This chapter presents main recommendations of the workshop. This session preceded the closure session on May 26, 2000. Main recommendation from each session were presented, deliberated and approved by the participants.
The recommendation session of the workshop had very sincere discussions on all the proposals from different sessions. It provides a roadmap for activities to be undertaken during the remaining period of the project and for activities to be proposed in the follow up project.
The workshop in its last but one session made following main recommendations:
a. Development of Regional forestry information network
The work of development of project and countries website should continue at
regional level at ICFRE, Dehradun by soliciting as much country-input as possible. At the same time support should be provided for developing country website development and Internet access at country level. For this purpose, the workshop also approved the forestry IT Centre of ICFRE as the lead centre of the region ICFRE in this field and suggested that a training program be developed and implemented at IT Centre, ICFRE, Dehradun to expose the professionals from the project countries in development and maintenance of forestry internet network, forestry web-site, and LAN and WAN.
b. Development of FAO Country profiles and data sets
The Regional Project Coordinator should continue to facilitate country capacity building initiatives and work as focal point for development and editing of project-countries profile and other network information for hosting at Regional Website and network and for submission to the FAO headquarters for FAO website and networks. The Regional Project Coordinator should continue to coordinate country contributions (texts and statistics), including new information and improvements of existing information for country profiles at regional and FAO level. The workshop resolved that the ownership of the information provided by the country should belong to that country.
c. Development of World Forest Survey
The workshop participants were excited about the idea of World Forest Survey
and approved its implementation in their countries. It was resolved that each country will need to fine tune the global design to match with its past and current national inventory designs so that past information is compatible to be used can be used as a part of long time series data. Further that such fine tuning of definitions of parameters / variables to be surveyed, process of harmonization and integration with national inventories, sampling framework and analysis, field implementation, data storage and analysis should be developed through national expert consultations and pilot survey studies.
d. Development of Regional Forest Policy for South Asia
The workshop appreciated the commonalties in the national forest polices, cross-boundary and cross-sectorial issues, and national and regional obligations of the project countries. The workshop after deliberations resolved that efforts should be made to develop a Regional Forest Policy for South Asia Region and liaise with other initiatives in this field at different forums through the mechanism of workshop and meetings at proper policy levels.
e. Development of Regional Forest Forum/Center
The workshop felt urgent need of a neutral Regional Forest Forum that could represent the project countries at global level. It perceived it as a center, where they could share their common concerns and try to understand and develop a common strategy to deal with their regional and international obligations and roles. The workshop visualized this forum or center as reservoir of common information with potential to guide member countries in formulation and implementation of their polices and commitments, design of inventories, facilitate human resource development, guide and help them in negotiations on different cross-boundary and cross-sector natural resource related issues.
The workshop was very well represented by the member countries and a guest country (Myanmar). The deliberations in the recommendation sessions were very focused and all participants sincerely contributed to develop of main recommendations of the workshop. The main recommendations include continuation of current activities, development of regional and country web-sites and Internet networks, development of a regional forestry center/forum, formulation of a regional forest policy, and participating in World Forest Survey. These recommendations will guide future activities of the project during its remaining period as also a possible follow up project.
