CHALLENGE

According to the most recent forest assessment (FAO, 2005), the forest area in Lebanon is estimated at over 139,000 ha (13.3% of the country) with an additional 108,000 ha classified as Other Wooded Land (OWL). The FAO analysis shows that 85 % of the forest area in Lebanon is considered "disturbed", i.e. impacted by human activities, with about 14% of the forest area affected by past forest fires. About 60% of the forest area is privately owned, compared to 27% state owned and 11% owned by municipalities and communities, with only 3% of the area designated as nature reserves.

Forests play two main roles in Lebanon: (i) they serve directly as income sources for rural livelihoods and (ii) they provide environmental services, mainly soil and water conservation, to rural populations particularly in hilly areas. However war, uncontrolled urban expansion, and frequent forest fires have resulted in the total forest area declining from about 20% of the country to only 13% at present.

Lebanon is interested in reversing that trend. It is embarking on a large reforestation initiative with the goal to replant 70,000 ha, an increase of over 50% over the currently forested area. It is also investing in the extension of irrigation to increase income from high value crops, including substantial investments in the construction of hill lakes to harvest rainwater. Without significant upstream reforestation, some of these hill lakes could become vulnerable to excessive silting and to flooding events that are likely to become more intense as a result of climate change. Such events could cause serious infrastructural damage to vulnerable lakes and reduce their storage capacity.

APPROACH

The proposed study aims to provide the Government of Lebanon, as well as local communities and farmers, with decision support tools to choose and adopt best-fit reforestation practices in a geographically and ecologically differentiated manner, in such as way that is likely to support their livelihoods and long-term resilience to the effect of climate change.

RESULTS

The main findings from the various grant-funded activities, including stakeholder consultations, suggest that the lack of local community participation and the use of imported seedlings has contributed to the limited success of past government reforestation activities in Lebanon. The most successful experiences were when forestry NGOs and municipalities collaborated closely in the planning, implementation, and maintenance of planting sites, with the municipalities’ contributions being mostly irrigation water and protection.

Beyond supporting participatory planning and activities with NGOs and local communities, this activity recommends that the Ministry of Agriculture establish a web-based forestry seed registry and tracking system, linked to a reforestation registry. The likelihood of scaling up findings from this activity is high as they can directly feed into the the Ministry of Agriculture’s reforestation initiative.

CHALLENGE

The potential for the forest sector to contribute to addressing global development challenges must be communicated to those in a position to tap that potential through policies, laws and investment decisions. However, the right information doesn’t always get to the right people in the right place at the right time to influence forest sector and development outcomes.

RESPONSE

PROFOR is finding new ways to engage with scientists, technical decision makers and policymakers around evidence and policy options for using forests to deliver on the national and international post-2015 development agendas. By participating in high profile forest events, PROFOR isdisseminatingknowledge and tools, engaging with key audiences to learn directly how PROFOR knowledge and tools are being used and what more is needed, and influencing policy making in sustainable forest management.

RESULTS

At the XXIV IUFRO World Congress in October 2014, PROFOR convened a side event on “Enabling Productive Uses of Forests That Reduce Poverty, Create Jobs, and Build Resilience.” At the event, a diverse panel of representatives from governments and from research and conservation organizations shared their views on how to respond to the growing demand for wood and wood products in a manner that helps to reduce poverty, diversify rural economies, improve forest governance, support employment creation, and protect ecosystem services. Discussion centered on how productive uses of forests can grow local, national, and regional economies, as well as the role of both natural and planted forests in meeting the growing demand. The blog “Can growing demand for forest products create jobs, build resilience, and fight poverty?” invited a broader audience to engage in the discussion.

In December 2014, PROFOR helped convene the 2014 Global Landscapes Forum as an implementing partner for the event led by CIFOR. PROFOR also co-hosted (with IUCN and CIFOR) a discussion session on the role of knowledge products and tools in achieving sustainable management of landscapes and convened a high-level session on adaptation-based mitigation. At the session on knowledge products and tools, PROFOR shared experiences from implementing a decision-support tool for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture in Brazil.

