THE ROLE OF PLANTED FORESTS AND TREES OUTSIDE FORESTS
IN LANDSCAPE RESTORATION IN LOW FOREST COVER COUNTRIES

SYNTHESIS

There is increasing awareness globally and in low forest cover countries (LFCCs), in particular of the need to integrate planted trees and forests in holistic, landscape approaches that focus on environmental services and biodiversity benefits, that also meet peoples’ short- and long-term needs. Combined with increased availability of new technologies and knowledge available in country and through international networks, this means there are opportunities to establish sound extension and technical support systems. However, landscape restoration goes beyond the forestry sector alone, and requires Governments of LFCCs to integrate forestry initiatives into multi-disciplinary, inter-sectoral policy and planning mechanisms to address sustainable livelihoods.

Based on the case studies and the recommendations from the workshops, the following landscape restoration issues apply to a greater or lesser extent to all LFCCs in the Near East and Africa. These issues are repeated through the Tehran Process, the Case Studies and the Workshops, and therefore need urgent consideration in the development of action plans, strategies and implementation for the future:

• Strong government policies, strategies and institutions are required, in addition to a decentralized approach, and need to be supported by motivated and knowledgeable staff. Ongoing reviews of legal, planning and policy frameworks will allow for the incorporation of new concepts and approaches in landscape restoration;
• Inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approaches are necessary to address landscape restoration solutions to the problems of forest loss and environmental degradation. These should not be solely forestry driven, but receive input from all sectors involved in natural resource management;
• Foresters and the forestry sector have been somewhat marginalized in the past and need to be mainstreamed in inter-sectoral approaches to landscape restoration;
• Participatory processes are essential. Government officials and other groups need to work with local people, to learn from their traditional knowledge, to help meet their needs and to focus on integrated landscape management;
• Land tenure. Communities need to have secure land tenure in order to have confidence in their benefits from planting and managing trees;
• Many LFCCs need better information on the status of their resources. Sound planning, management and monitoring require valid and up to date data whether on forest and tree resources, social or environmental issues. Assessment and monitoring need to be ongoing;
• Networks for access to new technologies, information exchange and communication are vital, whether national, regional or international;
• Application of new technologies into planted tree and forest development, including improvements in water management efficiency, genetic resources and tree improvement practices, are necessary;
• Financial costs, user pays, provision of low interest loans for afforestation. Managers, policy makers and stakeholders all need to be made aware of the long-term benefits and eventual returns, if they are to be prepared to invest in forests and trees in the landscape;
• Awareness raising and capacity building of stakeholders. Through environmental education programmes in schools and communities, it is possible to change attitudes to land-use management to ones of sustainable landscape restoration and environmental management;
• Integration of scientific with traditional knowledge is a relatively new concept, that needs to be more fully accepted;
• In many countries, the value of trees outside forests, although recognized legally, have not been fully quantified in terms of wood, non-wood forest products (NWFPs), diversifying the landscape and providing other services; and
• Support to the Tehran Process, which in turn can provide an enabling environment for the establishment of a full LFCC Secretariat as a body that can lead, liaise, coordinate and inform for and on behalf of the LFCCs in rehabilitation of degraded lands and forest landscape restoration.

INTRODUCTION

Background – Case Studies, Workshops

In support to the Tehran Process to address key issues identified in the Tehran expert meeting, FAO, co-sponsored by the Netherlands and collaborating Government partners, prepared case studies to assess forests and tree resources and evaluate the role of planted forests, trees outside forests (including urban and peri-urban forests) in forest landscape restoration under a range of environmental, socio-political and economic conditions in low forest cover countries. Six countries were selected (Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mali, Namibia, Sultanate of Oman and Tunisia) to host the case studies and to provide inputs to two regional workshops: in Tehran, October, 2002 for the Near East countries; and in Nairobi, December 2002 for the African countries. (Carle et al., 2003)

The purpose of the two regional workshops, based upon the Tehran Process recommendations, through the LFCC case studies, was to share lessons learned and translate recommendations into achievable strategies and actions, for incorporation into national forest programmes and preparation of proposals to donors, including follow-on support through the FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme (FNPP). A third event included an Africa–Near East Workshop on Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry and Green Spaces Development, held in Tehran, in July 2003.

A fourth workshop was held in Bamako, Mali, in January 2004, with the aim of translating the proposed actions into implementation. The objectives of the workshop were to:

• Evaluate the lessons learned from the LFCCs case studies and proposed actions from previous workshops;
• Translate the proposed actions into realistic programmes for sustainable forest and range resources management and the implementation of the Tehran Process in LFCCs.

This document summarizes the recommendations and resolutions of the Tehran Process, the case studies and the workshops. It then synthesizes and evaluates the recommendations and resolutions from the combined case studies and workshop proceedings, along with outcomes from the Bamako workshop, the Urban and Peri-urban Forests and Green Spaces Workshop for low forest cover countries (Tehran, July 2003) and the Strategic Framework for LFCC (2004), into some strategic and priority actions to move forward.

Annexed at the end of the report are Executive Summaries from the six case studies and workshop proceedings and resolutions from the two regional workshops (Tehran and Nairobi), as well as the final joint Africa and Near East workshop held in Bamako.

Preamble

The specific set of issues and challenges facing LFCCs are unique to each country. The institutional, economic, ecological and social frameworks of each country are sufficiently different to require that unique sets of national plans and solutions be developed in each instance. Many features that contribute to low forest cover are, however, common to many countries. It is therefore possible to compile a generic list of key issues relating to planning and investment, and to group together challenges common to particular regions. (Tehran Process, 1999)

Low Forest Cover Countries (LFCCs) have special needs and requirements. These can be addressed by adopting important strategic proposals for action and rendering practical approaches for the consideration of the decision makers, for eventual use in compiling and drawing up National Action Programmes of the countries, as well as at regional and international level and in global forestry agreements. (Tehran Process, 1999)

LFCC definition

According to FAO’s Forest Resources Assessment 2000 (FRA 2000)¹, there are 56 low forest cover countries² found primarily in arid and semi-arid zones of Africa and the Near East/Asia. They encompass 2.726 billion hectares of land and have 105 million hectares of global forest areas (3.9 % of forest cover), 10 million hectares of planted forests (9.8 % of the forest area), and a population of 900 million, of which 64% live in Asia. (Carle et al., 2003)

People of developing countries facing desertification and severe land degradation, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas, can experience extreme food insecurity and abject poverty. In most countries, their relationships with forests and trees are inseparably interlinked and inter-dependent. Poor people recognize that forests and trees protect soil, water and biological diversity, provide shelter and shade for their villages as well as havens for cultural customs and help to combat desertification. In order to meet their basic needs for food, fuel-wood, fodder, medicine and construction materials, from the meagre resources available, they adopt survival attitudes, overexploit forests and rangelands, and provoke alarming rates of deforestation and forest degradation, which further erode their livelihoods. (Carle et al., 2003)

Traditional sustainable forest management principles and practices are effective at enhancing the quality of life and livelihoods of rural people, however they can be difficult to apply in circumstances where people struggle to survive at very basic subsistence levels. But it is possible to enhance the role of planted forests and trees outside forests (including agroforestry) to better meet the needs of poor people and relieve some of the pressures on natural forests and rangelands. (Carle et al., 2003)

