 1992.
Notes (continued)
5/ A/49/84/Add.2, annex, appendix II.
6/ Report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, 25 April-6 May 1994 (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.94.I.18 and corrigenda), chap. I,
resolution 1, annex II.
7/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the
Conference, resolution 1, annex II.
Annex
LIST OF COUNTRIES WITH LOW FOREST COVER
Islands
American Samoa
Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
Cape Verde
Comoros
Cayman Islands
French Polynesia
Guam
Haiti
Kiribati
Mauritius
Netherlands Antilles
Niue
Pacific Islands
St. Pierre and Miquelon
St. Helena
Saint Lucia
Singapore
Seychelles
Tonga
Semi-arid/arid, with or next to deserts
Afghanistan
Algeria
Australia
Bahrain
Djibouti
Egypt
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Kenya
Lebanon
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Mauritius
Mauritania
Morocco
Oman
Pakistan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Somalia
Syrian Arab Republic
Tunisia
Yemen
High elevation
Lesotho
Mongolia
High population density
Bangladesh
Burundi
El Salvador
Rwanda
Critical watersheds
China
Viet Nam
Thailand
Philippines
Temperate
Denmark
Iceland
Ireland
Netherlands
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Uruguay
-----
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