Forestry Sector

12 items available

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Armenia Forest Landscape Restoration Note

(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-09-14) World Bank

This note synthesizes multiple reports produced under World Bank support to the Government of Armenia (GoA) in undertaking landscape restoration opportunities assessment and provides a detailed overview of opportunities and challenges in the forestry sector. Armenia is a forest-poor country; only 11.2 percent of the territory (334,100 hectares (ha) is forested, which is concentrated in three marzes: Tavush and Lori in the north and Syunik in the south. The predominant forest type is naturally grown broad-leaved mountain forest with a small area of pine forest. Estimates on the state of the forests, their extent, quality, health, and harvested volumes vary widely depending on the data sources and methodology used. Based on wood consumption data, harvesting volumes must be much higher than officially reported, while forest growth is lower than the current official estimates. These divergences, combined with limited silvicultural management and exacerbated by fires and uncontrolled grazing, mean that sustainable forest use is clearly far from guaranteed. The note has been developed through a consultative process and is expected to inform all relevant stakeholders on the status of the forest sector and opportunities to further improve it. The objective of this note is to strengthen the dialogue with Armenia on the forest sector considering the ongoing reforms and to explore how the country can reverse landscape degradation and increase its contribution to post-pandemic economic recovery.
Public-Private-People Partnerships in Lao PDR Forestry Sector

(World Bank, Vientiane, 2021-05-31) World Bank Group

Successive national socio-economic development plans have identified the private sector as the main engine of growth and the government of Lao PDR (GoL) is committed to fostering a transition to a private-sector-led market economy. In line with that approach, the GoL has pursued an increased role of public-private-people partnerships (PPPPs). However, the GoL’s ambitions are challenged by: no approved PPPP policy; there are still gaps in legal and institutional frameworks; there is a lack of a dedicated funding mechanisms to fund project development costs; there is no formalized mechanism to provide GoL technical and financial support; the institutional capacity is weak; and protracted approval processes are required to the highest levels of Government. As a result, few PPPP projects have been developed and implemented by GoL agencies. This policy note therefore lays out a path to achieve the long-term objectives of the GoL and the detailed policy actions required to realize its vision for PPPPs.
Regulatory Framework and Policy Support for Certification, Timber Legality and Sustainability in Lao PDR

(World Bank, Vientiane, 2021-05-31) World Bank Group

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is in the early stages of a transition to a greener, more resilient economy. The country has embarked on an ambitious reform agenda for the forestry sector including with respect to progressing sustainable forest management (SFM). To support the reform process and raise complementary public and credible private investment in forestry, the Government of Lao PDR (GoL) and the World Bank Group (WBG) have together engaged in the Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) on Sustainability of Lao PDR’s Forests to enhance understanding and implementation of SFM. This policy note summarises the results of one of the six technical background reports under the ASA which focused on the policies and supporting regulatory framework for timber legality assurance, certification and partnerships in the forest sector.
Harnessing Forests as Pathways to Prosperity in Liberia: Policy Note

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-03) World Bank

Liberia is the most forested country in West Africa, with more than two thirds of its land surface covered by forest. In 2019, 47.5 percent of the Liberian households (HHs) lived in proximity to and were significantly dependent on the country’s forests. Results from the recent sample-based National Household Forest Survey (NHFS 2019) conducted in these forest-proximate areas reveal a high dependence on forest products both for direct consumption and as a source of income. These forest products, ranging from fuelwood to medicinal plants, also provide HHs with an important social safety net during natural and economic shocks and crises, such as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. At the same time, Liberia is one of the world’s poorest countries. The NHFS found that the average income for these forest proximate HHs which is substantially below the country’s average annual HH income. This points to the need to maximize the potential of forests for poverty reduction in a sustainable manner. Using the data collected from the recent NHFS, this policy note unpacks the HH and forest interactions, for forest-proximate HHs. The note: (1) identifies the sources within forestry and other sectors from which HHs derive their subsistence and income needs; (2) looks at the income generating potential of various activities that a HH participates in and its labor time allocation; and (3) highlights the gender aspects of poverty, particularly as they relate to the forestry sector.
Dominican Republic Forest Note: Opportunities for Employment, Tourism, and Energy

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-11-28) World Bank

The objectives of this country forest note (CFN) are to identify and determine how to address key opportunities and challenges for sustainable forestry and forest-smart interventions in the Dominican Republic. Essential questions addressed by the CFN are the importance of forests and how the forestry sector can achieve its full potential. The responses are framed by two perspectives: the importance of forests in boosting economic development in the Dominican Republic, reducing poverty, and facilitating the sustainability of such development and the role of forestry in the context of global issues, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation, nationally determined contribution (NDC) objectives, global poverty reduction, and the services provided by global ecosystems.
Benin Country Forest Note