Tehran Process

The Tehran Process launched at the international expert meeting on ¨Special Needs and Requirements of Developing Countries with Low Forest Cover and Unique Types of Forest³, hosted by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, October 1999, recognized the uniqueness of the issues and needs for sustainable forest management in low forest cover countries. A Secretariat was established in Tehran to support the process and to champion the cause of low forest cover country issues in international processes (UNCBD, UNFCCC, UNCCD, UNFF) and provide support services to member countries. (Carle et al., 2003)

It was recognized that planted forests, trees outside forests, urban and peri-urban forests and agroforestry provided benefits and services, such as:

• Rehabilitation of degraded lands, enhancement of biodiversity conservation, protection of soil and water values, improvement of agricultural production through maintenance of soil fertility and diversification of the landscape;
• Improvement and diversification of revenues in the fight against poverty and food insecurity through the utilization of wood and non-wood forest products;
• Sustainable supply of wood and non-wood forest products for subsistence and industrial uses; and
• Improvement of quality of life through shelter, shade, beautification and absorbing pollutants and sequestering carbon. (Carle et al., 2003)

The meeting of LFCCs in Tehran, Iran, in 1999, emphasized the need for concerted action, government commitment and collaboration among countries with similar problems. The declaration that established the Tehran Process called for increased investment from within the region, the donor community and from international agencies. It also suggested that non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, research and training institutions and the rural poor could play a positive role, especially at the local level. The Tehran Process has potential to make a real difference in the future, particularly if efforts are geared to national forestry planning, forest management and planting programmes aimed at increasing forest cover, diversifying the landscape and meeting the needs of rural people. (Carle et al., 2003)

The Tehran Process concluded that:

• Existing legislative, policy and institutional frameworks have failed to adapt to meet increased demand for forest goods and services in LFCCs;
• The quantity and quality of forest resources need to be measured and recorded more effectively;
• There is a need to adopt participatory processes with communities, rural families and NGOs, to equitably share benefits, adopt rural development programmes, decentralize administration; conduct and apply relevant ecological and social research; and derive sound criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management;
• There is an urgent need to develop successful development programmes for regeneration, afforestation and reforestation in LFCCs in order to increase forest cover, restore landscapes and meet their diverse forest products needs, particularly in wood energy;
• Removal of energy price distortions through subsidies, the reconciliation of potentially conflicting sectoral policies (agricultural sector, marketing and market development and the provision of information related to technology improvements) is necessary; and
• High-level political priority and support to apply modern technology and environmentally sound practices (including criteria and indicators) are necessary to achieve sustainable forest management. (Forestry Component)

LFCCs recognized that the main policy, strategic planning and institutional issues require inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approaches to landscape restoration in order to address:

• Severe poverty alleviation;
• Advancing desertification;
• Pressures of urban and peri-urban development;
• Balance between economic and environmental sustainability;
• Secure rights to land, land-use and crop ownership;
• Greater participatory planning with communities, rural people and NGOs;
• Response to market signals and market economy. (Forestry Component)

The main constraints related to sustainable forest management reported at the Tehran Process are important, because they form the basis of most of the issues surrounding past failure of LFCCs to achieve successful landscape restoration. Therefore, these constraints must be overcome for any strategic way forward to be successful. They included:

• Lack of knowledge on the extent of forest resources and true value economic, environmental, social and cultural importance of these ecosystems for the well being of poor rural people;
• Lack of legislative, policy and strategic planning framework, the institutional structures and capacity and capability (technical and financial) to manage natural and planted resources in a sustainable way; and
• Lack of local participation in planning and decision-making, settling land tenure questions, in the improvement of rural infrastructure and improving the status of rural communities. (Forestry Component)

Recommendations relating to the achievement of landscape restoration and sustainable forest management included:

• Collection, analysis, and dissemination of forest resource information for planning, management and monitoring;
• Development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management benefiting from the existing processes, particularly Dry-zone Africa and the Near East;
• Conduct joint research projects on issues affecting LFCCs, particularly the development of models for management and rehabilitation of natural forests and woodlands;
• Greater participation of stakeholders (communities, rural families and NGOs) to take into account broader perspectives in forestry planning, implementation and monitoring;
• Greater emphasis on food security and non-wood forest products in the rural community, including provision of fuelwood and fodder;
• Greater account of the role of forests in carbon sequestration;
• Review institutional structures and strengthen capacities to address the newly defined priority needs of stakeholders;
• Secure international support to facilitate sustainable forest management;
• Direct increased resources and priority to reforestation, regeneration, afforestation and restoration of degraded lands in LFCCs;
• Match species/provenance with site and incorporate indigenous species whenever possible; and
• Promote renewable energy programmes based on wood. (Forestry Component)

CASE STUDIES

The case studies in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sultanate of Oman and the Republics of Tunisia, Mali, Ethiopia and Namibia focussed on enhancing the role of planted forests and trees outside forests in supporting sustainable forest management and complementing management of diminishing natural forest, range and woodland resources in the landscape. In each case, information gained for the case study was collected from collaborative work between an FAO consultant, a national consultant, Government authorities and other collaborating national stakeholders. The case studies focussed on the major issues, the policy/legal/institutional contexts, status of forests and rangelands, constraints, opportunities, gaps in knowledge, lessons learned and the proposed actions for the way forward.

The case studies were undertaken to assist in formulation of planned actions as inputs to the Regional Workshops to feed into the respective National Forestry Programmes and to enable the development of proposals for future donor support, and eventual implementation.

Broad conclusions from the case studies can be summarized as follows:

• Forestry sectors are often not well integrated into the national economy, with limited capacity to undertake the diversity of issues to be resolved. Consequently, in many cases, environmental, social and economic dimensions in forestry planning in the wider landscape are still in their infancy;
• For forestry and range policy, planning and legislation to address sustainable livelihoods and land use, there must be commitment to cross-sectoral integration, coordination and participation;
• Foresters can be somewhat reticent about participatory approaches, considering them to increase costs and slow completion of their work, with no clear benefits to them personally;
• In many cases, knowledge and technology transfer to the main stakeholders and participatory process remain weak while planning and decision making remain highly centralized;
• Training needs must be re-assessed;
• Research is lacking, and needs to also focus on integrated participatory agro-forestry, community forestry and small holder forestry and their links to other sectors;
• Restricted land and crop ownership or user rights; and
• Legislation and regulatory frameworks are often inadequate for integration of forest and tree management into wider social, cultural, environmental and economic landscapes.

Recommendations from the case studies:

Development choices and issues:

• Promotion of participatory planning and management, and empowerment;
• Promotion of education and awareness programmes; and
• Clarifying land and crop tenurial rights.

Institutional and legal improvements:

• Decentralization;
• Comprehensive review and updating of land use and forest policy legislation;
• Capacity building and institutional reform;
• Cross sectoral coordination;
• Regional cooperation;
• Enhance research and information on resources and livelihoods;
• Develop new technologies for processing wood and NWFPs; and
• Encourage private sector involvement in forest investments.

