INTRODUCTION

1. This paper is based on a number of national reports (from Cyprus, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey), and selected FAO documents. The document may thus not represent a fully comprehensive view of the forestry situation in the region during the period under review but it is believed to give a reasonable overview. National reports, which will be available at the session, and statements by delegations should supplement it.

SUMMARY OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, TRENDS AND SHORT-TERM
PROSPECTS OF THE FORESTRY SECTOR

2. Depletion of forest cover and the degradation of forest resources due to overgrazing, urbanization, conversion of forests to agricultural lands and the over-exploitation of local woods remained the major constraint to forestry sector development in most countries. The changes in the natural forest cover and forest plantations before the period under review are given in Annex 1. The data is extracted from Forest Resources Assessment 1990 (FRA 1990), the State of the World's Forests 1999 (SOFO) and country reports (Iraq). The differences in figures given in the national progress reports are due to the limited knowledge about forest area and state in the region, and the lack of a consistent definition of the term "forest", as well as the unknown methodologies used for collecting the data and, in some cases, the lack of information. This situation will continue until the countries have data on natural forests and plantation resources using comparable standards and methodologies. The FRA 2000 programme matches the data from the national sources according to specific terms and definitions to be used as a base line for the monitoring of the changes in forest cover and plantation areas on the same bases for all the countries.

3. In many countries considerable progress has been made in forestry development, particularly in the afforestation programmes, and the introduction of fast growing and multi-purpose forest tree species for environmental protection and for fuel, wood raw material and fodder production. Some countries have prepared Forestry Master Plans. For others, more attention was paid to the forestry sector as a part of the agricultural national development plans, due to the growing concern of these countries to develop their forestry sector. Privatization of forest industries has progressed in some countries of the region (e.g. Turkey, Tunisia and Cyprus).

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS AND ISSUES RELATED
TO SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

Promotion and Implementation of Conservation, Management and Overall Aspects of Sustainable Management of Forests

4. There has been a continuation of the favourable trend toward the development planning of the forestry sector in the region as a perception of the role of the forestry sector by decision-makers. Direct and indirect benefits, as well as the economic and social development, have been recognized in the National Development Plans (NDP) of several countries. All countries in the region had either specific forestry plans (e.g. Cyprus, Turkey and Sudan) or had forestry activities incorporated in agricultural plans (e.g. Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia). Many countries in the region formulated national forest action programmes within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Programmes.

5. Some countries in the region formulated, or are in the process of revising their forest policies and strategies (for example, Turkey, Cyprus), while others started developing their forest policies (e.g. Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan and Syria). All called for measures to: (a) conserve and rehabilitate existing natural forests; (b) expand forestry plantation programmes to reduce demands on natural forests, and thus reduce the degradation of forest land and conserve the soil and water resources; and (c) privatize forestry activities and services.

6. Forest protection and reservation of vegetation cover are considered the main activities in many countries in the region. Measurements towards forest conservation have been undertaken, including development of effective systems for prevention and combating fires, construction of look-out towers, water tanks, construction of roads, establishment of telecommunication systems. In some forested areas practices for grazing control have been introduced, particularly from mountain goats. There has been significant progress in formulation and amendment of laws for the protection of forests. Attention was given to raising the public awareness and training through special programmes for participation in controlling forest fires.

7. No major cases of insect and disease infestations were reported in the National Progress Reports. Mechanical, chemical and biological control methods and techniques have been applied to control the damage caused by biotic agents in some countries (for example Cyprus, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey). Illegal cutting, uncontrolled grazing and clearing of forest areas for agriculture are among the major destructive factors for forests in the region. Fire hazards affect the forests in many countries in the region. Some countries (for example Lebanon) are establishing their fire control units with international support. Demarcation of forests and other wooded lands has progressed. More progress has been also achieved in forest surveying. These measures are expected to continue increasingly in the future.