At the high-level session, government and private sector experts shared their experiences and views on the challenges and opportunities for adaptation-based mitigation. Key points that emerged were that adaptation-based mitigation is an imperative for developing countries, that landscape restoration is a bridge for adaptation and mitigation, and that securitization of private financing is essential to make financing accessible to smallholders. The blog post “Climate smart management for farms, forests, and everything in between” provides further details.

In June 2015 at GLF: The Investment Case” in London, the session “Public-private Partnerships: What Can Public and Private Resources Achieve Together?” aimed to identify success stories, highlight analytical research findings, and map the way forward. The session content drew heavily from PROFOR knowledge work on private forest financing and business climate for forests investments, providing an opportunity for further dissemination of that work to target audiences in including private finance actors. The blog “The Case for Investing in Landscapes” offers a window into what was discussed at the event.

At the World Forestry Congress 2015, PROFOR supported a number of presentations and dialogues intended to help disseminate PROFOR tools and analysis to help inform policy makers. PROFOR played a role in the following WFC events: “Sharing benefits equitably: Learning from experience; “Benefit-sharing arrangements for REDD+” (side event); “Better information for better forest governance: The role and potential of forest governance assessment and monitoring” (side event); “Using evidence-based engagement and communications to inform global forestry policies and practice” (side event); “Improving data on socioeconomic benefits of forests”; and “Improving governance and financing for forests” (side event).

At the GLF Paris 2015, PROFOR co-organized an exhibit with TerrAfrica and the World Bank Group. PROFOR used the exhibit to promote findings from work on benefit sharing, how forests contribute to climate change adaptation, predictive proxy indicators, and much more. PROFOR co-hosted a high-level discussion on resilient landscapes to reduce fragility, conflict, and migration.For stories and updates on related activities,follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe to our mailing list for regular updates.

CHALLENGE
In 2007, forest land tenure was undergoing profound changes in Honduras with the government getting ready to move ahead with the regularization of public forest lands. Without regularization, the risk was that growing conflict between different interests would lead to further degadation of resources and increasing inequality. However, the regularization process itself could be laden with dangers, if criteria and institutional mechanisms to determine rights in ways that ensure equity, transparency and manage conflict were not properly put in place. 

APPROACH
To support the Government of Honduras' efforts to regularize forest land tenure in the country, PROFOR financed analysis of different arrangements of forest ownership and forest access / control rights and their implications for responsible use and equity.

RESULTS
The analysis was completed in June 2007. See related PDFs in Spanish. The project aimed to reduce the risks associated with ongoing titling processese and enhance safeguards for poor and vulnerable groups.

CHALLENGE
In 2007, forest land tenure was undergoing profound changes in Honduras with the government getting ready to move ahead with the regularization of public forest lands. Without regularization, the risk was that growing conflict between different interests would lead to further degadation of resources and increasing inequality. However, the regularization process itself could be laden with dangers, if criteria and institutional mechanisms to determine rights in ways that ensure equity, transparency and manage conflict were not properly put in place. 

APPROACH
To support the Government of Honduras' efforts to regularize forest land tenure in the country, PROFOR financed analysis of different arrangements of forest ownership and forest access / control rights and their implications for responsible use and equity.

RESULTS
The analysis was completed in June 2007. See related PDFs in Spanish. The project aimed to reduce the risks associated with ongoing titling processese and enhance safeguards for poor and vulnerable groups.

CHALLENGE
In 2007, forest land tenure was undergoing profound changes in Honduras with the government getting ready to move ahead with the regularization of public forest lands. Without regularization, the risk was that growing conflict between different interests would lead to further degadation of resources and increasing inequality. However, the regularization process itself could be laden with dangers, if criteria and institutional mechanisms to determine rights in ways that ensure equity, transparency and manage conflict were not properly put in place. 

APPROACH
To support the Government of Honduras' efforts to regularize forest land tenure in the country, PROFOR financed analysis of different arrangements of forest ownership and forest access / control rights and their implications for responsible use and equity.

RESULTS
The analysis was completed in June 2007. See related PDFs in Spanish. The project aimed to reduce the risks associated with ongoing titling processese and enhance safeguards for poor and vulnerable groups.

