0170-A4

A Conceptual Model Network for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Timbers ¹

K. M. Bhat ²

Abstract

Lack of appropriate research and training programmes has been identified as a cause of mismatch of technology with the real needs of rural communities in tropical developing countries like India. Considering the linkages of trade with timber production from sustainable forest management (SFM) and industrial processing in environmentally acceptable norms, a model research and training network (RTN) is proposed for the Asia Pacific Region with a conceptual framework of Indo-Japanese bilateral programme as a case example of establishing RTN consortium by the International Cooperation Centre for Agriculture Education (ICCAE) of Nagoya University, Japan. The success stories of the existing networking organizations such as FORSPA and INBAR were cited for developing effective research and training programmes by stronger partnerships built within and between the countries and by pooling the resources in sharing human resource and expertise. Such a Regional network would mobilise the support of various international and national developmental agencies including private sectors. For instance, a tentatively established teak wood network integrates the collaborative efforts of IUFRO 5.06.02 Working Party (Timber quality from teak plantations) with other teak institutions such as TEAKNET, TEAK 2000, Santi Forestry Thailand, Foresteca Agroflorestal Ltda Brazil, Goodwood Investments, with the participation of various Research and Development Organizations. The potential lead/core institutions of China, India and Japan in forest products technology were identified in assessing the availability of regional expertise through partnership ventures and effective Regional RTN under the auspices of potential agencies like ICCAE and ITTO. While giving due consideration to the acceptable criteria of SFM, particular attention is focussed on the role and implementation of RTN for promoting industrial linkages and inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations, including frontier areas of genetics and biotechnology, within the purview of three broad sub-networks, viz. NWFP-net, Timber-net and Residue/recycling-nets. The basic mission and operational aspects of such a model RTN are outlined from the view point of application of the proposed Indo-Japanese bilateral network for evolving a multilateral RTN for the Asia Pacific Region.

Futuristic Tropical Timber Resource of Asia Pacific Region: Indian Scenario

The industrial roundwood supply from plantations is expected to increase from the current level of 25% to 33% of total global supply in the year 2010 and beyond (Fig.1). With the major shares in China, India and Japan, the Asia Pacific Region leads the world in forest plantation development in addition to its most of the world's 26.5 million ha of non-forest plantations of rubber wood, coconut and oil palms as fibre resources (FAO 1998). Apart from forest plantations of eucalypts, teak , acacia and pines, the recent wood supply is from the trees outside forests (TOF) especially farm lands, estates/ converted forests, small woodlots, etc (Fig. 2). Additional sources of industrial wood supply are expected from logging and mill residues as well as recycled fibres.

The changing pattern of wood supply calls for a new approach for integrating wood research with plantation technology for wood farming and for increased conversion efficiency of small diameter logs in the manufacture of value-added / new products. Because most of the technologies are available in industrialized countries, technology transfer/adoption appears to be a need of the hour in developing countries including India. The current situation demands considerable investments on plantation development and structural changes of the industries for processing small dimensional materials with new or modified machinery for sawmilling, veneer production and manufacture of reconstituted products, including glue-laminated composites / finger-jointed structures and pulp and paper. Regional networking approach is suggested to pool the limited resources and share infrastructure/expertise for research and technology and to mobilise support from national/international developmental agencies including private forestry sectors.

Source: Whiteman & Brown (1999)

Fig. 1. Global distribution of forest plantation resources by main Regions in the year 1995 (million ha)

Fig. 2. Futuristic tropical timber supply pattern of Asia Pacific Region : India

Targets and Options for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Timber: Indian Scenario

• According to the Indian National Forest Policy (1988), forest-based industry should raise the raw material needed for its own requirements, by establishment of a direct relationship between the factory and individuals who can grow the raw material by supporting the individuals.
• India is one of the world's 12 mega-biodiversity countries. The objective of National Forestry Action Programme (NFAP) is to enhance the contribution of forestry and tree resources to ecological stability and people- centred development through qualitative and quantitative improvement in investment on sustainable conservation and development of forest resources.
• According to FSI (1997), only 19.3% of the land has forest cover, although nearly 22% (about 65 mill. ha) of the land have been recorded as forests, which is much less than the goal of 33% set by the National Forest Policy (FSI 1997).
• According to some predictive models, the percentage production of forest raw materials for pulp and paper is expected to gradually decline to 27% by 2010 because of reduced felling of trees in State forests as a result of the implementation of Forest Conservation Act 1980, as amended in 1988 and as per the National Forest Policy 1988.
• Non-forest trees (rubber wood, coconut wood, etc) and tree-crops (multipurpose species from farm lands/ homesteads) will emerge as significant volume of industrial fibres. For instance, in Punjab (India), farm trees account for 86% of the state's growing stock (FAO 1998).
• Promoting and supporting the use of juvenile/thinned materials from plantations and ToF especially from farm/agroforestry sectors and non-forest plantations (Fig. 2).
• Adoption of improved processing techniques, better logging practices, and improved use of small dimensional and low quality timbers.
• Improve the productivity of plantations through silviculturally and genetically modified trees, processing of smaller trees, opportunities for increased use of wood residues and recycled fibres and efficient utilization of non-wood forest products (bamboo, rattan, medicinal plants, etc).
• Trade policies are designed to fill the gap between supply and demand, encourage wood substitution, and increase the indigenous supply of raw materials for forest-based industries. The objectives are to support value-addition, enhance income and employment generation, make use of local knowledge, reduce dependence on foreign supplies of critical commodities, and ensure growth and development of village-based and small industries.