8. Afforestation activities are growing, most countries in the region increased their planting activities according to long term plans, and are expected to continue in the coming years. However, planting activities are still inadequate as population and industry needs in the region are growing at faster rates. The vital importance of plantations as a source of industrial timber, beside the other important indirect benefits such as protection and restoration of the environmental balance, has been stressed upon in some countries of the region (e.g. Iraq, Syria). More and more initiatives are being taken to increase plantations using waste water resources. This option holds much promise in the region and some more attention needs to be devoted on it.

9. Watershed management issues are receiving more attention in the region. More progress was achieved in protecting water provisions areas, increasing water harvesting and construction of hydro-dams (for example Cyprus, Syria, Turkey). The main problems in watershed management are water supply, erosion, droughts and flooding. Additional financial resources are needed to improve the water harvesting techniques and capacities of existing dams, as well as to monitor and formulate watershed management plans and to train national staff. There is still lack of the basic data on watershed areas, on areas affected by landslides or flooding, and more research is needed in these fields.

10. Attention is given to the protection and proper management of wildlife resources in the region. This is closely related to the growing attention given to tourism in many countries in the region. Some countries have formulated wildlife policies and legislation, and have implemented measures to conserve wildlife, national parks, protected areas and to control the trade in endangered species. Voluntary hunting-inspectors-systems for hunting control and development activities have been established in Turkey. In most countries there is a need for training of staff in this field. Interest in the linkages between conservation and development has increased in the region as shown by the holding of the Regional Consultation on the Management of Protected Areas and Sustainable Rural Development in the Near East, in Amman, Jordan (July 1998).

11. Certain measures have been undertaken and implemented by some countries in the region, particularly in the Near East, to combat desertification, including sand dune fixation (e.g. Saudi Arabia), control of soil and water erosion as well as control of urbanization, and industrial and farming encroachment in the forests. Budgetary and institutional capabilities are the main constraints in many countries.

SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT (SFM)

12. The conclusions and recommendations of the Expert Meeting on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for the Near East countries, held in Cairo, Egypt, from 15 to 17 October 1996, were reviewed by the countries of the region and priorities were defined according to their needs. Some countries (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Sudan) launched an inventory of forest reserves, to serve as a basis for future monitoring of indicators for sustainable management of their forests. Many countries in the region need financial and technical support from international organizations, to develop and apply criteria and indicators (C&I) for SFM.

13. In response to the above recommendations, FAO organized the first "Workshop on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in the Near East Region", in Cairo, Egypt, from 30 June to 3 July 1997. A second workshop was held in Damascus, Syria, just prior to the 13^th session of the Commission, in which national coordinators for C&I requested that FAO/UNEP assist in the preparation of a regional Guidelines to be used by foresters; this should contribute to achieving and implementing new notions of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management.

14. The same Session endorsed this request and recommended that FAO should assist in the preparation of C&I Regional Guidelines. The FAO Regional Office, in collaboration with UNEP, prepared the above Guidelines and organized a regional workshop, held just before the 14^th session of the Commission, to discuss the Guidelines before sending them to the 14^th session for approval.

Sustainable Use of Forests and Related Aspects of Economic Development

15. Some changes have taken place since the last session regarding forest industries and timber harvesting. Most of the forests in the region are not productive, except for Turkey and some parts of other countries (e.g. Iran, Cyprus and Morocco). The harsh climatic conditions are restricting growth rates and wood production besides their limited areas. The increase in timber production from plantations in some countries is not sufficient to meet the domestic consumption and as a result more industrial wood and wood products are imported.

16. The existing pulp and paper mills, as well as particleboard, plywood and saw mills, depend mostly on imported raw materials; however, some countries depend on local timber for wood industry (Iraq) and energy (Sudan), due to the lack of hard currency for import, or due to the high prices of alternative energy sources. At present, there is a tendency to encourage and support the private sector to invest in the development of forests and forest products.

