FO:APFC/2000/7

1. Criteria and indicators are tools used to define, assess and monitor sustainable forest management. Criteria encompass socio-economic, environmental, cultural and spiritual dimensions, with due consideration to the productive, protective and social roles of forests. Key indicators are measured and monitored to determine the effects of management interventions over time, in relation to progress towards sustainability, as defined by each criteria. The ultimate objective of criteria and indicators is to gradually improve forest management as a contribution toward achieving sustainable development.

2. Many Asia-Pacific countries are members of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), which has actively supported member countries in adopting and implementing sustainable forest management, including environmentally sound harvesting techniques. ITTO pioneered the development of criteria for sustainable forest management by drafting the "ITTO Criteria for Sustainable Tropical Forest Management," which were endorsed by its member countries in 1992. The ITTO revised its criteria in 1997, to take into consideration recent trends and developments in forestry.

3. Five Asia-Pacific countries (i.e., Australia, China, Japan, Korea (Republic of) and New Zealand) also participate in the Montreal Process, which has developed criteria and indicators for monitoring progress toward sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. In addition, ten ASEAN countries are also in the process of adapting the ITTO criteria and indicators for their use.

4. The seventeenth session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission, held in February 1998, recognized the advances made by several countries in the development and application of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, but at the same time noted that many countries remained outside the established international processes. The Commission therefore requested FAO, in collaboration with partner organizations, to facilitate and enhance the involvement of such countries in understanding the potential of criteria and indicators for monitoring progress toward sustainable forest management.

5. The ongoing international initiatives involving Asia-Pacific countries largely focus on temperate, boreal and tropical moist forests. There was a perceived need, therefore, to more actively involve countries in the region with substantial areas of dry forests in the development and implementation of criteria and indicators specifically oriented toward the unique demands and features of dry forest management.

6. In response to this perceived need, a "Workshop on National-Level Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Dry Forests in Asia" was organized by FAO, in cooperation with UNEP, ITTO, USDA Forest Service and the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM). The workshop was held from 30 November to 3 December 1999, in Bhopal, India. Workshop participants included representatives of forestry agencies from nine countries with dry forests in Asia (i.e., Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand), and representatives from FAO, ITTO, WWF/India, the Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC), and IIFM.

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP

7. The objectives of the workshop were to:

• review existing national-level criteria and indicators for sustainable management of dry forests already developed in the region or elsewhere, with a view to adapting them for possible implementation in Asian countries in a manner compatible with other international initiatives;
• exchange information and experiences related to the development and implementation of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management;
• stimulate and clarify linkages and inter-relationships between sustainable forest management and marketing and certification of forest products; and
• identify and recommend appropriate actions required to develop and implement criteria and indicators in countries concerned, with due consideration to local ecological, socio-economic, and cultural conditions.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKSHOP

8. The following conclusions and recommendations were arrived at during the workshop:

• Workshop participants recognized the importance of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and development. The meeting recommended that countries incorporate criteria and indicators into on-going national forestry planning and projects to facilitate implementation of sustainable forest management.
• Participants recognized that most countries of Asia have worked towards the development of criteria and indicators for all types of forests. They recommended that these efforts be properly organized, that they put into the context of current perceptions, and that they be based on the set of criteria and indicators for dry forests proposed during the workshop.
• The meeting acknowledged and agreed on a "reference" set of 8 national-level criteria and 49 indicators for the sustainable management of dry forests in Asia. It recommended that member countries further refine and improve the set to fit national ecological, economic and socio-cultural conditions.
• The meeting recognized that national forestry programs can play an important role in the implementation of criteria and indicators and recommended that countries use these forest management tools as a guide when formulating national forestry programs and policies.
• The meeting recognized the expertise of FAO, UNEP and ITTO in assisting countries in the implementation of national-level criteria and indicators, and academic and research institutions in testing such tools at the forest management unit level. The meeting recommended that countries strengthen ties and working relationships with such institutions to secure training of technical and professional staff needed to facilitate national-level implementation.
• The workshop recommended that Asian countries seek the necessary support from their own governments to strengthen the technical and logistic capabilities of national forestry institutions for developing and implementing national-level criteria and indicators. In addition, they should seek international assistance from FAO, UNEP, ITTO and other cooperating agencies, to facilitate regional training at technical and professional levels.
• Participants acknowledged that one way to ensure sustainability of implementation over time is to incorporate criteria and indicators concepts into forestry curricula. Therefore, the workshop recommended that participants and national forestry authorities in Asia contact forestry educational institutions so that the latter may consider incorporating criteria and indicators concepts into their curricula.
• The meeting recognized that political commitment, public awareness and people's participation are essential for the effective implementation of national-level criteria and indicators. The meeting recommended that participants: (a) inform colleagues and national forestry authorities of the results of the workshop, and (b) approach national forestry authorities and other relevant agencies to discuss the measures necessary to ensure appropriate follow-up support.
• Participants acknowledged that the development and implementation of criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of dry forests in Asia are still in their early stages. To assure further development, the workshop encouraged national institutions to conduct more research and testing on the subject.
• To facilitate implementation of the criteria and indicators in Asia, the meeting recommended that countries exchange relevant information, methodologies and experiences, and urged FAO, UNEP, ITTO and other international organizations to provide support for such exchanges.
• To maintain momentum, and to discuss and report on progress and problems related to implementation of criteria and indicators, participants recommended that FAO, UNEP, ITTO and other international organizations support a follow-up meeting before the end of 2001.
• Participants recommended that this initiative be recognized as the "Regional Initiative for the Development and Implementation of National-Level Criteria and Indicators for the Sustainable Management of Dry Forests in Asia."
• The workshop also discussed a follow-up plan of activities intended to facilitate the implementation of national-level criteria and indicators in Asia over the next two years. The plan calls on Asian countries to: (a) seek national political and technical support from forestry authorities to continue developing the set of criteria and indicators and to speed up implementation; (b) obtain the necessary support from national and international institutions for training and for improving national capacities for conducting research on the applicability of these tools; and (c) seek endorsement of the initiative from the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission at its next session in 2000.

COMMISSION CONSIDERATIONS

9. The Commission is invited to review the relevance of the "Regional Initiative for the Development and Implementation of National-Level Criteria and Indicators for the Sustainable Management of Dry Forests in Asia," and the recommendations of the regional workshop. If appropriate, the Commission may consider endorsing the initiative and providing recommendations on how it can effectively be implemented.