CHALLENGE
In 2007, forest land tenure was undergoing profound changes in Honduras with the government getting ready to move ahead with the regularization of public forest lands. Without regularization, the risk was that growing conflict between different interests would lead to further degadation of resources and increasing inequality. However, the regularization process itself could be laden with dangers, if criteria and institutional mechanisms to determine rights in ways that ensure equity, transparency and manage conflict were not properly put in place. 

APPROACH
To support the Government of Honduras' efforts to regularize forest land tenure in the country, PROFOR financed analysis of different arrangements of forest ownership and forest access / control rights and their implications for responsible use and equity.

RESULTS
The analysis was completed in June 2007. See related PDFs in Spanish. The project aimed to reduce the risks associated with ongoing titling processese and enhance safeguards for poor and vulnerable groups.

CHALLENGE

Since January 2010, Gabon has banned the export of wood in the form of logs, and supported a progressive industrialization of the timber industry in order to increase its contribution to a diversified economy. Implementing effective policies towards economic diversification and sustainable development will depend on having a thorough understanding of the impacts of past policies, as well as possibilities going forward.  

APPROACH

The objective of this activity is to assist the Gabonese Government in undertaking two components:

1. An assessment of the impact of the 2010 log exports ban on Gabon’s economy and forestry resources, based on industry production figures (logs and processed products). The impacts on the economy will be evaluated at several levels, including contribution to GDP; forestry sector employment; difficulties encountered by businesses; arrival of new players; deployed strategies; and long-run impacts on forest resources.
2. The identification of realistic targets, actions and requirements to increase the share of the timber industry in Gabon's economic growth. This component will be informed by a 2014 study carried out for the Gabonese ministry in charge of forests, which aimed to highlight for policymakers the question of balancing sustainably managed forests and the processing capacity of industry. The study’s results emphasized the importance of strong, interdepartmental ownership

Results from this activity could help inform future investment projects in the forestry sector.

RESULTS

The study on the impacts of the 2010 log export ban on the forest sector, the timber industry, and the Gabonese economy was presented to the government of Gabon in June 2016 at a workshop in Libreville. The final document was disseminated in November 2016.

The finalization of the Forest Code has been successful with the delivery of a consolidated and consensual document to the Ministry of Water and Forests. This result has been reached in three steps: (i) the strengthening of the Forest Code draft through the technical assistance of the consulting firm, leading to a better technical document; (ii) the organization of a 15-day workshop by the national working group, leading to the final draft; and (iii) the organization of a national validation workshop in August 2016. The final Forest Code has been submitted to the Gabonese government. The national instruction process consists of four steps: (i) submission to the government General Secretary (completed in October 2016), (ii) validation of the Forest Code by the Council of Ministers (early 2017) (iii) legal revision of the document by the Board of State (in 2017), and (iv) submission for consideration by Parliament (in 2017).

This activity is ongoing. Findings will be shared on this page when they become available.

CHALLENGE

Since January 2010, Gabon has banned the export of wood in the form of logs, and supported a progressive industrialization of the timber industry in order to increase its contribution to a diversified economy. Implementing effective policies towards economic diversification and sustainable development will depend on having a thorough understanding of the impacts of past policies, as well as possibilities going forward.  

APPROACH

The objective of this activity is to assist the Gabonese Government in undertaking two components:

1. An assessment of the impact of the 2010 log exports ban on Gabon’s economy and forestry resources, based on industry production figures (logs and processed products). The impacts on the economy will be evaluated at several levels, including contribution to GDP; forestry sector employment; difficulties encountered by businesses; arrival of new players; deployed strategies; and long-run impacts on forest resources.
2. The identification of realistic targets, actions and requirements to increase the share of the timber industry in Gabon's economic growth. This component will be informed by a 2014 study carried out for the Gabonese ministry in charge of forests, which aimed to highlight for policymakers the question of balancing sustainably managed forests and the processing capacity of industry. The study’s results emphasized the importance of strong, interdepartmental ownership

Results from this activity could help inform future investment projects in the forestry sector.

RESULTS

The study on the impacts of the 2010 log export ban on the forest sector, the timber industry, and the Gabonese economy was presented to the government of Gabon in June 2016 at a workshop in Libreville. The final document was disseminated in November 2016.