Research and Training Needs

The three basic areas proposed to meet the research and training requirements of sustainable tropical timber utilization in the Asia Pacific Region particularly India (Fig. 3) include:

1. NWFP (non-wood forest products)-Net

Mission: Production, harvesting, processing and utilization of NWFPs (bamboo, rattan, phyto-chemical and pharmaceutical products, gums, resins, tannins, etc.)

2. Timber-Net

Mission: Timber quality modification - by silviculture and /or genetics (GMOs), bio-chemical modification - application of biotechnological tool, harvesting and processing technology for small diameter logs (from short rotation plantations/thinnings, TOF including non-conventional timbers like rubberwood, palm stems and their grading and marketing from sustainably managed tree resources

3. Residue Utilization-Net

Mission: Utilization of agro- and forest/logging residues, industrial mill residues and recycled products, manufacture of value-added composite boards, panels, etc.

Conceptual Model Training Network

The success stories of networking organizations such as FORSPA and INBAR in the region advocate for developing effective training programmes by stronger partnerships built both within and between the countries, by pooling the resources and sharing infra-structure and expertise. This would mobilise the support from among various international and national donor / developmental agencies including private sectors. For instance, a tentatively established teak wood network integrates the collaborative efforts of IUFRO 5.06.02 Working Party (Timber quality from teak plantations) with other teak institutions such as TEAKNET and TEAK 2000 with the participation of various Research and Development Organizations possibly within the umbrella of IUFRO and APAFRI

Fig. 3. Major Areas of Research and Training Needs of Developing Countries in Asia Pacific Region with particular reference to India

Mission of the proposed Research and Training Network (RTN)

• Building country capacity in research / training and technology transfer for enhancing the technical capabilities of rural communities, farmers, forest resource managers and small-scale forest-based industries in responding effectively to the changing social, economic and environmental needs
• Assisting in building capacity in national institutes through training program planning, human resource development, increasing access to information, and facilitating technology transfer and adaptation
• Developing training networks which lead to greater collaboration among the institutions within and between the countries.
• Providing technical and managerial support for networking, organization of meetings and seminars, development of databases, and publishing of newsletter, case studies and monographs
• Initiating problem-oriented training programmes of regional and local importance
• Assisting in twinning arrangements to promote inter-institutional collaboration, sharing of knowledge, and transfer of know-how and technology.

How RTN will Operate?

Within the each basic network area, viz. NWFPs, Timber net and Residue Utilization, formation of several sub-networks are suggested to meet more specific objectives and training requirements (Fig. 1).

• It is envisaged to develop training programmes at two levels to be effective in order to deliver the goods and reach to the level of users and rural communities (Fig. 2 )
  Level I - Trainer's Training and
  Level II- End-user's training for rural communities.
• Each such sub-network, for instance TEAKNET, has clearly defined activities to accomplish the targeted training needs with participation of lead/core institutions and their identified resource persons (Annexure I) through net-workshops, training programmes and by awarding internships/fellowships. This will serve the purpose of Trainer's Training Needs.
• Subsequent follow up action might be warranted from ICCAE to transfer and implement the technology at grass-root level by using the human resource developed through the first level trainer's training programmes. To organise the second level training effectively, trainers of various organizations of developing countries obtain requisite expertise and orientation to effectively transfer the technology from lab-to-land and lab-to-industry in order to improve the living conditions of the rural poor communities as shown in the general multilateral training network model (Fig. 4).
• The first level HRD can be achieved by developing training programmes through exchange programmes of wood specialists of North-South and South-South Cooperation basis. Once this is achieved, local lead organizations can arrange a variety of rural training programmes as relevant to local conditions. In later stages, even to tackle the common problems of similar nature, South-South Cooperation can be promoted by ICCAE.

International Net-workshops for Training Consortia

To establish the training consortium, the organizations like ICCAE shall organise the net-workshops of environmentally crucial and socially relevant themes with the participation of the experts of both developing countries and Japanese lead/core institutes and donor agencies. Frequent such net-workshops will help to develop the documents/publications of strategic training plans to meet the specific requirements of the concerned countries.

Strategic Plans for the Proposed Indo-Japanese Bilateral Training Programme

1. ICCAE will organise the Net-workshops with the representatives of potential donor/government agencies of India and Japan , and the Directors/ Research Managers of the Lead Institutes identified with the objective of establishing Training Consortium.

2. Prior to this, if found necessary, Consultative Group Meetings will be held to receive the ideas/technical inputs from the experts of the identified Lead institutes of both countries to set the training priorities that may need the approval of donors for establishing the training consortium in the net-workshops (Fig. 5). The potential participants can be identified from the list furnished in the ICCAE document (Bhat 2001). Such Consultative Meetings will also be useful to establish data bases in critical areas of training needs in the form concrete documents.

