The Principles of Forest Management 

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• All nations should take part in “the greening of the world” through planting and conserving forests.

• Forests should be managed in order to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations.

• Unique examples of forest should be protected, for example ancient forests and forests with cultural, historical, spiritual and religious importance.

• Pollutants that harm forests should be controlled.

• Forestry plans should consider the non-economic values of forests and the environmental consequences of their management. Forest degradation should be avoided.

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Sustainable Forest Management

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•  Extent of forest resources

The theme expresses an overall desire to have adequate forest cover and stocking, including trees outside forests, to support the social, economic and environmental dimensions of forestry. For example, the existence and extent of specific forest types are important as a basis for conservation efforts. The theme encompasses ambitions to reduce deforestation and to restore and rehabilitate degraded forest landscapes. It also includes the important function of forests and trees outside forests to store carbon and thereby contribute to moderating the global climate.

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• Biological diversity

The theme concerns the conservation and management of biological diversity at ecosystem (landscape), species and genetic levels. Such conservation, including the protection of areas with fragile ecosystems, ensures that diversity of life is maintained, and provides opportunities to develop new products in the future, including medicines. Genetic improvement is also a means of increasing forest productivity, for example to ensure high wood production levels in intensively managed forests.

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• Forest health and vitality

Forests need to be managed so that the risks and impacts of unwanted disturbances are minimized, including wildfires, airborne pollution, storm felling, invasive species, pests, diseases and insects. Such disturbances may impact social and economic as well as environmental dimensions of forestry.

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• Productive functions of forest resources

Forests and trees outside forests provide a wide range of wood and non-wood forest products. This theme expresses the ambition to maintain an ample and valuable supply of primary forest products, while at the same time ensuring that production and harvesting are sustainable and do not compromise the management options of future generations.

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• Protective functions of forest resources

The theme addresses the role of forests and trees outside forests in moderating soil, hydrological and aquatic systems, maintaining clean water (including healthy fish populations) and reducing the risks and impacts of floods, avalanches, erosion and drought. Protective functions of forest resources also contribute to ecosystem conservation efforts and have strong cross-sectoral aspects, because the benefits to agriculture and rural livelihoods are high.

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• Socio-economic functions

The theme covers the contributions of forest resources to the overall economy, for example through employment, values generated through processing and marketing of forest products, and energy, trade and investment in the forest sector. It also addresses the important forest function of hosting and protecting sites and landscapes of high cultural, spiritual or recreational value, and thus includes aspects of land tenure, indigenous and community management systems, and traditional knowledge.

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• Legal, policy and institutional framework

The theme includes the legal, policy and institutional arrangements necessary to support the above six themes, including participatory decision-making, governance and law enforcement, and monitoring and assessment of progress. It also involves broader societal aspects, including fair and equitable use of forest resources, scientific research and education, infrastructure arrangements to support the forest sector, transfer of technology, capacity-building, and public information and communication.

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Afforestation Programmes

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Afforestation helps to stabilize the climate of the region and helps in the transformation of arid and semi-arid regions into productive areas. The trees planted in afforestation help in reducing the greenhouse gas effect which helps prevent global warming.

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Capacity Building

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The main objective of the capacity building and training activities is to create, enhance and develop constituents capacity at country level to design, implement and supervise social protection and social security schemes.

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Forestry Research

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Forestry Research is about the management and conservation of trees or forests, including tree biodiversity, sustainability, habitat protection and the social and economic aspects of forestry.

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Forest Certification

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Leadership forest certification systems can provide valuable independent measures of more ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable forest management, thereby empowering businesses and other consumers wishing to make informed purchasing decisions for forest products, supporting resource managers who use and adopt leadership forest and ecosystem management practices, and contributing to broader discussions over resource management and conservation. However, questions remain over which forest certification systems merit recognition as leadership systems, the limits of any certification systems’ abilities to (by themselves) halt global deforestation and achieve other outcomes, and how certification systems will respond to climate change and other priority and emerging challenges. This article introduces the concepts and basic components of forest certification, outlines considerations for researchers wishing to compare certification systems, and highlights other topics of interest for the evolution of certification and its role in responsible forest management, forest conservation, and sustainable business practices.

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Externally Aided Projects 

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Externally Aided Projects are important potential sources of augmenting the States' resources and thereby external assistance plays a significant role in the development process.

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Trade in Forestry Products 

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The forest products industry has vigorously opened up for global trade because the prevailing business model is built on capturing comparative advantages at the right cost. Many emerging countries possess valued forests, aspire for more processing industry and employment, and seek added value to their raw materials. International investors in the forest products industry are their willing allies but they want to ascertain predictable macroeconomic conditions, transparent fiscal incentives and abundant labour – and preferably the rule of law and a sustainable wood supply to start with. A dynamic domestic market is nowadays becoming an important factor in attracting foreign investments, and many emerging economies harbour bustling urban markets short of high-quality forest products.

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Increasing trade in forest products has supported economic growth and eradication of poverty in a number of emerging countries. But trading out of poverty has proven difficult and it has led to further marginalization and events of misconduct in some countries. Safeguards must be firmly put in place to ensure that trade is based on legal and sustainable forest use, fair labour conditions and equitable sharing of benefits. Good governance is essential in setting the rules for sustainable production and trade.

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Wildlife Trafficking

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Wildlife trafficking involves the illegal trade, smuggling, poaching, capture, or collection of endangered species, protected wildlife (including animals or plants that are subject to harvest quotas and regulated by permits), derivatives, or products thereof.

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Illegal wildlife trade is also often unsustainable, harming wild populations of animals and plants and pushing endangered species toward extinction. Endangered animals and plants are often the target of wildlife crime because of their rarity and increased economic value.

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Recent surveys by WWF and TRAFFIC have identified 10 of the most widely trafficked animals in the Golden Triangle. These top 10 animals are: the tiger, elephant, pangolin, bear, rhinoceros, serow, helmeted hornbill, gaur, leopard, and turtles.

 

How can we stop animal trafficking?

Here is what you can do to help:

• Ask before you buy. 

• Stick to certified products. 

• Choose sustainable, eco-friendly pets. 

• Petition your local government to stop or restrict legal ivory trade.

• Pledge your support.

• Report any illegal wildlife trade.