6 APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION

Based on the above analysis and more general discussions about some of the issues raised here, a set of general and specific strategies to promote more sustainable forest management through the use of international co-operation, have been derived. These are briefly outlined below.

· It may be unrealistic to expect to reach agreement on what sustainable forest management really means, particularly when the concept includes a wide variety of the goods and services that forests produce. Even the immensely simpler concept of sustainable wood production is open to various interpretations. Therefore, it is probably more pragmatic to focus on the process of improving forest management, particularly by reducing or eliminating clearly unsustainable practices and by promoting an incremental progress towards more sustainable forest practices.

· Sustainable forest management for wood production is feasible in many ecological, economic and political situations. However, the number and complexity of factors that affect the feasibility of implementing sustainable forest management is such that it is not possible to design clear and certain paths towards improved forest management. There are no obvious recipes of universal validity to promote more sustainable practices in different political, economic and social environments. The forces that influence the management of forests, including: technological processes; environmental and economic conditions; political and social factors; are all likely to be present in most situations. Nevertheless, they are likely to be mixed in many different ways, requiring a combination of measures specifically crafted to respond to local conditions in order to foster improved forest management in any particular case.

· The promotion of sustainable forest practices requires sound institutions, policies and political support for reform. Institutional strength is perhaps the most essential ingredient required to implement improved forest management through clear rules of the game, effective control over forest resources and the elimination of negative policies and corrupt activities. In countries where these conditions are not present, a productive role of international co-operation and finance is probably that of introducing new ideas, promoting public awareness about the consequences of continuing business as usual and developing institutions. However, because these reforms depend heavily on political factors, it is not easy for international institutions to influence them. Mobilisation of political forces supporting reform in these cases may take a long time. However, abundant experience indicates that the alternative of throwing money at the problem simply does not work when policies and institutions are not adequate. Experiences also show that lasting policy reforms can not be "bought" by international institutions or effectively imposed through conditionalities (Spears, 1994). On the other hand, in countries where sound policies and institutions exist or where governments are willing to introduce reforms, financial resources can produce an impact.

· It should be noted that the promotion of improved forest management does not always require large amounts of money. In fact, frequently the opposite may be true: some of the actions to foster better forest management, such as the elimination of subsidies, may save government's money or increase their revenues. Thus, the role of development finance is likely to be less important in terms of providing additional money than in terms of supporting improved governance.

· Many, perhaps most, of the actions to promote improved forest management will have to aim at sectors other than the forest sector. In addition, many of these actions may not be politically palatable. Ensuring more sustainable development may require changes in sectors such as: transportation; mining; and oil exploration. Policy reforms need to be based on a careful assessment of how developments in these sectors will affect different stakeholders because benefits and costs are likely to be distributed unevenly. The initial role of international support should be that of analysing and disseminating the consequences of inaction, education of the public and strengthening institutions. Financing may be needed to compensate those that lose as consequence of policy reforms.

· Frequently it is not necessary to design new models or policy approaches to improve forest management. A more productive approach is likely to be to target policy and institutional failures that are known to exacerbate the proliferation of unsustainable practices.

· In general, it is important to reduce the uncontrolled use of public forest resources. Access may be needed, particularly for the rural poor, but under more controlled circumstances. Development finance should support the attainment of a firmer grip on public property rights, land demarcation, land titling and land ownership enforcement. No investments in improved forest management will be sufficiently attractive until the option of unsustainably harvesting valuable wood acquired at nominal prices in public forests is effectively brought to an end.

· Enhanced forest management plans, policies and projects are only as good as the knowledge upon which they are based. International institutions should support applied research in developing country institutions that will provide essential knowledge about the economic, political, social and technological forces that shape the incentives to improve forest management.

· Improving data and the dissemination of information is a priority area for investment. Countries can only improve their forest management when they have adequate knowledge and information on which to base their decisions. The World Bank and other international agencies should work towards strengthening countries' capacity to collect and analyse forest sector information and make wise land management decisions based on such information.