Resource use and management:

• Maintaining and sharing traditional knowledge;
• Strengthen organizational capacity of traditional medicines;
• Assessment and monitoring of status and trends in forest cover and land use, ongoing and necessary; and
• Conduct social and environmental impact assessments to gauge the needs and aspirations of people.

Enhancing the role of planted forests:

• Integration of planted forests into a broader land-use and landscape restoration context;
• Maintain and increase rate of reforestation and afforestation in a wide range different mechanisms to support diversity of forests and trees in the landscape;
• Clarify concepts and definitions; and
• Ensure technical support in new approaches to foresters, extension officers, communities and families.

Enhancing the role of trees outsides forests (TOFs):

• Recognize TOFs as a valuable resource in the landscape;
• Promote planting and use in private holdings, agro-forestry, and for shade and shelter;
• Develop silviculture guidelines for various species in different ecological contexts;
• Provide appropriate training; and
• Target suitable ecological zones for planting.

Supporting the Tehran Process:

• Promote exchange of experiences, knowledge, and networks;
• Information sharing – this may require governments to be more “open” than they are accustomed to being;
• Incorporate proposed actions of the Tehran Process into forest policy; and
• Establish a monitoring and reporting system to gauge follow-up actions of the Tehran Process in landscape restoration.

Technical initiatives:

• Promote use of alternative energy sources;
• Ensure adequate technical support;
• Promote use of information technology for forestry; and
• Encourage networking both nationally and regionally.

Cross cutting:

• Women and women’s groups;
• Target youth and teachers; and
• Strengthen intersectoral forums of communication to guide planning and evaluation.

Unique issues relating to specific countries

Some issues, unique to the individual countries, came out of the case studies.

Role of planted trees and trees outside forests

The case studies revealed that the use of trees outside forests take a variety of forms of which agroforestry, village and urban plantings, roadside plantings and orchards are the most widespread.

In both Mali and Namibia, extensive agroforestry is undertaken in a parkland setting. In Mali parkland agroforestry is based on natural trees that cover 39% of the country. In traditional Sahelian parklands, millet and sorghum are often grown with Faidherbia (Acacia) albida. In the infertile soils, crop production is higher, within a 5–10 m radius of the trees, compared with those grown in the open, due to improved nutrient cycling and micro-climate. The trees additionally provide fuelwood, fodder, pods, and shade. In the north of Namibia where most people live, trees that produce fruits, nuts, oil, medicinal products, or craft materials, also improve soil fertility or provide shade. So they are left standing. Shade and fruit trees are also planted around homesteads and farm woodlots as living fences. (Carle et al., 2003)

In Tunisia, agroforestry practices include planting Acacia, Atriplex and Medicago for browse and forage, and planting windbreaks around irrigated agricultural areas. There is also some emphasis on planting multi-purpose species (trees such as walnuts, pistachio, pecan, hazel and carob), particularly in mountainous areas and forest clearings. (Carle et al., 2003)

In cities tree planting has generally been stressed for aesthetic and recreational benefits. Urban, peri-urban and roadside plantings have been promoted in all countries studied, while Tunisia has perhaps been the most active. Initiatives have included establishment of green belts, park, lining boulevards and motorways, coastal esplanades and implementing a national programme for heritage trees. Iran has been active in developing a network of urban and peri-urban planted forests and parks. Often, however, problems arise when irrigation cannot be sustained in the long term due to water shortages. Here, using treated wastewater from cities is seen as an opportunity for urban and peri-urban tree planting in several countries. (Carle et al., 2003)

Combating desertification

This is a major objective for all LFCCs. From the case studies, Iran and Tunisia have so far made the most progress. In Tunisia planted forests were established to fix dunes and act as windbreaks and shelterbelts. In Iran, desertification control stations have been established. (Carle et al., 2003)

Institutional capacity and national planting plans

Noticeable in Ethiopia and Oman were problems of poor records and under-funded government institutions without clear strategies to address forest issues. Conversely, Tunisia and Iran+ both have major planting programmes in hand. Namibia, independent only since 1990, has developed forest policies and legislation that advocate tree planting and recognize the role of forests and woodlands. Mali focuses on managing natural forests, while having a relatively small planting programme. (Carle, 2003)

Social issues

In Namibia, the subsistence agricultural sector contributes only 1.5% of GDP, but is essential to the livelihood of about 70% of the population. (Namibia case study)

In Mali, unemployment appears to prevail in urban areas. In rural areas, lack of employment seems less important because people cultivate crops if weather permits. Although underemployment and unemployment may be more disguised in rural areas, they constitute the main causes of poverty. (Mali case study)

Land tenure

In Ethiopia, grazing and browsing occur over more than 50% of the country’s land area. This heavy pressure constitutes the biggest threat to the environment. Pasturelands are not owned by individuals or groups of people, and this leads to the “tragedy of the commons”, where grazing lands are exploited well above their carrying capacity. (Ethiopia case study)

In Iran, land nationalization in the past has meant that traditional land users have been deprived of their land tenure security and former rights, and now tend to use the natural land resources as common resources, on the basis of “first come first served”, again leading to overexploitation and degradation. Improved land tenure security provided through participatory management schemes has improved the situation. (Iran case study)

WORKSHOPS

Tehran (October 2002) and Nairobi (December 2002)

The purpose of the workshops, based upon the Tehran Process recommendations, through the presentation of LFCC country case studies, was to share lessons learned and translate recommendations into achievable strategies and actions. These strategies and actions were intended for incorporation into national forest programmes, and to be used in the preparation of proposals to donors including follow-on support through the FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme.

Workshop participants included policy, planning and technical officers, responsible for decision making with respect to sustainable natural resources management from Governments and international and regional agencies.

The countries represented at the Near East Regional Workshop included North Africa, the Gulf and temperate zones representing a range of cultural, social, economic, environmental, governance and institutional characteristics.

The major ecological regions represented at the Africa Regional Workshop included arid Northern Africa, East and West Sahelian Africa; Southern Africa, a Small-Island Developing State as well as a Central African State which represented a range of cultural, social, economic, environmental and institutional characteristics.

At the workshops, the following was covered:

• Participants were reminded of the Tehran Process initiatives for low forest cover countries;
• Country case studies for Tunisia, Oman and Iran for the Near East Workshop, and country case studies for Mali, Ethiopia and Namibia for the Africa Workshop, were presented and discussed, as examples of status and trends in forestry and livelihoods in different conditions prevailing in different low forest cover conditions (environmental, social, economic, cultural, institutional);
• Participating countries were able to contribute their inputs, thus enabling participants to share experiences and ways forward in initiatives relating to planted forests, trees outside forests and urban and peri-urban forestry with respect to sustainable forest management, landscape restoration and livelihoods in low forest cover countries.

In each case working groups were formed, based upon the topics: (i) planted forests; (ii) trees outside forests; and (iii) urban/peri-urban forests. The purpose of the working group sessions was to discuss issues, constraints, opportunities, conclusions and recommended actions for the way forward on selected topics related to sustainable forest management and landscape restoration.

Objectives

Sustainable forest management – the backbone for sustainable livelihoods, can be achieved through enhancing and encouraging the planting of forests and trees – through afforestation and reforestation – to support natural forest and agriculture in a landscape restoration approach.