Fig. 4. Arbitrary Model of ICCAE's Multilateral Network

Fig. 5 Proposed Indo-Japanese Bilateral Training Network in Forest Products Technology

Decision making Bodies/Government Agencies

The main concerned Indian decision making and government bodies include: MoEF, MHRD, MS&T and UGC.

In Japan, as already identified, Nagoya University, the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (Monbusho), the UN Centre for Regional Development, JICA and the Aichi prefectural government appear to be the potential donors for establishing the consortium.

Core Institutions and their Linkage for training Network

Depending on the identification of base nets and the defined activities potential experts can be chosen from the list furnished in the ICCAE document (Bhat 2001) for the first level of trainer's training programmes. The second level of user's training programmes will be organized by the lead institutions of India in the rural community levels. Wherever necessary, for instance in the modification of machinery of wood processing industries, North-South Cooperation will be sought to participate the Japanese institutions.

Linkage of Lead Institutions for Bilateral Training Network : Japan and India

From the list of lead/core institutions with human resources provided in the ICCAE document (Bhat 2001), various networks can be established to meet the specific training needs. The linkage of potential institutions in different thrust areas are indicated below. This represents only arbitrary list and more organizations can be involved in the network if they have proven record of scientific achievements in the concerned areas. It is also strongly recommended that human resources from various other countries/institutions, as identified in ICCAE document (Bhat 2001), can be employed and the expertise shared to render effective training programme.

Similar networks of multilateral training programmes can be arranged by employing the human resources available in the Asia Pacific Region as documented (Bhat 2001).

Multilateral Training Network Programs

The proposed bilateral training network (Fig. 5) can be expanded depending on the needs by involving the concerned countries for developing the human resources and sharing the existing expertise. Such a network can be built up by choosing the institutions identified in a detailed ICCAE document prepared by the author .

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Professor Hiroyuki Takeya, Director and Professor Katsuhiro Kitagawa of ICCAE for offering the invitation fellowship to complete the assignment on development of effective training Program for the specialists of developing countries in the filed of wood technology. Particular thanks are due to the staff of ICCAE and Prof. Takashi Okuyama, for extending all facilities. I am also indebted to Dr. J. K. Sharma, Director, Kerala Forest Research Institute India for granting me leave of absence to complete the task..

Bibliography

Bhat K M. 2001. Development of Effective Training Program for the Specialists of Developing Countries in Wood Science.. International Cooperation Center for Agriculture Education (ICCAE), Nagoya University, Japan.Unpublished Document., 121p.

Bhat K M. 1996. Strengthening forest products research in southern India. Unpubl. Document submitted to British ODA, New Delhi.

FAO 1998. National Forest Programmes-UPDATE No. 33-India (RAP Publ.1998/13, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok 1998).

FAO 1998. Asia-Pacific forestry towards 2010 : report of the on Asia pacific Forestry sector outlook study.

FAO 1999. State of the world forests. FAO, Rome, 154p.

Forest Survey of India (FSI) 1997. The State of Forest Report 1997. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India.

International Tropical timber Organization (ITTO), 2000. Annual review and assessment of the world timber situation 2000,Yokohama, Japan

Whiteman A. and Brown C. 1999. The potential role of forest plantations in meeting future demands for industrial wood products. International Forestry Review 1(3): 143-152.

Annexure I. Linkage of Lead/Core institutions for Indo-Japanese bilateral RTN*

Annexure II. List of Abbreviations used

ANESC - Asian Natural Environmental Science Centre, Tokyo University
APAFRI - Association of Asia Pacific Forest Research Institutes
BMP NU - Biomaterial Physics , Nagoya University
FA- GU - Faculty of Agriculture, Gifu University
FA-KyshuU - Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
FA-KytU - Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organizations
FA-SHZU - Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University
FA-YU - Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University
FORSPA - Forest Research Support Program for Asia Pacific
FRI - Forest Research Institute
FTBC - Forest Tree Breeding Centre
HRD - Human Resource Development
ICCAE - International Cooperation Centre for Agriculture Education
IFGTB - Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding
INBAR - International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
IPIRTI - Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute
ITTO- International Tropical Timber Organization
IUFRO - International Union of Forest Research organizations
IWST - Institute of Wood Science and Technology
JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency
KFRI - Kerala Forest Research Institute
MHRD - Ministry of Human Resource Development
MOEF - Ministry of Environment and Forests
NS&T - Ministry of Human Resource Development
NWFP - Non-wood Forest Products
RTN - Research and Training Network
SFM - Sustainable Forest Management
TOF - Trees outside Forests
UGC - University Grant Commission
WRI-KytU - Wood Research Institute, Kyoto University

¹ The paper is based on the document prepared during the tenure of visiting fellowship offered to the author (April-July 2001) by the International Cooperation Centre for Agriculture Education (ICCAE), Nagoya University, Japan,.

² Wood Science Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, P.O. Peechi 680 653, India
Tel: +91-487-699037; Fax: +91-487-699249
Email: [email protected]
URL: http://ernakulam.sancharnet.in/trc_maksbhat/kmbhat.htm
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