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Table 1 - Guesstimates of Forest Dependent Peoples in Asia-Pacific Countries

Country

People directly dependent on forests (millions)

People living in forests classified as public -- including national parks and protected areas (millions)

India

250-300

100

Nepal

15

2

Bangladesh

6-7

1

Bhutan

5

?

Sri Lanka (Guesstimate by Lynch and Talbott used)

2-4

?

Pakistan

20

?

Thailand

12-15

1-2*

Vietnam

20

?

Laos

3

?

Cambodia

5-6

?

Myanmar

25

?

Indonesia

40-70

12

Philippines

20-25

16-18

Malaysia

4-5

?

China - Yunnan

20

?

China - Sichuan

35-40

3-5

Papua New Guinea

2.5

N/A (No state forest)

Other Asia-Pacific

1

?

Total

481-579


* The estimated number of people living in public forest is much lower than that given by Lynch and Talbott. This reflects the outcomes of the land reform process in Thailand in recent years, Source: APFSOS, WP/27

Note on definition: "People directly dependent on forest resources for livelihood": This category refers to people partially or wholly dependent on forests for subsistence or cash income. It does not include people who simply use purchased forest products (more or less the rest of the regional population). It does not include people dependent on tree products from small private or village plots. The phrase partial dependency is used here to refer to dependency greater than a national twenty per cent. but this is. itself, difficult to define and measure.


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