Constraints

Common factors

Physical

• Severe fragility of ecosystems with regard to climate (rainfall/drought, fragile soils);
• Water-scarcity and poor management;
• Extreme social and economic pressures due to subsistence existence.

Legal/policy/planning framework

• Inconsistent government policies, legal, planning and regulatory framework related to natural resource management between sectors;
• Lack of co-ordinated planning programmes and collaboration between sectors, and no multi-disciplinary integrated approach. This can result in competition and conflicts (of interest) with other sectors, particularly agriculture, because of a lack of land-use development plans;
• Poor financial viability and the long term nature of rehabilitation can make it difficult to attract necessary financial resources;
• Lack of political will, coupled with an undervaluation of environmental and social benefits results in limited allocation of resources to Governments;
• Land tenure – unclear land ownership and land-use rights can result in an exploitative economic environment. It also limits confidence and hinders the development of planted trees and forests, which require long-term investment; and
• Inadequate account of traditional laws in formal laws.

Institutional framework

• Weak institutional capacity in some countries, plus unclear management roles between governments, local communities, smallholders, NGOs, municipalities and private sector. Decentralization and autonomy are not always undertaken with full institutional reforms (retraining and allocation of appropriate resources);
• Insufficient networking at national and regional level;
• Many institutions may be involved in natural resource management and land-use issues resulting in incoherent land-use and confusing and conflicting initiatives. Frequent institutional changes can create organizational instability and suboptimal performance in the management of trees and forests;
• Narrow perception of the roles and values of planted forests and tree resources by key governmental decision makers can result in limited allocations of resources and poor performance of planted forests (limited funding for tending, silviculture and protection after planting);
• Imbalance between the number of professionals, and a lack of field managers and technicians;
• Educational curriculum development not always keeping pace with modern and traditional knowledge developments; and
• Poor access to markets for wood and non-wood forest products.

Technical/management knowledge and information

• • Lack of forest and tree resources data and research information, including:
- information on performance of planted trees (growth and yield data) - forest mechanisms
- site/species matching (arid/saline)
- seed sources and species provenances
- invasive species
- alternative mechanisms for growing
• Limited technology to increase productivity of planted trees, forests and agricultural crops (water harvesting, genetic and wider tree improvement programmes, including seed orchards, nurseries and silviculture);
• Lack of monitoring of past afforestation and reforestation with regard to advocacy in water and environmental protection;
• Lack of traditional knowledge to consider alongside scientific;
• Poor forest and tree protection against fire, pests, diseases and destructive interventions by man; and
• Lack of compliance of stakeholders with policies, laws, regulations and codes of practise (this may involve private sector, NGOs, donors and State).

Social and environmental

• Lack of participatory planning and management, including insufficient access by women and youth to land, involvement in participatory approaches (to planted trees and forest development);
• Insufficient respect for ownership rights, community rights, traditional rights. Protected area management by the public sector too often disregards the livelihoods of local communities and small holders, whose lives depend upon these areas. Frequently, no consideration for the needs and aspirations of the rural populace;
• Lack of baseline and subsequent socio-economic and environmental impact assessment prior to and after afforestation and reforestation;
• Insufficient public awareness and the potential role of NGOs; and
• Unsolved cultural constraints specifically relating to sacred forests where sustainable forest management principles and practices are not applied.

Planted forests

• Poor financial viability (and the long term nature of returns) make it difficult to attract investment in husbandry of forests and tree based systems compared with other land uses (for example annual crops);
• No guidelines for the preparation of management plans for planted forest. Therefore a lack of silvicultural and protection management for planted forests, and lack of sound field management data and operational maps;
• Lack of appropriate technology – manpower/mechanical/chemical; and
• Focus on exotic forest, often without full consideration of environmental and social implications of combining these with indigenous species in the landscape.

Trees outside forests (TOFs)

• Lack of general awareness among managers, policy and decision makers regarding the role and potential of TOFs in supplying social and economic products in the landscape; and
• High cost of actual TOF resource evaluation with respect to types of resources and systems.

Urban, peri-urban forests and green spaces (UPUFGs)

• Lack of interest, involvement and commitment from foresters and other stakeholders in the use of trees in diversifying the urban and peri-urban landscapes and providing valuable products and services;
• Lack of knowledge on appropriate species for urban conditions with respect to pollution, pests, diseases and fire;
• Lack of water;
• High land prices;
• Limited involvement of civil society in greening urban areas;
• Absence of linkages between social, economic and environmental factors in the urban development process;
• Lack of a global vision (long term planning and management); and
• Lack of means and capacities of municipalities and partners.

Opportunities

Common factors:

• Afforestation and reforestation for production, protection, conservation, aesthetics and recreation is increasingly recognized - to enhance soil and water protection and land stabilization, carbon sequestration, to decrease excess runoff and help ameliorate flood hazard, rehabilitation of denuded and degraded lands, restore landscapes and to enhance biodiversity;
• Ongoing reviews of legal, policy and planning frameworks allow incorporation of innovative, new concepts and approaches. Political decision makers can be engaged in translating their awareness and commitment to international processes (desertification, biodiversity, climate change), into commitment of resources for planted forest and tree development in restoring landscapes;
• Decentralization and adoption of participatory planning approaches allows for involvement of communities, families, local governments and individual investors and their input in decision-making;
• International processes and donors are receptive to providing support (both financially and through other resources) to invest in afforestation and reforestation;
• National governments can articulate and integrate planted trees and forest issues into national forest programmes to reflect commitment to international processes and national priorities in order to maximise the opportunities of increasing availability of funding and technical support from international donors;
• Availability and access to new technology and collaboration between countries through networking, including internet, publications, regional, national and sub-national meetings and study tours;
• Inter-sectoral collaboration and integrated land-use planning show potential, including the integration of planted trees and forests in an ecosystem approach that incorporates both agricultural and forest resources;
• Potential to engage other stakeholders outside the public sector (NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs), civil society, State Enterprises, private sector and others) to reduce central government costs for maintenance and exploitation, more effective control over forest resources, environmental benefits and local conflict resolution, natural resources for local development; effective management through partnerships and sustainable livelihood for community;
• Implementation of newly developed national level principles, agreed criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management provide the foundations on which to plan, manage and monitor planted trees and forests, and can address the key resources, social, environmental, cultural and economic dimensions;
• Financial – preferential low interest loan availability for afforestation, reforestation and trees outside forests provides incentives, while free market dynamics (particularly prices) gives the opportunity to diversify and to adopt more flexible approaches in pursuit of optimal financial benefits when forest products are being marketed;
• Application of new technologies into planted tree and forest development, including improvements in water management efficiency (safe use of waste and sewage treated water), genetic resources, tree improvement practices are possible;
• Awareness raising and capacity building for government decision makers, schools and the general public have great potential;
• Integration of scientific and traditional knowledge is a relatively new concept;
• Rehabilitation of unique forests not only for biodiversity conservation but for controlled eco-tourism is an emerging possibility; and
• LFCC Secretariat can be more pro-active on key issues on behalf of LFCCs.

Planted forests and trees outside forests

• Can provide wood and NWFPs to substitute for forest product imports. This can provide increased returns and improve livelihoods.