The finalization of the Forest Code has been successful with the delivery of a consolidated and consensual document to the Ministry of Water and Forests. This result has been reached in three steps: (i) the strengthening of the Forest Code draft through the technical assistance of the consulting firm, leading to a better technical document; (ii) the organization of a 15-day workshop by the national working group, leading to the final draft; and (iii) the organization of a national validation workshop in August 2016. The final Forest Code has been submitted to the Gabonese government. The national instruction process consists of four steps: (i) submission to the government General Secretary (completed in October 2016), (ii) validation of the Forest Code by the Council of Ministers (early 2017) (iii) legal revision of the document by the Board of State (in 2017), and (iv) submission for consideration by Parliament (in 2017).

This activity is ongoing. Findings will be shared on this page when they become available.

CHALLENGE

Madagascar faces severe challenges from the illegal logging and exportation of precious woods like rosewood (Dalbergia spp) and ebony (Diospyros spp), damaging pristine ecosystems and depriving the state of the revenue that could support a sustainable forest management system. Although the 16^th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreed on an action plan in 2013 to protect precious hardwoods, little has been done to improve the capacity needed to implement this plan.

APPROACH

This report aims to inform the implementation of the scientific work envisaged under the CITES Action Plan, along with priority activities identified by the Government of Madagascar. In the short-term, scientific and technical tools can provide a credible basis for enforcing the Malagasy and international laws that govern trade in precious hardwoods. In the medium and long-term, these tools can help to reliably identify precious woods, and thus support enforcement agents in sustainably managing forests. 

This report focuses on: (1) geographic range and population status of precious timber species of Dalbergia and Diospyros species; (2) species identification technologies; (3) silvicultural potential for regeneration of these species; and (4) private sector potential for developing a value chain for the sustainable exploitation of precious timbers.

RESULTS

This report reveals significant gaps in the knowledge and available tools needed to implement the CITES Action Plan, but also finds that a solid foundation exists for overcoming each of these gaps – if donor and technical partners step up to work with relevant institutions and authorities in Madagascar. Malagasy and international experts in each of the key areas (taxonomy, field collection and identification, development and management of a reference collection and a database, wood anatomy, DNA barcoding, and mass spectrometry) have conducted promising pilot initiatives and are working in close collaboration with a shared vision of how to address the most pressing issues and to develop the needed knowledge and tools. Now is the time to scale these efforts up.

The report is available in English and French.

CHALLENGE

Madagascar faces severe challenges from the illegal logging and exportation of precious woods like rosewood (Dalbergia spp) and ebony (Diospyros spp), damaging pristine ecosystems and depriving the state of the revenue that could support a sustainable forest management system. Although the 16^th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreed on an action plan in 2013 to protect precious hardwoods, little has been done to improve the capacity needed to implement this plan.

APPROACH

This report aims to inform the implementation of the scientific work envisaged under the CITES Action Plan, along with priority activities identified by the Government of Madagascar. In the short-term, scientific and technical tools can provide a credible basis for enforcing the Malagasy and international laws that govern trade in precious hardwoods. In the medium and long-term, these tools can help to reliably identify precious woods, and thus support enforcement agents in sustainably managing forests. 

This report focuses on: (1) geographic range and population status of precious timber species of Dalbergia and Diospyros species; (2) species identification technologies; (3) silvicultural potential for regeneration of these species; and (4) private sector potential for developing a value chain for the sustainable exploitation of precious timbers.

RESULTS

This report reveals significant gaps in the knowledge and available tools needed to implement the CITES Action Plan, but also finds that a solid foundation exists for overcoming each of these gaps – if donor and technical partners step up to work with relevant institutions and authorities in Madagascar. Malagasy and international experts in each of the key areas (taxonomy, field collection and identification, development and management of a reference collection and a database, wood anatomy, DNA barcoding, and mass spectrometry) have conducted promising pilot initiatives and are working in close collaboration with a shared vision of how to address the most pressing issues and to develop the needed knowledge and tools. Now is the time to scale these efforts up.

The report is available in English and French.