17. There has been increasing recognition of the importance of non-wood forest products to rural people, such as: aromatic and medicinal plants, wild game, gum, mushroom, honey, handicrafts and fodder. Some non-wood forest products (NWFP) contribute significantly to the economy of some countries, such as gum Arabic in Sudan (being the second export commodity and currency earner), cork and alfalfa grass in Tunisia and other North African countries. However, despite their importance for local economies and for people, NWFP are still largely neglected and more attention should be given to their development in the policy- and decision-making processes in the region.

18. The FAO Regional Office, in collaboration with the Forestry Products Division, organized in Beirut, Lebanon, in May 1999, a Regional meeting on Non-Wood Forest Products as a follow up to the Cairo meeting on Medicinal, Culinary and Aromatic Plants. Twenty experts from Near East countries, international organizations and research institutions were present; topics such as the need and the means to improve availability of data on NWFP, the main issues related to ownership of natural resources for NWFP use, and the future trends in the significance of NWFP in the region were discussed at the meeting. The meeting recommended actions to be taken at the policy/institutional level and the resource management and product utilization levels in order to increase the contribution of NWFP to income generation for rural communities, and the protection of the forest areas. The role of FAO and donors to support NWFP development was stressed, in particular in promoting regional cooperation among the Near East countries.

Role of Major Groups and Social Aspects of Forestry

19. In general, there have been no significant changes in forest ownership in the most countries of the region. In spite of the legislative and financial support and technical assistance given to the private sector to establish forest plantations (for example Turkey and Tunisia), most of the woodlands in North Africa and in the Near East countries are state-owned. Forest ownership, either collective (e.g. forest villages, village development cooperatives) or private, motivates people to participate in forest management, and to enhance and conserve their properties.

20. Private or local community's ownership of forests creates a link between the landowner and the forest, and promotes the owner's interest to enhance and conserve the forest. To overcome the conflict between the administrative regulations and restrictions in the state forests and the using rights of the people living in and around them, in some countries (Turkey), production and transport activities in the state forests are undertaken by the local development cooperatives. This is securing a part of the livelihood for villagers, in addition to establishing income-generating projects applied by the villagers and supported by credit facilities provided to them.

21. Community participation is essential for the expansion of afforestation work and prevention of deforestation and erosion. People's awareness in the region about the importance of tree planting and the role of forests in rural development is important for the protection of forests and plantations. Land allocations and credit facilities for private persons and groups are necessary for their contribution to the establishment of private plantations and restocking the degraded forests. More attention was given in many countries to the integration of rural women in forestry programs and rural development, as well as to promoting their role in forestry works and training. Proper consideration should be given to gender issues in the region, in order to facilitate the participation of women as full partners in forestry development. In general, awareness is increasing on the role of forests in the rural development in many countries in the region.

Institutional Strengthening and Capacity-Building

22. Global degradation and deforestation of wooded areas, particularly in the tropics and in the Near East region, has provoked national and worldwide discussions in recent years. This debate reflects widespread and growing public awareness of the need to adapt the administrative structures in forestry sector to face these problems. Strengthening and reforming of forest institutions and administration are essential in order to strengthen their contribution in the future. Most of the forest administrations in the region have financial, staffing and operational problems.

23. The general isolation of the forestry sector from the decision-makers, and the poor economic performance of the forests in the region, aggravate the existing institutional problems. The most urgent requirement is that more funds should be allocated to forestry sectors from the Governments. Other urgent priorities of most Governments in the region make it difficult to allocate additional funding to the forestry sector. Forestry policies in Near East countries are different but they may have some common objectives. In many countries of the region, the technical capacity of forestry institutions needs to be strengthened in order to fulfil their mandates. During the period under revision, many countries have decentralized and re-structured their forestry institutions, to re-orientate them towards sustainable development.