Urban, peri-urban forests and green spaces

• Integration of wildlife and forest realities into urban environments;
• Experienced LFCCs can assist others;
• Researchers can develop silviculture treatments adapted to use in urban conditions;
• Urban communities can benefit from in-country forestry capacity in forest management;
• Some large urban and peri-urban forests established in the past remain as examples of what is possible; and
• Committed technical personnel are available.

Lessons learned

Common factors

• Decentralization and participatory approaches supported by appropriate legal, policy regulatory and planning frameworks, which must be reflected in institutional reforms with clear mandates for the main stakeholders. Decentralization has given more incentive to local authorities for better management and expansion of planted forestry species. Participation of rural communities enables the melding of scientific and traditional knowledge, and ensures full communication, information and education exchange. Consistency in policy, laws, regulations and plans ensures clear objectives for all stakeholders;
• Secure land tenure is essential as a foundation on which to build an investment on tree planting towards sustainable forest management and landscape restoration;
• Capacity building for stakeholders and ensuring educational awareness through environmental programmes in school systems build understanding within the communities;
• Equitable benefit sharing between stakeholders is vital, while marginal groups, specifically women and youth, must be involved at the outset of formulation of plans and implementation of natural resource management activities;
• An enabling environment is necessary to enhance opportunities and role of the private sector into forestry development;
• Cross sectoral - Integration of forestry with other forms of land use requires that growing mechanisms and management of landscapes be properly addressed;
• Indigenous species are clearly best adapted to sites, and their planting contributes to conservation of biodiversity, however there are valid reasons for planting exotic species as well. Multi purpose species that provide for a variety of uses will always be of value;
• Good information regarding climate, species adaptability is critical in planning successful planted forestry species; and
• Water harvesting technologies (both traditional and modern) as well as planting techniques are recognized as being vital to successful afforestation and reforestation.

Planted forests

• Recognition that exotic species have a place in forest plantation development (eg. Multipurpose species, nurse species in sand-dune reclamation, for commercial and industrial purposes). Planted exotics may reduce exploitation of natural forest for wood and fuelwood products;
• There is a need for sound planning, management and monitoring which are dependent on quality forest resource data, along with social and environmental information;
• Participation of communities in planning and plantation forest management has had successful results to date; and
• There can be positive financial benefit for rural communities investing in planted forest.

Trees outside forests and urban and peri-urban forests

• Communication and collaboration between decision makers, researchers and different stakeholders involved in managing TOFs and UPUFs are necessary in order to create synergies for economic growth and conservation of forested areas;
• TOFs and UPUFs have a legally recognized status in many countries, however their true value in wood, NWFPs and other services is not always fully reflected and so they do not receive the priority they deserve in terms of investment; and
• There is high potential for UPUFG development and an important role exists for foresters, civil society and urban developers in their promotion. However all need to be better equipped and trained to meet the challenge.

Gaps in knowledge

Common factors

• Lack of research and technology on indigenous species, silviculture, information on ecological zones;
• How to communicate and link locally, nationally, regionally and internationally into appropriate networks for information on production and on potential markets, as well as access to new initiatives;
• How to develop flexible people approaches to planted trees and forest development;
• Technical assistance for developing and updating forest assessment and information systems;
• Recognition of the value of traditional knowledge;
• Lack of knowledge on more efficient use of fuelwood or alternative methods;
• Training – curricula of professional education, technical and community training do not reflect the major reforms in the contribution of planted trees and forests in landscape restoration;
• Studies on the impact of afforestation and reforestation on carbon sequestration and enhancement of biodiversity are needed; and
• How to incorporate socio-economic, environmental and cross-sectoral issues such as gender balance, meeting the needs of ethnic minorities through participatory planning, evaluation and monitoring.

Planted forests

• Guidelines needed for collaborative partnerships and management planning for forest plantation development. So far there is a lack of technical management tools, such as codes of planted forest practice, guidelines for participatory planning, growth and yield models, yield tables for increasing productivity and efficiency in management;
• Comparative land-use analysis to evaluate financial and economic performance of planted forests with other land-uses;
• Development of growth and financial simulation models for the main afforestation and reforestation methods; and
• Monitoring of international markets for wood and non-wood forest products.

Trees outside forests, urban and peri-urban forests and green spaces

• Concept and definition of TOFs need more elaboration;
• Use of traditional knowledge as a basis for development;
• Resource assessment methods, sustainable harvesting, distribution and marketing of TOFs and UPUFs and wood and non-wood forest products derived from them need to be examined; and
• Regarding UPUFGs, general lack of awareness among policy makers, not always a high priority in planning and urban development, and associated lack of participatory approach.

Recommended actions

Common factors

• Inter-sectoral planning. Integrate landscape approaches and sustainable development policies, strategies, legislation and regulations to include forestry and poverty reduction and food security strategies in National Development Plans. Forestry representation to be more pro-active in integrating forestry issues into the rural landscape;
• The transition from centralized to decentralized and participatory approaches incurs costs in providing technical support services, which must either be borne by appropriate allocation of resources from national treasuries or charged on a user-pays basis;
• Foresters. Change the mindset of foresters from owning the forests to providing the enabling conditions (policy, laws, regulations, strategic planning, monitoring) and support services (extension services, success stories, demonstrations, training) to private owners (corporate and smallholders), combining technical, scientific and traditional knowledge in decentralized and participatory approaches to meet people’s livelihood needs and respond to market demands;
• Assessment and monitoring. Prepare justifications for national forest assessment, then, existing forest resources can to be identified and mapped. Document and enumerate traditional knowledge regarding TOF according to standardized formats in each countries, through involvement of all stakeholders, with CBD, CCD, IUCN, LFCC and NGO focal points;
• Technical knowledge should be applied in unison with appropriate policy/legal/regulatory/institutional frameworks to deliver effective field performance;
• Network appropriate knowledge and technologies in LFCC through electronic and other mass media distribution systems, using the LFCC Secretariat with support from FAO and UNEP;
• Prioritize preparedness to drought and other mitigating factors particularly in combating desertification, famine and environmental calamities (wildland fires);
• Water and water management are critical in planted trees and forest developments. Nurseries and plantations need to demonstrate efficient management if they wish to gain preferential treatment from governments wishing to introduce water taxes;
• Mobilize the necessary human, financial and capacity building resources to enhance the role of planted trees and forests to sustainable forest management and landscape restoration;
• Newsletter publications, updating of LFCC website, promotion of an award for excellence for contribution to LFCC forestry in the Near East region;
• LFCC Secretariat – to be allocated the necessary resources to carry out functions more effectively; and
• FAO to assist the Near East region LFCCs to submit a project idea for a regional, integrated, multi-dimensional project that would incorporate the ideals of sustainable forest management.

Planted forests

• Translate criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management into actions, with improved justifications and proposals to national governments, international donors and funding agencies to reflect the full benefits (environmental, social, economic) of planted forests;
• Change the homogeneous (engineering) approaches to planted forest development (primarily exotic species in monocultures) to respond to more diverse, flexible, heterogeneous (multiple species) approaches to planted forests, including agro-forestry and multi-tiered systems, as appropriate;
• Through successive surveys, assess and monitor the true impacts and contribution of planted forests on social, environmental and economic benefits to the national economy and internalize the true costs where possible;
• Document success stories in planted forest and tree resources development in the region; and
• Encourage afforestation and reforestation on private and collective lands by providing adequate loan and incentives according to context.

