FORESTRY OUTLOOK STUDY FOR AFRICA
(FOSA)
SOME KEY ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION IN THE CONTEXT OF IDENTIFYING FUTURE SCENARIOS OF FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
Issues relating to ownership of land ownership and tenure:
· What are the impact of land reforms on forest cover?
· How can forestry institutions influence the changes in a favourable way to ensure that land reforms donot undermine the productive and protective functions?
· Impact of tenure on tree resources, especially in communal land.
· Impact of policies in other sectors and their implications on forest land.
Changing markets:
· What are the changes in markets for industrial wood from Southern African countries and what could be the possible direction of change considering the changing global economic situation?
· Can we expect a significant increase in domestic market in Southern Africa or will it be primarily in other countries?
· What are the potential comparative advantages for Southern African wood industry to compete in the global market?
· What are the factors that will encourage widespread use of certification and are these factors likely to become important in the next two decades?
· What are the trends with regard to the emergence of markets for non-wood forest products within Southern Africa and outside?
· What should be done to ensure remunerative prices to the producers of non-wood forest products and to ensure that production is sustainable? How should we ensure stability of supply and prices?
Water and forest management
· How do we resolve the conflicts in water management in the context of the increasing demand for water in Southern Africa?
· What are the issues relating to compensation for maintaining water catchments ?
The future of plantation forestry in Southern Africa:
· What are the potentials and constraints for the emergence of Southern Africa as an important region as regards plantation forestry?
· Which are the countries with potential for developing plantation forestry taking into account land availability, water constraints, accessibility, integration with industries, etc.
· What are the present comparative advantages and are they likely to change during the next two decades?
· Which are the potential markets for Southern African forest based industry? What are the emerging scenarios in the context of changing direction of trade?
· What is the extent of integration/ linkages of forest based industries in the Southern African countries?
· What is the potential of plantations in creating rural employment and income?
· What are the probable models for plantation development in the Southern Africa? How could these address the social and environmental issues?
Privatisation in forestry
· Many countries in Southern Africa are bringing about institutional changes in forestry, especially through enhancing private sector involvement. Privatisation of forest plantations under the forest departments has been pursued in a number of countries. What are the conditions under which privatisation could enhance investment in forestry?
· What are the options to resolve land ownership disputes in some of the countries in the context of privatisation?
Potentials and constraints of wild-life based tourism:
In a number of countries, eco-tourism centred on national parks, game reserves and other forests has emerged as an important activity and the tourism industry including eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors globally. In this context :
· What are the long-term potentials for eco-tourism in Southern Africa and will the region be able to capture a substantial share of this growing industry? What are the unique features of the Southern Africa that could provide a comparative advantage?
· What are the conditions under which eco-tourism could become an important activity?
· In many countries benefits from the growth of eco-tourism has not benefited local communities. What are the options to ensure that the local communities benefit from the growth of the sector?
Changes in wood energy use and its implications on forestry
We have been pursuing various options with regard to enhancing energy supplies, but there has been no change and the situation has deteriorated during the last 10 years:
· Will there be any significant shifts from wood fuel to other sources of energy? Are there any promising alternatives?
· Given such a scenario what are the options available for future?
· Will there be increasing commercialisation of wood fuel to encourage public and private investment in wood fuel plantations?
Institutional changes:
· What is the direction of changes with regard to the capacity of forestry institutions? Are we likely to see significant improvement in the situation?
· What are the impacts of decentralisation of forest administration?
Empowerment:
· Will there be increased participation of women in forest and tree resource management? What are the general trends? And what will be the impact of this on conservation of forest resources?
Cross-sectoral policies:
· What are the impacts of national financial, trade and investment policies on the forestry sector?
· How does corporate policies of major wood (and other) industry firms affect the forestry sector in Southern Africa?
· In what way environmental policies (including EIA) will impact on forestry?
Financing of sustainable forest management:
· What are the options for financing sustainable forest management in Southern Africa?
· Are there any innovative means for financing sustainable forest management?
