INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: LINKING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Ma Qiang, Forestry Officer (Econometrics),
FAO Headquarters, Rome
1. Network objective
To increase the exchange of data and information management methods among national correspondents;
To work together on common issues among national correspondents.
To review, based on the critique, the findings and remarked of the national correspondents and other participants.
To review also the effectiveness and appropriateness of the workshops and re-orient, if needed the Programme objectives and tasks.
2. Network members
National correspondents of Programme member countries.
Representatives of major regional forestry institutions.
Other interested parties.
3. Network co-ordinator
Programme Co-ordinator (Thomas Enters)
4. Network Activities
E-mail connection
Every network member has access to the Internet and has an e-mail address to enable connections among network members and Programme officers of FAO. This will be the main way of daily communications for implementing the Programme and its activities.
Web site on the Internet
Creation of a virtual site or home-page on the Internet for a limited time to allow all target countries and stakeholders to express their view and provide information on specific topics (electronic conferences and chat-lines); and to publish Programme outputs and to report Programme activities.
It is proposed that a Programme listserver be established to assist communications and to publicise Programme activities and progress.
Thematic studies
Multi-country workgroups could be established to share information and advice in relation to the major Programme work areas:
Wood supply potential
Trees outside forests
Land-use changes
Non-wood forest products
Woodfuels
Plantation forestry
Data systems
Policy reviews
Regional workshops/reviews
These are expected to be held to review the particular challenges faced in each country and to share experiences and solutions to common problems, as well as to develop methodologies and examine possible guidelines in regional or sub-regional level.
For example, regional workshops are planned for the latter phases of the Programme, to review and assess the availability, accuracy and completeness of current statistics; to examine the role of local institutions in collecting and providing forestry data; to examine possible guidelines for collecting data on land use changes and assessing wood production outside of the forests.
Training seminars/workshops
Training seminars for key regional staff are proposed to provide exposure to the statistical tools, concepts and frameworks for sustainable forest management.