Trees outside forests

• Give status to traditional knowledge, i.e. improve the acceptance of traditional knowledge. Outcomes of studies on traditional knowledge to be presented and discussed in a regional workshop jointly organized by FAO, ICRAF and ICRISAT;
• Establish a network of institutions and experts on TOF, under management of LFCC Secretariat;
• Consider and enhance the important role of TOF as part of farming systems, by establishing village woodlots, and integration of trees into the rural and urban landscape in all ecological zones, thus also satisfying demands for wood, fuelwood and NWFPs;
• Establish value of TOF resources through establishment of market system analyses;
• Encourage regional cooperation in promoting TOF; and
• Ensure that appropriate management techniques are undertaken in order to support the specific needs of the different eco-regions.

Urban, peri-urban forests and green spaces

• Programme a regional awareness campaign by the LFCC Secretariat, based on information provided by countries and municipalities;
• Conduct studies, comparing activities, experiments, models, results and impacts;
• Access information centers for better information, and for promoting regional networks on UPUFGs;
• Organize workshops and expert meetings on the working of UPUFG in urban spaces, their design and programming. Regional cooperation is important for exchange of experience and expertise in enhancing UPUFG development;
• Twinning between South-South and North-South municipalities for information and experience exchange; and
• The Parks and Green Spaces Organization, Tehran, in collaboration with FAO and the LFCCs Secretariat, to jointly host a workshop on UPUFGs for LFCCs in the Near East region. (Undertaken in July 2003).

Roles of countries, donors, international agencies

LFCCs, LFCC Secretariat, donors, international agencies and other stakeholders can mobilize their resources so that the outputs of the workshops become tangible outcomes in the field. This can be achieved through the following actions:

Low Forest Cover Countries

• Appoint a focal point for country membership to the LFCC Secretariat, for liaison on all matters relating to LFCCs;
• Urge member countries to make special budget allocations for afforestation, reforestation and TOF development;
• Urge member countries to provide funds to be loaned by agricultural banks or similar agencies on long-term low interest rate basis;
• Commit follow up to the Recommended Actions of the workshops by directing them to the appropriate national authorities;
• Request FAO and UNEP to allocate resources from their governing bodies to assist in supporting the development of the LFCC to a full global secretariat;
• Wealthy LFCCs to allocate funds for initiatives in afforestation, reforestation and TOFs in developing LFCCs;
• Raise awareness and prepare proposals to national governments to access funding and technical support from international donors for priority LFCC issues, including access to CDM, WEHAB and other new initiatives; and
• LFCCs share in a partnership with the LFCC Secretariat and other LFCC governments.

Low Forest Cover Country Secretariat

• Proactive role of the LFCC Secretariat in being the global focal point on low forest cover country issues, data, lesson learned and sharing of technical information;
• Maintain lobbying for LFCC issues at international processes and meetings, as well as to multi-lateral financial agencies and donors;
• Enhance collaboration and sharing between LFCCs;
• Implement the recommendations of the FAO (McConnell and Abdel Nour) consultancy report on the LFCC Secretariat with respect to support for afforestation, reforestation and TOFs;
• Establish a steering committee for the LFCC Secretariat, including the host country - Iran, selected LFCC members, FAO and UNEP to facilitate support systems to achieve actions in afforestation, reforestation and TOFs; and
• Role in implementation of the recommendations of the six LFCC country case studies supported by FAO-Netherlands.

International agencies (FAO, UNEP and regional agencies)

• FAO and UNEP to assist in providing background and justification to LFCC Governments for the benefit of members of the LFCC Secretariat;
• Research and advise the LFCCs on procedures to access funding under CDM, WEHAB and other initiatives;
• Provide policy and technical assistance in forest resources assessment, national forest programmes formulation, and provision of management tools and technical support to development of planted forests and tree resources within their capacity; and
• Assist LFCCs to prepare proposals to international donor agencies on projects and programmes related to planted forest, TOFs and UPUFs.

Tehran Workshop (July 2003)

The Africa-Near East Workshop on Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry and Green Spaces Development, held in Tehran, in July 2003, endorsed the conclusions and recommendations of the Tehran (October 2002) and Nairobi (December 2002) regional workshops and recommended additional practical ways forward, including:

• Involve and access information centres for better information collection mechanisms and on promoting regional networks on UPUFG;
• Document success stories in UPUFG design, implementation and management;
• Conduct studies comparing activities, experiments, models, results and impacts;
• Organize workshops or expert meetings on criteria and indicators for a proper balance between UPUFG and urban spaces, appropriate functions for UPUFG, and design and programming;
• Arrange for a regional awareness campaign, monitored by the LFCC Secretariat, based on information provided from other countries and from municipalities;
• Twinning between South-South and North-South municipalities for exchange of experience and expertise for mutual support in enhancing UPUFG development;
• The Tehran Parks and Green Spaces Organization can act as a centre of excellence and host a workshop on UPUFG for LFCCs in the Near East region;
• Urge member countries, municipalities and Governments to make special budget allocations for UPUFGs;
• Appoint an in-country focal point for liaison on all matters relating to LFCCs;
• Wealthy LFCCs should allocate funds for initiatives in UPUFGs; and
• LFCC Governments need to share a partnership with the LFCC Secretariat and the Islamic Republic of Iran in providing personnel and other resources.

A separate report for this workshop is under preparation.

Bamako Workshop (January 2004)

The Bamako Workshop Recommendations centred on continued strong support to the Tehran Process and a wish from the participants to see continued support for development of the LFCC Secretariat, including its eventual development to international status as a full global Secretariat.

Much of what came out of the Bamako workshop went into developing the Strategic Framework. This document places much emphasis on the strengthening of the LFCC Secretariat.

A strengthened Secretariat can help LFCCs to pursue the strategies and priority actions needed to move forward. The Secretariat has the potential to be the focal point for LFCC issues. However if LFCCs are going to invest in the Secretariat, they will want to have access to tangible benefits at the country level in return. Therefore the Secretariat needs to prove that it is efficiently and effectively able to champion the cause of the LFCCs.

Strengthening the capacities of the Secretariat can be achieved through:

• Maintaining efforts to ensure recognition of the full mandate of the Secretariat to represent low forest cover countries at international processes and meetings and upgrade its profile to international status;
• Make available the membership registration for and liaise with the interim member countries focal points (participants in workshops) as well as with FAO and UNEP designated officers to enhance membership registration and finalize the nomination of national focal points to live up to membership commitment and responsibilities;
• Take action to convene and constitute a council of members that would endorse the Secretariat’s mandate, approve its plan of action and recognize its policy, legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks; and
• Request FAO, UNEP and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to allocate resources and assist in supporting the development of the LFCC to a full global secretariat. (Sadio, 2004)

The Secretariat would:

• Maintain lobbying for LFCC issues at international processes and meetings;
• Enhance collaboration and sharing between LFCCs;
• Put together basic conditions for efficient implementation of the programme of activities;
• Assist in the implementation, coordination and follow-up of national programmes of action;
• Collect, update and analyse relevant information from member countries and partners;
• Develop the LFCCs website;
• Inform international donors and funding agencies by reflecting the full social, economic, environmental and political benefits of forest and tree resources;
• Assist countries in identifying potential donors and in requesting assistance;
• Promote exchange of knowledge and capacity building through workshops, training courses, technical expertise and educational opportunities; and
• Mobilise and diversify financial resources to enhance the role of the Secretariat and that of the member countries. (Sadio, 2004)

FUTURE STRATEGY

Priority actions

The list of recommendations and resolutions from the Regional Workshops can appear exhaustive and daunting; however, a closer examination reveals that some of the points mentioned have been or are in the process of being achieved. There is undoubtedly clear awareness among LFCCs of the issues and the concerns regarding what is at stake. Different aspects are being dealt with to different degrees in different countries. A matter of concern is that LFCCs do not become complacent. They need to keep revisiting the issues, and maintain close communications with each other and the LFCC Secretariat, in order to keep the process moving.