24. Some countries (e.g. Jordan, Tunisia and Turkey) have created multidisciplinary decentralized administrative structure. Others (e.g. Iraq and Tunisia) have included desertification control and watershed management in the terms of reference of their forest administration. Jordan, Tunisia and Turkey included rural development and soil conservation, while Cyprus and Lebanon included natural resources conservation and developments in their plans. The General Directorate of Forestry and the Directorate of Village Relations under the Ministry of Forestry in Turkey, as well as the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in Syria, are responsible for the development of the agroforestry zones. In Turkey, they help create rural co-operatives to implement forestry activities.

25. Several countries in the region (e.g. Jordan, Tunisia, and Turkey) realize that the centralized Forestry Departments have prevented other institutions from significant participation in forestry sector management. The Rio Declaration, as well as Agenda 21 of the Forest Principles, stress the need to develop a new and equitable partnership. These new relations enable the forest administrations to decentralize and delegate activities to other structures and authorities. UNCED recommended that the central administration delegates actions through: (a) supporting and developing the cooperatives, communities and populations, NGOs, and the private sector; (b) transferring the central administrative responsibilities to the provincial level.

26. In most countries of the region, the central Departments retain their role in policy formulation, setting the legal framework, while operational planning is carried out at regional and local levels. In some countries the implantation of the programmes may be left mostly to the private sector, cooperatives and NGOs (e.g. Tunisia and Turkey).

27. Policy changes and institutional reforms in the region allow for (a) participation of the private sector and cooperatives in policy formulation and implementation; (b) providing resources for investments in wood processing; and (c) improving tenure rights in the use of community forests.

28. In some countries of the region (e.g. Iraq and Sudan), the financial needs for the development of forests are met by the revenues generated by the forestry sector itself.

29. Training is required for all people involved in the development of the forestry sector at all levels in the public services, in the private sector and in the rural cooperatives. Many countries in the region have inadequate skilled staff, technicians and labourers for forestry development. In recent years, Turkey organized short training courses on nursery, reforestation and watershed management for the countries of the Near East region. This trend is expected to continue in future but there are no regular training programmes in most countries of the region.

30. Forestry research is progressing in many countries and the coordination of research at the regional level is improving. In Turkey, for example, research is carried out by the Forestry Research Directorate, Ministry of Forestry and the nine Forestry Faculties in the different regions of the country. During the period of evaluation some countries (e.g. Lebanon) started to establish their own forest research centres.

International and Regional Cooperation and Support

31. The forestry sector in most countries in the region has insufficient financial and technical resources, which are major constraints to the effectiveness of the governmental institutions to fulfil their mandates. International support is needed to carry out some forestry activities such as assessment, evaluation and monitoring of forest resources and capacity-building of forestry institutions. On the regional level, the countries have common problems to address, such as desertification and forest fires.

32. The countries of the region have close relations with the major international organizations, including FAO, the World Bank, the European Community and IUFRO, and are members of the Silva Mediterranea. Most of the countries receive external assistance to develop their forestry sectors from multilateral and bilateral agencies.

Forestry Issues Relating to International Agreements and Conventions

33. By now most countries of the region have signed some or all of the initiatives related to forestry issues as a follow up to UNCED. A number of conventions were signed and ratified by most countries in the region during the period under review, including:

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD). Only 20 countries from the Near East region joined the Convention. Some countries have already prepared their National Action Plans;
• The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Only 18 countries from the Near East region joined the Convention;
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Only 20 countries from the Near East region joined the Convention.

Detailed information about these conventions will be given in documents NEFC/2000/3 and NEFC/2000/4.

RECENT INITIATIVES

34. Some recent initiatives are likely to have an important future influence on the forestry sector and on the management of trees and forests within all or some of the countries of the region. They include:

• The Open-ended International Meeting of Experts on Special Needs and Requirements of Countries with Low Forest Cover and Unique Types of Forests which was held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 4 to 8 October 1999. The meeting was the first of its kind to address issues specifically concerning developing countries with low forest cover and unique types of forest, including the special needs and requirements of millions of people that live in and around them . It was attended by 77 participants from 39 countries and 6 international and bilateral oganizations and NGOs.