11th World Forestry Congress
Technical programme by main areas and topics
The 11th World Forestry Congress, which is being organized by the Turkish Ministry of Forestry in collaboration with FAO, will be held from 13 to 22 October 1997 in Turkey at the new Antalya Greater Municipality Fair Place and Cultural Centre. Antalya, with a population of about 750000, is on the Turquoise Riviera in the Mediterranean region of southern Turkey. Dominated by the Toros (Taurus) mountains rising to 3086 m and covered with forests, the coastal area of Antalya between Kemer, 42 km to the west, and Belek, 40 km to the east, has become Turkey's main holiday resort.
Technical programme
The technical programme for the congress, after consultation with forestry administrations in all countries as well as with international governmental and non-governmental organizations interested in forestry and related matters, has been structured in seven main programme areas which follow the seven basic criteria of sustainable forest management (SFM) which are being considered in the various processes (Montreal, Helsinki, Tarapoto, etc.) within the current international debate on SFM. As many of those consulted thought that a combination of both approaches by subject matter and by ecoregion would be desirable, a number of sessions will be devoted to SFM in six different major types of forest. The technical programme therefore comprises 38 topics which cover those issues that have dominated the international debate since the last congress and which require a response and new directions from technical people, both in the forestry profession and in other disciplines that can contribute to sustainable development in forestry.
Congress papers. The papers to be considered by the congress are of three types:
· Position papers providing a comprehensive review of the situation for each of the main programme areas and some of the major issues, to be prepared by specialists who are well known worldwide at the invitation of the Organizing Committee.· Special papers which correspond to each one of the topics of the congress, also to be prepared by renowned specialists at the invitation of the Organizing Committee.
· Voluntary papers, which can be submitted by any person who wishes to contribute to the discussion of any of the 38 topics of the congress. Technical Secretaries designated by the Host Government and Associate Technical Secretaries designated by FAO will review these papers and may select a number of them for brief presentations during the congress.
A. Forest and tree resources
1. Assessment and monitoring of forest and tree resources includes methods and tools for forest surveys and monitoring, such as GIS and remote sensing; the status of forest resources (global, regional/ecoregional, national), trends in deforestation, qualitative and quantitative aspects.
2. The forestry-agriculture interface includes the role of forests and trees in integrated land use, land-use planning, shifting cultivation, settlements in forest lands and forest clearing, food production from forest lands and the contribution to food security, and agroforestry systems and techniques.
3. Urban and peri-urban forestry includes the recreational function of forests in the natural or planted forest environment and the aesthetic and pollution control (noise, air pollution); the role of trees and forests along highways and in the urban and peri-urban environment, including green belts; and the use of urban waste water in forest plantations.
4. Forests and climate change and the role of forest lands as carbon sinks includes the effects of forests on the microclimate and regional and global impacts of the change in forest cover; the role of forest soils and trees in the storage of CO2; the potential of afforestation and forest regeneration in the absorption of CO2; and forests and the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
5. Protecting forests against pests and diseases, air pollution and decline includes the prevention and biological and chemical control of air pollution; effects of air pollution on forests; and forest dieback.
6. Forests and fire includes the prevention and control of forest fires, equipment and methods and the controlled use of fire; economic and environmental cost; and timber salvage operations after natural disasters.
B. Forest, biological diversity and the maintenance of the natural heritage
7. Conservation of forest ecosystems includes conservation strategies; national parks and protected area management; endangered flora and wildlife species; the establishment of buffer zones and corridors; and the involvement of the local population in protection.
8. Conservation and utilization of forest genetic resources includes in situ and ex situ conservation; plant breeding techniques; conservation of germplasm and provision of planting material; and genetic engineering developments, utilization and economic value of forest genetic resources.
C. Protective and environmental functions of forests
9. Watershed management, torrent and avalanche control, land rehabilitation and erosion control includes forest hydrology, forest soils and the role of forests in mountain areas, and approaches and techniques in integrated watershed management and upland conservation; design and techniques for torrent control; river channel stabilization; road stabilization; avalanche and landslide control; rehabilitation of degraded areas; and the prevention of hazards in mountain and hilly areas,
10. The role of forestry in combating desertification includes all the spectrum of and land forestry, including sand dune stabilization; the protection of oasis and infrastructure from wind erosion; windbreaks and shelterbelts; and land rehabilitation techniques; water harvesting; the management of rangelands; and matters relating to the Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought.
11. Protection of wetlands and coastal lands and their habitat includes matters related to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention) and the protection of resources in swamp forests, inland and coastal wetlands; the afforestation and regeneration of forests in coastal areas; the protection of fisheries and bird habitats; protection against natural disasters (hurricanes and tidal surges); and the protection of the landscape in coastal areas and small islands.
D. Productive functions of forests
12. Afforestation and plantation forestry includes nursery practices; the selection of species; afforestation techniques and equipment; the management of plantations; and forest roads.
13. Silviculture and management of production forests includes silvicultural practices and experience in forest management in different types of commercial forests.
14. Forest harvesting and transportation includes design and implementation of environmentally sound forest harvesting practices, including extraction and transportation systems and, particularly, logging roads.
15. Non-wood forest products include products such as gums, oils and resins, fibres, honey, mushrooms, nuts and medicinal plants.
16. Wood fuels and biomass energy. from household to industry includes biomass energy sources and technologies; the substitution and improvement of fuels and stoves; the planning of village woodlots; fuelwood and charcoal production for rural and urban use; and wood-based energy generation for industrial purposes.