The following is a list of actions that urgently need consideration in the development of action plans, strategies and future implementation.

Development choices and issues

It is recognized that planted forests and trees outside forests have positive contributions to make to increase forest cover restore landscapes and promote sustainable forest resource management. LFCCs are endeavouring to incorporate tree planting and management into national forestry, poverty reduction and food security strategies including adequate implementation mechanisms to ensure these are achieved in practice by being more pro-active in integrating forestry issues into the rural landscape. Priority actions include:

• Articulate and integrate planted forests and trees outside forests issues and actions into national forest and agricultural national development plans, backed by the necessary resources. Politicians and decision makers to demonstrate their full commitment to international processes and national priorities;
• Participatory processes are essential. Government officials and other groups need to work with local people, to learn from their traditional knowledge, to help meet their needs and to focus on integrated management;
• Land tenure. Communities need to have secure land tenure in order to have confidence in rights to the benefits from planting trees;
• Raise awareness among all sectors involved in natural resource management, as to the need to integrate land-use and sustainable development policies, strategies, legislation and regulations to include forestry and poverty reduction and food security strategies in National Development Plans;
• Awareness raising and capacity building of stakeholders including youth, rural communities and minority groups. Through environmental education programmes in schools and communities it is possible to change attitudes to land-use management to ones of sustainable environmental management;
• Clarify the roles of the State, the private sector, communities, NGOs and other stakeholders in planted trees and forest development;
• Prioritize preparedness to drought and other mitigating factors, particularly in combating desertification, famine and environmental calamities (wildland fires) in sustainable forest management, to assist in minimizing impacts and preparation towards securing national and international assistance; and
• Change the engineering approaches to planted trees and forest development (exotic species monocultures) to more diverse and flexible mixes of multiple species (indigenous and exotic) in mechanisms including agroforestry and multi-tiered land-use.

Institutional and legal improvements

There is urgent need for the development of appropriate and well-coordinated institutional and legislative frameworks with clear mandates, responsibilities and resources to support more efficiently and durably the initiation and implementation of rangeland, woodland and watershed management, environmental protection, desertification control and rural development programs. This can be achieved through:

• Strong government policies, strategies and institutions are required, in addition to a decentralized approach, and need to be supported by competent and knowledgeable staff. Ongoing reviews of legal, planning and policy frameworks allow for the incorporation of new concepts and approaches;
• Inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approaches are necessary to address problems of forest loss and environmental degradation. These should not be solely forestry driven, but receive input from all sectors involved in natural resource management in the landscape;
• Foresters and the forestry sector, have been somewhat marginalized in the past and need to be mainstreamed in inter-sectoral approaches;
• Financial costs, user pays, provision of low interest loans for afforestation. Managers, policy makers and stakeholders all need to be made aware of the long term benefits and eventual returns, if they are to be prepared to invest in forests;
• Support decentralization, intersectoral, multi-disciplinary and participatory approaches to policy, planning, implementation and monitoring;
• Provide appropriate allocation of resources from national treasuries to support the costs incurred in the transition from centralized to decentralized and participatory approaches;
• Cross sectoral collaboration - Devise approaches to promote the integration of tree planting and management into landscape development programmes and agricultural national development plans;
• Foresters need to incorporate scientific research and traditional knowledge and technology on indigenous species, along with more flexible people-oriented approaches into planted forests and tree management practices. They need to be well equipped technically to work with local communities and farmers at subsistence levels and this also requires inter-disciplinary collaboration; and
• National forest research programmes, and education and training curricula need to keep pace with priorities reflected in the national forest programmes, policies and laws. They need to reflect a greater interest to invest in tree planting.

Resource use and management

LFCCs are aware that they need better information on the status of their resources. Sound planning, management and monitoring require valid and up to date data either on forest and tree resources, social or environmental issues. Assessment and monitoring need to be on-going activities. Priority actions include:

• Prepare justifications for national forest assessments and successive socio-economic and environmental surveys (baseline and follow up) on the true impacts and contribution of planted trees and forests to social, environmental and economic benefits to the national economy;
• Integration of scientific with traditional knowledge is a relatively new concept that needs to be accepted;
• Network appropriate knowledge and technologies in low forest cover countries through electronic and other mass media distributions systems; and
• Investigate value of forest resources, both planted forests and TOF (including products, processing, value adding).

Enhancing the role of planted forests

In regard to planted forests, there is a lack of benefit analysis techniques to evaluate comparative financial and economic performances with other land-uses. Additionally there is a lack of technical tools, indicators, guidelines for participatory planning, growth and yield models for increasing productivity and efficiency in management. Priority actions should include:

• Apply sound technical forestry knowledge and technology in unison with appropriate policy/legal/regulatory/institutional frameworks to deliver effective field performance by strengthening support systems in planted forests and tree resources targeted to the specific needs of people in particular ecological zones, socio-economic, environmental and governance conditions;
• Provide technical management techniques on planted forests and trees to make available improved germplasm, silviculture and forest protection technology; and
• Application of new technologies into planted tree and landscape development, including improvements in water management efficiency, genetic resources and tree improvement practices.

Enhancing the role of TOFs

There has been a general lack of awareness among managers, policy and decision makers regarding the role and potential of TOFs in supplying social and economic products. As well, there are high costs associated with evaluating TOFs with respect to types of resources and systems. Therefore:

• In many countries, the value of trees outside forests, although recognized legally, have not been fully quantified in terms of wood, NWFPs and other services;
• Promotion of planting and use in private holdings, agroforestry and for shade and shelter is needed; and
• Availability of water is often an issue. An alternative to using scarce irrigation water, especially when implementing urban and peri-urban planting programs, is to utilise treated wastewater from cities. FAO is a good source of information, in addition to the valuable experiences with projects in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the Yemen.

