Indicator 4: The Use of Integrated Forest-Water Management in Practice
Many communities depend on the water-related goods and services that a healthy forest ecosystem provides. However, the existence of an effective framework for managing forest-water conservation is necessary for stakeholders to make use of these goods and services sustainably over time. Maintaining effective water-centered management practices that explicitly address the forest-water nexus is critical for ensuring that forest management follows best-practices and takes the needs of upstream and downstream water users into account.
The sub-indicator under indicator 4 is intended to monitor water-related ecosystem services in communities, based on multiple variables related to conservation and sustainable forest management, taking into account the extent to which forest practices and/or regulations exist in these target communities.