17. Grazing in rangelands and forest lands includes the relationship of forests to the pastoral economy and the various modalities, both ecoregional and related to grazing systems (transhumance, silvopastoral systems, extensive grazing in woodlands and rangelands), fodder trees and methods to prevent overgrazing and land degradation.
18. Wildlife, tourism and other products from wildlands includes the breeding of wildlife species in captivity, domestication, wildlife farming and game ranching; the importance to rural and, in many countries, to urban populations of protein from wild animals; the prevention of poaching and illegal traffic of wildlife products; and the importance of wildlife for the provision of game, bushmeat and as a tourist attraction.
E. The economic contribution of forestry to sustainable development
19. Processing and forest industries includes wood preservation; wood transformation; small-scale industries; plywood and chipboard; and pulp and paper.
20. Forests and employment includes labour needs; the contribution to the industrialization and stabilization of the population; safety in the workplace; and ergonomics.
21. Demand for forest products, consumption patterns and marketing includes the analysis of trends in the national and international market and of changes in production and consumption patterns, and the need to respond to the changes through improved marketing.
22. Forest products trade and certification includes ecolabelling; the effects of liberalization; competitiveness in international markets and vis-à-vis other raw materials; subsidies and incentives for exports; and stabilizing prices to stimulate investment.
23. The role of the private sector, economies in transition and Issues of privatization in forestry includes the contribution of private forestry and of cooperatives and other associations; the opportunities and possible risks of privatization; joint ventures and the role of multinational organizations; and the process of privatization in the economies in transition.
24. Valuation of forest goods and services and incorporation in national accounts includes methodologies for economic, social and environmental appraisal and valuation of intangible benefits such as biological diversity and watershed protection.
F. Social dimensions of forestry's contribution to sustainable development
25. Forests, quality of life and livelihoods includes questions related to the historical, archaeological, religious and landscaping importance of trees and forests; the contribution to shelter, amenity forests and recreation impacts; the collection of species of flora and fauna; trekking, mountaineering and camping in wilderness and protected areas; opportunities for ecotourism; ethnobotany; and sustainable livelihoods of forest dwellers.
26. The vision and role of community forestry in sustainable development includes a review of the concepts underlying community/social forestry; presentation of perspectives and experience; the interlinkage between communities and forestry; and the status and future of community forestry.
27. Better addressing conflicts in natural resource use through the promotion of participatory management from community to policy level includes the nexus between indigenous knowledge systems, legal issues, power and equity, gender and marginalized people and natural resource conflicts; alternative dispute management; conflicts resulting from economic, ecological, cultural and demographic changes,
28. The role of the non-governmental organizations and special groups includes the advocacy role of international and national NGOs, their contribution to empowerment and participation of rural communities and in the creation of awareness and education of the public and of specific groups of civil society; the role of special groups youth, women and children and approaches to mobilize them and make their contribution more effective.
29. Forest dwellers, indigenous people and local communities includes settlers and communities whose livelihoods depend on the forest ecosystem and hill tribes and other indigenous people who live in symbiosis with forests.
30. Communication methods and public awareness raising includes strategies and methods to improve the image of forestry administrations; to establish better relations with the public; to raise awareness and organize public information campaigns on specific issues; and to address different target groups of civil society, including environmental education.
G. Policies, Institutions and means for sustainable forestry development
31. New trends in forestry public administration includes new and innovative institutional arrangements to enhance policy formulation and the application of regulatory instruments, interagency coordination and joint implementation; and the involvement of other sectors of public administration, as well as new roles of forest administrations vis-à-vis regionalization, decentralization and delegation of management functions to regional and local authorities.
32. Formulation, analysis and implementation of forestry policies includes regulatory instruments, economic incentives and financial mechanisms to promote investment, the formulation of National Forestry Action Plans and the reallocation of internal resources; and the mobilization of external financial and technical support for the implementation of sustainable development policies in the forestry sector.
33. Forestry sector planning includes analytic, evaluation and monitoring tools and approaches for integrated planning, including multipurpose development of forest resources and forest industries development; the contribution to integrated rural development; and regional development plans.
34. Human resources development, education and training includes formal and informal education at various levels and in-service and other forms of training; new trends in curricula development; and new needs in the development of human resources.
35. Research, transfer of technology and extension includes the institutional strengthening of international and national capabilities for research; the identification of gaps and priorities in research and transfer of technology; and the strengthening of extension services for conservation, community forestry and private forestry.
36. International cooperation and resource mobilization for sustainable forestry development includes a review of external technical and financial assistance after UNCED and the prospects and trends in international cooperation, including new financial modalities and mechanisms, innovative sources of funding and terms and conditions of development assistance.
H. Ecoregional review
37. Taking stock of the various sustainable forest management (SFM) processes includes inputs on the status and the possible follow-up action related to the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, particularly regarding the various international undertakings -the Montreal Process, the Helsinki Process, the Tarapoto Initiative and the Dry African Forests Initiative.
38. Exchange of experience and state of the art in SFM by ecoregion: boreal forests, temperate forests, Mediterranean forests, dry tropical forests, humid tropical forests, mangroves and other coastal forests. National field experience in the application of sustainable management of forests will be shared, taking into account the various dimensions of forestry's contribution to sustainable development and the seven criteria generally agreed internationally for SFM: i) extent of forest resources; ii) health and vitality; iii) biological diversity; iv) productive functions; v) protective and environmental functions; vi) development and social needs; and vii) legal, policy and institutional framework.
