The second regional workshop under the framework of the project “Strengthening Country Capacity in Forest Resource Assessment for Sustainable Forest Planning in the Asia Pacific Region -GCP/RAS/162/JPN” was organized in Thimpu, Bhutan from May 23 to 26, 2000. The project derives its basis from FRA 1990 which indicated a very unsatisfactory condition not only in gathering, analyzing and reporting of forest information but also in making its use for sustainable forest planning and forest resource assessment at national and regional levels in all South Asian countries. The project supplements Forest Resources Assessment programme of FAO to fill current gaps in the forest resource information. It became operational on April 1st, 1998 and is scheduled to close in 2001.
Three participants from each of the project countries (Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and a guest country (Myanmar) deliberated mainly on forest planning, forest databases, forest internet networking, world forest survey, regional forest forum/center and regional forest policy. The workshop was held in close cooperation with the Forestry Services Department of the Royal Government of Bhutan. Most of the participants presented study reports and documents for detailed technical discussion.
This workshop achieved its planned objectives due to its focused design and active participation of the country delegates and resource persons. The workshop succeeded in generating a feeling among forestry personnel to work jointly on various forestry issues that are common among their countries. The workshop was able to identify commonalties, variations, strengths, weaknesses in the field of forest planning, forest databases, and networking in the project countries. In addition, it endorsed implementation of WFS and establishment of a regional forest forum /center and development of regional forest policy to facilitate different international, regional and national obligations of these countries and to resolve many of the cross-boundary forest and wildlife related issues.
All project countries appreciate the fact that no strategy of forest planning is likely to succeed unless it meets the needs of most vulnerable sections of local communities that depend on them and have an organic relationship with the forest. The forest planning system in most of the project countries is similar and has a long history. However, the information gaps and efficiency of current forest planning vary among the countries depending on the national polices, decentralization of forest authority and control, financial allocations, past history of forest planning, degree of integration within forestry sector, coordination of forest planning with other sectors of development, quality and skills of human resource, and above all the institutional structure and culture.
The need to look beyond the traditional forest databases, that mostly contain information on commercial aspects of forest resources, is increasing in all the project countries with improved integration of activities within forestry sector and its coordination with other sectors of society. A major challenge for the project countries is the co-ordination, homogenisation, formatting, quality, storage, sharing and distribution, processing, and analysis of compatible data to avoid duplication of work among the development partners and to focus efforts on identified gaps in forest-related information.
The participants felt need to enlarge the scope of current forest database at all levels to meet the present and future needs and identified two main issues that need to be resolved in all the project countries (a) design of a multipurpose and multilevel "information systems" that include collection, storage, retrieval and analysis of information, and (b) statistical compatibility (temporal, spatial, and cross sectional) between "information structures", "planning structures", "user structures", and "authority structures" that is essential for the multilevel forest planning system. The workshop demanded support for computerization of forest databases to resolve many problems and improve their access and utility.
All countries understand the capacity of electronic networks to meet the diverse requirements of information and control. There is general trend of increase in macro level (international and regional) obligations and decline in authority and control over resources and information at the micro-level with increase in transfer of centrally administered forest systems to local or participatory or joint forest management systems. All project countries have formulated ambitious plans to develop electronic networks in forestry that are capable of providing desired services. However, major constraints like lack of financial support for hardware, software, reliable telecommunication systems, and skilled manpower are limiting its implementation in the project countries.
Project countries agreed that there are important gaps in our understanding of policy issues and that they have a common stake in a number of forest issues which have a significant bearing on the current status as well as future existence of forests. They agreed that there is significant potential for mobilizing and strengthening their capacity through enhancement of complementarities, better co-ordination and coherence of action. Further, that this potential could be realized through more synergy and collective action in identified priority areas, enhanced level of experience sharing and institutionalization of the regional policy dialogue.
Project countries felt that the proposed Regional Forum on Forests/Center will give new thrust to the regional co-operation in forest management in the new millennium, promote better policy formulating mechanisms and facilitate collective coordinated action by the countries on strategic forestry issues. It could also act as nucleus for facilitating capacity building, networking, exchange of data, experience sharing on management strategies etc. It will ensure that the forestry programs of the countries of the region do not remain isolated from each other and stronger linkages and partnerships are fostered between these countries.
The World Forest Survey concept was met with great enthusiasm from the project countries but with scepticism as to the possibilities to implement it, and to provide funding. The workshop resolved that development of a WFS will require national expert consultations and pilot studies to carefully choose design and implementation and that the success of WFS will depend on active participation and its proven utility to forestry organization of the implementing countries.
The deliberations in the recommendation sessions remained focused and all participants sincerely contributed to develop of main recommendations of the workshop. The main recommendations include continuation of current activities, development of and training in regional and country web-sites and Internet networks, development of a regional forestry center/forum, formulation of a regional forest policy, and active participation in World Forest Survey. These recommendations will guide future activities of the project during its remaining period as also a possible follow up project.