Supporting the Tehran Process and Secretariat

At the international level, the Secretariat to the Tehran Process is currently managed and funded by the Iranian Government, with technical assistance from FAO. To enable the Secretariat and countries to better champion the cause of low forest cover countries at the international and national levels, it is necessary to:

• Provide support to the Tehran Process, which in turn can provide an enabling environment for the establishment of a full LFCC Secretariat as a body that can lead, liaise, coordinate and inform for and on behalf of the LFCCs;
• Formally register country members and nominate national focal points to collaborate with the Secretariat of the Tehran Process and commit to the responsibilities of membership;
• FAO/UNEP provide technical support to the Secretariat as necessary and assign a senior officer with adequate resource allocation to provide technical support to the Secretariat in implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan;
• Promote benefits of membership, and share information on low forest cover country issues, data, lessons learned and collaborate in technical support of common interest;
• Recognize the full mandate of the Secretariat to represent low forest cover countries at international processes and meetings;
• Prepare better justifications and proposals to national Governments and international donors and funding agencies reflecting the full benefits (environmental, social, economic) of planted forests and tree resources;
• Mobilize human and financial resources and capacity building at the national level to support the Secretariat of the Tehran Process to enhance the role of planted forests and tree resources; and
• Ensure that FAO and the Secretariat provide assistance in proposal preparation for projects and programmes related to planted forest, trees outside forests and urban and peri-urban forests which address climate change, combating desertification, rehabilitating degraded lands and alleviating poverty support applications for international funding under the CDM, WEHAB, NEPAD, GEF and other funds. (Carle et al., 2003)

Networks

Networks for access to new technologies, information exchange and communication are vital, whether national, regional or international. The following actions need to be undertaken:

• Initiate the establishment of a LFCC network around national specialists;
• Network appropriate knowledge and technologies in LFCCs, through the Information, Education and Communication Division’s facilities;
• Access information centres with the aim of developing data collection mechanisms and promoting regional networks on planted forests, TOFs and UPUFGs; and
• Set up a LFCC information website describing the status of planted forest trees and tree resources in the country.

Information and knowledge

Current and up to date information are vital for any programme of sustainable management to be successful. Therefore the following issues must be addressed:

• Collect, update and analyse relevant information on the country;
• Establish a system of regular monitoring and assessment of planted forests, trees outside forests and urban and peri-urban forests;
• Initiate gathering and exchange (with other LFCCs) of forest and tree resource data;
• Document success stories as well as lessons learned, in natural resource management;
• Initiate procedures towards maintaining a record of traditional knowledge relating to TOFs; and
• Knowledge of more efficient uses of woodfuel or alternative methods of providing financially competitive energy sources to reduce dependence on woodfuel.

The way forward

The meeting of LFCCs in Tehran, Iran, in 1999 (FAO 2000) emphasized the need for concerted action, government commitment and collaboration among countries with similar problems. The declaration establishing the Tehran Process calls for increased investment from within the region, the donor community and from international agencies. It also suggests that NGOs, the private sector, research and training institutions and the rural poor could play a positive role, especially at the local level. The Tehran Process has much potential to make a real difference in the future, particularly if efforts are geared to national forestry planning, forest management and planting programs aimed at increasing forest cover and meeting the needs of rural people. (Carle, 2003)

In moving forward, it is clear that integrated and holistic approaches must be implemented in order to reduce pressures on forest and range resources. Planting trees as forests, tree clusters or agroforestry systems are part of the solution, as are regenerating and managing natural forests. With regard to providing alternative income to rural people, approaches include large-scale planted forests for industrial purposes, commercial orchards, small-scale projects for non-wood forest products, and tourism.

In most cases, LFCCs need better information on the status of their resources so they can monitor change and develop integrated management policies and plans. Tunisia has advanced the most in this regard and its approach could be used as a model for others.

Countries that have similar problems need to share experiences and adapt approaches to local conditions. Both Tunisia and Iran offer insights in this area, as do other countries, such as Australia, South Africa, and the United States of America. The expertise of international agencies like FAO, UNEP, ICRAF and CIFOR can offer appropriate services in landscape restoration.

Many developing LFCCs require different institutional frameworks, as well as training and skills for forest planners and management, in order to ensure understanding of decentralized, participatory, inter-sectoral and multidisciplinary approaches to policy, planning, implementation and monitoring. The voice of the forestry sector, which has generally been marginalized at the national level needs to be mainstreamed in inter-sectoral planning committees and working groups to derive national development priorities and national forest development strategies, taking account of the current value and potential role of natural and planted forests and tree resources in supporting lives in urban and rural landscapes. The necessary priority actions have been recognized. The important step now is for LFCCs to act on the recommendations and take this process forwards.

REFERENCES

Africa Regional Workshop, Nairobi, 10–13 December 2002. “The Role of Planted Forests, Trees Outside Forests and Urban, Peri-urban Forests in Sustainable Forest Management in Low Forest Cover Countries” – Proceedings Summaries.

Carle, J. (2003). “The Role of Planted Trees in Developing Countries with Low Forest Cover: Findings from Six Case Studies”.

Carle, J., Sadio, S., Bekele, M., Rouchiche, S. (2003). “Enhancing the Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Low Forest Cover Countries”, prepared for the World Forestry Congress, September 2003.

Forestry Component 2: “Conserve Forests and Advance Sustainable Forest Management: Sub-Component: 2a, Low Forest Cover Countries”.

Near East Regional Workshop, Tehran, 28–31 October 2002. “The Role of Planted Forests, Trees Outside Forests and Urban, Peri-urban Forests in Sustainable Forest Management in Low Forest Cover Countries” – Proceedings Summaries.

Sadio, S. (2003). “Resolutions of Bamako Regional Workshop for African and the Near East Low Forest Cover Countries”.

Rouchiche, S. and Abid, H., October 2003. Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Sustainable Forest Management: Republic of Tunisia – Country Case Study. Planted Forests Working Paper FP/27E, FAO, Rome, 2003.

Rouchiche, S., October 2003. Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Sustainable Forest Management: Sultanate of Oman - Country Case Study. Planted Forests Working Paper FP/31E, FAO, Rome, 2003.

Rouchiche, S. and Abid, H., October 2003. Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Sustainable Forest Management: Islamic Republic of Iran – Country Case Study. Planted Forests Working Paper FP/32E, FAO, Rome, 2003.

Sadio, S. (2004). “Status and Findings of Case Studies and Workshops in LFCCs: Strategic Programme Framework”.

Tehran Process (1999). Proceedings from “The International Meeting on Special Needs and Requirements of Developing Countries With Low Forest Cover and Unique Types of Forests”, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 4-8 October 1999.

Thomas, I., and Samassekou, S., October, 2003. Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Sustainable Forest Management: Republic of Mali – Country Case Study. Planted Forests Working Paper FP/28E, FAO, Rome, 2003.

Thomas, I., and Bekele, M., October, 2003. Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Sustainable Forest Management: Republic of Ethiopia – Country Case Study. Planted Forests Working Paper FP/29E, FAO, Rome, 2003.

Thomas, I., and Chakanga, M., October 2003. Role of Planted Forests and Trees Outside Forests in Sustainable Forest Management: Republic of Namibia – Country Case Study. Planted Forests Working Paper FP/30E, FAO, Rome, 2003.

¹ Low forest cover countries according to FRA 2000 (FAO 2001) where forest is defined as having >10% crown cover and an area of >0.5 ha and excludes land predominantly used for agriculture.

² “Low forest cover country” has not yet been formally defined, but it commonly refers to countries in which forest cover is less than 10 percent of land area.

³ A Government-led initiative, sponsored by Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway in collaboration with Egypt, Sudan and in cooperation with FAO, UNEP, UNDP and IFAD, attended by 77 participants from 39 countries and six international agencies and NGOs.