Trends in Forest Cover and Sustainable Forest Management and Activities Undertaken by the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission Patrick B. Durst Senior Forestry Officer FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific International Symposium on Sustainable Forest Management 25-27 September 2008, Beijing, China

Structure of Presentation Two distinct parts: Trends in forest cover and sustainable forest management - Global - Asia-Pacific 2. Activities undertaken by the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC)

Part 1 Trends in forest cover and sustainable forest management Many data problems….. ….but, broad trends are clear. Overall story is grim…. ….but, a few beacons for hope.

Trends in Global Forest Cover Region Net annual change 1980-1990 (ha/year) change 1990-2000 change 2000-2005 Total forest cover change (net) 1980-2005 (ha) Africa -2,828,000 -4,375,000 -4,040,000 -92,230,000 Asia -872,000 -792,000 +1,003,000 -11,625,000 Europe +242,000 +877,000 +661,000 14,495,000 North and Central America -1,191,000 -328,000 -333,000 -16,855,000 Oceania -131,000 -448,000 -356,000 -7,570,000 South America -5,173,000 -3,802,000 -4,251,000 -111,005,000 World -9,953,000 -8,868,000 -7,317,000 -224,790,000

Highlights and lowlights of forest cover change How much forest loss? Global total forest area ** 3,952,025,000 ha. Percentage of global forest lost in past 25 years ** 5.4 percent Africa and South America forest loss in past 25 years ** ~12 percent Global plantation area **~150,000,000 ha NATURAL forest loss in past 25 years??? ~375,000,000 ha. Rank Country National Land Area (ha) 1 Russia 1,688,000,000 2 Canada 922,000,000 3 United States 916,000,000 4 China 933,000,000 5 Brazil 846,000,000 6 Australia 768,000,000 7 India 297,000,000 8 Argentina 274,000,000 9 Kazakhstan 270,000,000 10 Algeria 237,000,000 11 Sudan 238,000,000 12 Congo 226,000,000 13 Global forest loss in past 25 years 224,790,000

Forest cover in Asia-Pacific

Forest cover by subregion and country

Forest area change in Asia-Pacific Net gain in forests 2000-2005 = 3 million hectares BUT…. The sum total of reported national forest losses = 18.5 million ha.

Forest area changes 2000-2005 – top 10 countries

Seven thematic elements of sustainable forest management Extent of forest resources Biological diversity Forest health and vitality Productive functions of forest resources Protective functions of forest resources Socio-economic functions Legal, policy and institutional frameworks

Progress towards sustainable forest management Global Forest Resources Assessment http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra2005/en/ Global – “…many good signs and positive trends, but many negative trends remain.” Asia-Pacific – “…mixed progress over the last 15 years.”

Activities undertaken by the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) Part 2 Activities undertaken by the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC)

Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) Established in 1949 One of six regional forestry commissions supported by FAO Comprised of 33 member countries Serves as a forum for member countries to: share experiences advise FAO on regional forestry priorities initiate joint action on key forestry issues 22nd Session convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, 21-26 April 2008 Next session to be hosted by China in 2010

APFC’s major activity themes Promoting improvement in forest management for multiple benefits Strengthening economics, policies and institutions Fostering greater involvement of people in forestry

Promoting improvement in forest management for multiple benefits Codes of practice for forest harvesting and forest management Promotion of forest rehabilitation, including assisted natural regeneration (ANR) Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network (APFISN) Model forests Agroforestry TEAKNET Mangrove rehabilitation Edible forest insects Planted forests Fire management

Strengthening economics, policies and institutions Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study Policy studies Logging bans Reinventing forestry agencies Plantation incentives Constraints to private sector investment Multi-stakeholder processes in forestry Executive Education - Forest Policy Short Course “Asia-Pacific Forest Policy Initiative”

Fostering greater involvement of people in forestry International conferences: Community Forestry Forums Capturing opportunities in forest harvesting and wood processing for the benefit of the poor Sustainable Forest Management and Poverty Alleviation: Roles of Traditional Forest-related Knowledge Policy study: “Poverty Reduction and Forests: Tenure, Market and Policy Reforms” “Forest faces” initiative

Fostering greater involvement of people in forestry Jointly organized conferences, symposia, and workshops Shared Secretariat services and use of existing APFC communication networks Collaborative regional policy studies on topics of mutual interest Capacity-building initiatives in key areas of priority Collaborative information sharing and networking activities Joint sessions of APFC and APFNet