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-09) World Bank

Country forest notes (CFNs) are a centerpiece of the World Bank Group’s Forest action plan (FY16–20) and Climate change action plan (2016–2020). They provide a thorough assessment of the current status of forests, the forestry sector, and the investment needs to sustainably manage this valuable renewable natural resource. The World Bank aims to support client countries’ efforts to implement priority actions linked to forests and their development priorities, by focusing more deliberately on the positive contributions that forests make to the poverty reduction, food security, economic development, building resilience towards climate change and climate change mitigation. Benin’s forests are mainly represented as savannah-mosaic ecosystem. Forests host a rich biodiversity in Benin. Forest governance presents a multilayered institutional arrangement for managing forests in Benin. The Benin CFN was developed through a participatory process involving national government actors for forestry development. Interviews and validation of this report took place in Benin with the participation of key actors and institutions for forest development.
Country Forest Note: Zambia

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-12) World Bank

This country forest note (CFN) aims to foster dialogue between the World Bank, the government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), and key development partners on future engagements in the forestry sector in Zambia by offering a comprehensive analysis of Zambia’s forest sector while shedding light on potential long-term engagements. In response to the government of the Republic of Zambia’s policy and development ambitions to improve the forest sector’s contribution to the national economy, a number of interventions are highlighted in this CFN that could lead to transformative impacts. Data and information available for the forest sector in Zambia is fragmented and inconsistent. This is, in part, due to the lack of consistent monitoring in the context of widespread informality within the forest sector. This CFN partially draws upon secondary data and previous analytical work undertaken by various development partners, combined with official government data. While significant efforts were made to analyze the available data, information gaps are significant. Therefore, the information provided should be carefully interpreted in the context of data limitations.
Bhutan Forest Note: Pathways for Sustainable Forest Management and Socio-equitable Economic Development

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-07-01) World Bank

The Bhutan Forest Note articulates opportunities for supporting Bhutan's sustainable development aspirations, including its constitutional commitment to maintain at least 60 percent of the country's land area under forest cover and to better respond or prepare for vulnerabilities such as climate change and natural disasters. The note presents a forward-looking business case for Bhutan to support an increase in forest utilization without jeopardizing the integrity of forest and non-forest ecosystems. The business case is based on an analysis of challenges and opportunities for making the forestry sector a dynamic and effective contributor to Bhutan's gross national happiness. The note is intended to serve as a basis for discussions with the government and other partners to work together on making the identified opportunities a reality. The opportunities are sensitive and responsive to Bhutan's uniqueness with regard to size, geography, and focus on forest conservation. The Note is a deliverable under the World Bank`s Forest Action Plan FY16-20.
Regulatory Tools, Effective Markets, and Private Sector Participation in the Forestry and Wood Products Processing Sectors: Issues and Solutions for Developing Countries

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019) World Bank

This report presents a framework for strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of regulation of forestry and related sectors. It strives to identify and reduce regulatory burdens on private firms active in the forestry sector, while not compromising the objectives of government regulation. Illegal logging and deforestation, especially in developing countries, has significant impact on national and global forestry product markets, leading to increasingly heavy regulation of forestry sectors-including downstream markets and processing industries. Heavy regulation places a disproportionate burden on SMEs and frequently leads to regulatory failures, including corruption and reduced competition. As a result, many small-scale forestry and downstream private firms cannot comply with regulatory requirements, and instead operate informally. Reduced regulatory compliance leads to a failure to achieve intended and important social, economic, and environmental outcomes. The report is the first to assess the forestry sector from a cross-cutting global regulatory governance perspective. It draws upon and synthesizes key thematic issues and lessons from available materials on forestry, and develops practical solutions based on problem-driven adaption and good practices documented in regulatory governance literature. Based on this, it also creates a framework and toolkit using a selected and appropriate regulatory governance reform tools for application and further development.
Social Accountability Review : Forestry Sector in Moldova

(Washington, DC, 2013-11-11) World Bank

The forestry sector in Moldova faces significant governance and sustainability challenges. The insufficient level of forest coverage in Moldova has a serious impact on environment and overall economic growth in the country. The situation is exacerbated by the reportedly intense pressure on forest resources exerted by the human factor. Illegal logging and grazing are considered as significant factors that contribute to forest loss. There is a lack of public demand for sustainable forest management. Social accountability (SA) has been recognized as an effective mechanism to improve government service delivery and enhance developmental impact. SA mechanisms entail a broad range of approaches that enable citizens to access governmental information, lodge grievances and receive redress, oversee the provision of governmental services, and take an active part in management and decision-making processes. This report aims to review SA mechanisms that are currently available in the forestry sector in Moldova and identify opportunities for improvement.