1. 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

2. 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)

3. 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.

4. Trends in Global Forest Cover
Region
Net annual
change
(ha/year)
change
change
Total forest cover change (net)
(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

5. 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

6. Forest cover in Asia-Pacific

7. Forest cover by subregion and country

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

9. Forest area changes 2000-2005 – top 10 countries

10. 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

11. Progress towards sustainable forest management
Global Forest Resources Assessment
Global – “…many good signs and positive trends, but many negative trends remain.”
Asia-Pacific – “…mixed progress over the last 15 years.”

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

13. 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, April 2008
Next session to be hosted by China in 2010

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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”

17. 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

18. 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