Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions "Silva Mediterranea" meets in Cyprus
The AFWC/EFC/NEFC Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions "Silva Mediterranea" held its 16th session in Larnaca, Cyprus, from 13 to 17 June 1994. The session was attended by representatives of 14 countries, the European Union, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and the Economic Commission for Africa as well as by observers from Albania and Germany, the international Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (ICAMAS) and the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO). A summary of discussions and conclusions to the major agenda items is presented below.
Mediterranean forest action programme
The Committee confirmed its full support for the Mediterranean Forest Action Programme (MED-FAP), a conceptual framework for rural planning, integrated development and community partnership, to facilitate national reviews of forestry planning and policies as well as to harmonize and reinforce international cooperation for the conservation and development of Mediterranean forests. MED-FAP outlines the approaches and types of activities for addressing the main challenges facing forest conservation and development in the region, including management and planning, fuelwood and energy, wood industries, non-wood forest products, ecosystem conservation and institutional strengthening.
The Committee noted that proposals for the adoption of an international forest action programme for the Mediterranean region had been made repeatedly since the late 1980s and that the concept had been endorsed by the Paris Declaration of the 1991 World Forestry Congress. The Declaration had "solemnly called on decision - makers to strengthen international cooperation particularly in the framework of a Mediterranean forest action programme in support of national efforts to combat deforestation and forest degradation in the region".
The impetus for MED-FAP had been reinforced by the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) - the "Earth Summit" held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 - which launched an appeal to "all countries to establish and implement national forest action plans or programmes for the management, conservation and sustainable development of their forests".
The Committee also recommended that states and intergovernmental and community organizations, including funding agencies, quickly express their commitment to the programme in view of the urgent situation facing all Mediterranean forests.
In this regard the Committee noted that, although special reserve funding had not been allocated by FAO, the Programme was in a position to attract contributions from bilateral and multilateral funding mechanisms and agencies, thanks to the establishment of coherent plans. A message from the World Bank, confirming the organization's interest in participating in the implementation of MED-FAP, was acknowledged. France and Italy have also indicated their willingness to support implementation of the programme.
Forest resources assessment 1990: non-tropical developing Mediterranean countries
The Committee reviewed a document presenting new data released by FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment Programme and a mathematical analysis model (correlating population density, percentage of forest cover and percentage of wet mountain areas). According to the document, average annual deforestation in the Mediterranean region from 1981 to 1990 was 1.1 percent (compared with 0.8 percent in the tropics during the same period). The main threat to forests in the countries along the southern shore of the Mediterranean include high population pressure (an average population increase of more than 3 percent annually), which is leading to overgrazing and excessive harvesting of forest resources (primarily for fuelwood, but also for construction), far beyond the sustainable capacity of the resource. Woodlands in countries on the northern shores of the Mediterranean, on the other hand, suffer from abandonment and excessive urban and industrial development as well as tourism, leading to forest fires and loss of biodiversity.
The Committee stressed the need for each country to know the status of and changes taking place in its forests and hoped that this type of study and appropriate projects would enable national capacities to be strengthened. It recommended that the mathematical model be refined and that the data be submitted to the countries concerned before final publication.
Activities of the research networks
The Committee briefly reviewed the activities of its research networks on: forest fire management; the selection of multipurpose species in arid and semi-arid zones; silviculture of Pinus pinea; the, selection of Mediterranean conifer stands for seed production; and silviculture of cork oak (Quercus suber).
The full report of the AFWC/EFC/NEFC Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions "Silva Mediterranea", 16th session (in English, French or Spanish), may be obtained by writing to the Meetings Officer, Forestry Department, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
FAO to convene meeting of forestry ministers
A meeting of ministers and other high-level officials responsible for forestry matters will be held in conjunction with the next session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO), scheduled to be held at FAO headquarters in Rome in March 1995. The meeting will provide a global forum to harmonize international initiatives under way in forestry.
"The meeting will provide a unique opportunity for an effective technical and political preparation for the review of forestry by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)," said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. "In particular, this would support the CSD commitment in taking a balanced approach to the conservation and development issues implicit in the concept of sustainable forestry."
The CSD, at its May 1995 session, will review progress achieved by the international community (governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the private sector) in implementing forest-related commitments made at UNCED, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992). Therefore, the COFO session and the ministerial meeting (recommended by the 27th session of the FAO Conference in November 1993) will serve as the final major step in the preparation of the CSD review of forests.
The CSD has assigned FAO the role of "task manager" for UNCED follow-up in forestry within the UN system. This entails responsibility for information exchange, interagency contact, catalyzing joint activities and programmes, the development of common strategies and reporting on progress to the Secretary-General of the UN.
To enable the 1995 session of COFO (the world's highest - level technical body dedicated exclusively to forestry issues) to serve as an appropriate technical preparation for the ministerial meeting, its agenda will focus specifically on progress in achieving sustainable forestry in the follow-up to UNCED. In addition, special arrangements will be developed to facilitate the participation of NGOs and the private sector in a broad and open debate, partially through a consultation with NGOs preceding the ministerial meeting.
FAO launches Non-wood News
The use of non-wood forest products (NWFP) is as old as human existence. In subsistence and rural economies, the role and contributions of NWFPs are crucial because of their richness of variety as sources of food, fodder, fibre, fertilizers, herbal potions, organic construction materials and cosmetic and cultural products. However, following the industrial revolution, wood and wood products became a major trade commodity, and forest management emphasized timber production. Other products suffered "benign neglect" and were grouped together as "minor forest products". This resulted in a serious lack of information on almost all aspects of NWFPs and considerable setbacks to the realization of their full contribution to development.
NWFPs have recently reemerged from relative obscurity. There has been increasing awareness about their importance and potential: the continuing dependence of rural communities on NWFPs and their potential to support, on a sustainable basis, income- and employment - generating processing enterprises. Some NWFPs have potential on international markets, for example rattan and bamboo, essential oils, resin and pharmaceuticals. There is also a current market preference for natural products obtained without endangering forests or their biodiversity. Moreover, wood and non-wood products are not mutually exclusive; they can be managed together in an integrated manner, increasing overall productivity and thus providing an additional motive for the conservation and sustainable use of forests.
Developing the full potential of NWFPs will require a fundamental change in approach to ecological, silvicultural, socioeconomic and trade issues associated with forestry. Accurate and up-to-date information on NWFPs is a key in facilitating this change. Non-Wood News strives to improve the availability of vital information and to provide a forum where those interested in the sector may express and exchange views, experiences and expertise.
Each issue of Non-Wood News comprises the following sections: Special features; News and notes; Products and markets; Country compass; International action; Recent events; Forthcoming events; and Publications of interest.
Free subscriptions may be obtained from and information submitted to the Chief, Non-Wood Products and Energy Branch, Forest Products Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy.
