Publication: Managing Forest Resources for Sustainable Development: An Evaluation of the World Bank Group's Experience
Loading...
Date
2014
ISSN
Published
2014
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The World Bank Group’s forest interventions have contributed substantially to beneficial environmental outcomes. However, poverty reduction, for the most part, has not been satisfactorily addressed. Forest projects that promote participatory forest management have been the most successful at balancing poverty reduction, livelihoods and environmental aims (with efforts to link forest products to market), but this integration is lacking in other sector interventions. IFC’s downstream investments are creating jobs, including those in the upstream sector, helping forest companies produce higher value-added products, increasing productivity and production capacity, and fostering outgrower schemes. Despite increased efforts by IFC to support certification—a proxy indicator for sustainable forest management— challenges remain in this area. Regarding downstream investments, IFC’s impact could be expanded by greater attention to creating demand for certified supplies. And despite the reorientation of the strategy— including the operational safeguards that were put in place and efforts to support policy and institutional reforms— there have been negligible outcomes in integrating natural forests into economic development in an environmentally and socially sustainable way. The World Bank has been able to adapt the partnership structure and focus of work within the partnerships to the changing context of the global forest-related priorities and dialogue. The Bank has also had a major role in shaping these global priorities. Broadening the partnership approach toward other land-based sectors and commodities has been critical given the increasing importance of extra-sectoral factors as drivers ofdeforestation and forest degradation. The evolution of the partnerships towards holistic landscape-level approaches that combine forest conservation and sustainable forest management (SFM) with climate changemitigation and adaptation, improved food security and climate smart agricultural development are significant achievements. The Bank’s efforts to integrate broader governance concerns and issues, including the efforts to protect and enhance the rights of indigenous forest-dependent communities, into these approaches are also recognized as important achievements. In several cases, World Bank Group cooperation has facilitated effective outcomes in the forest sector. The World Bank Group has been most effective when the Bank’s work to help countries lower barriers to private sector entry have been combined with IFC and MIGA support to catalyze sustainable investments in the forest sector. Action on such complementary services was found in China, Nicaragua, Russia, and Uruguay— but nowhere else. The monitoring and reporting systems of the World Bank forest sector operations are inadequate to verify whether its operations are supporting forest management in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, in line with the 2002 Strategy and the Bank Group’s Operational Policies. Environmental indicators used in forest projects are mainly process or effort measures (such as the number of hectares planted, or numbers of hectares under management plans). Most indicators of poverty alleviation were less direct than is desirable both for accurately assessing project outcomes and for comparison across projects. Poverty reduction indicators like numbers of productive investments made are imperfect measures of whether programs are reaching the most vulnerable members of a community. World Bank and IFC projects often assumed, without verification, that benefits would accrue to the poor within targeted areas, rather than to community members with more wealth or power.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Independent Evaluation Group. 2014. Managing Forest Resources for Sustainable Development: An Evaluation of the World Bank Group's Experience. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35158 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Managing Forest Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa : Issues and Challenges(World Bank, Washington, DC, 1994-06)The note summarizes the findings of the Africa Forest Strategy Paper, which responded to the problems confronting forest resources in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), providing a comprehensive overview, and analysis of the forest sector, and mapping a set of actions for consideration by African countries. The diagnosis highlights the nexus between rapid population growth, environmental degradation, and poor agricultural performance, which provides the basic context within which deforestation, and forest degradation are taking place in SSA. Fundamental challenges the region faces are the prevention of wasteful deforestation by correcting distortionary policies, and improving sustainable use; resource base increases, by broadening vegetative propagation, and tree planting; and, revival of the wood industry to enhance competitiveness. However, these challenges need to strike a balance between economic development, and conservation aims, and key actions encourage forest policy and legislative reform, strengthened by capacity building and human resources development, supported by local communities and the private sector involvement, towards improving forest-related knowledge, and technology. Areas identified for a new Bank lending strategy include the promotion of policy reforms, support investments in critical areas, as well as capacity building, and, an improved donor coordination.Publication The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2011-05-24)This is a Regional Program Review (RPR) of the World Bank's support for the MBC. The review is framed around an assessment of five Global Environment Facility (GEF)-financed World Bank implemented projects in Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama that had the common objective of consolidating the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC). It also reports on the achievements of trust fund activities, financed by the Bank Netherlands Partnership Program (BNPP), that were implemented parallel to the GEF/World Bank projects. The MBC is a land-use planning system that spans Central America and Mexico. It is designed to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the region's natural resources. The overall objective of the Bank's MBC projects of consolidating the MBC was highly relevant. Although the Central American land bridge is very small, it is estimated to be home to 12 percent of the world's known species. It harbors approximately 24,000 species of vascular plants and over 500 species of mammals, many of which are endemic. The MBC derives its legitimacy from the endorsement it received at the Central American heads of state summit in 1997.Publication Sustaining Forests : A Development Strategy, Appendixes (from CD-ROM)(Washington, DC, 2004)Forest resources directly contribute to the livelihoods of 90 percent of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty and indirectly support the natural environment that nourishes agriculture and the food supplies of nearly half the population of the developing world. Forests also are central to growth in many developing countries through trade and industrial development. However, mismanagement of this resource has cost governments revenues that exceed World Bank lending to these countries. Illegal logging results in additional losses of at least US$10 billion to US$15 billion per year of forest resources from public lands. If captured by governments, these losses could support expenditures in education and health that will exceed current development assistance to these sectors. Forests also are central to maintaining the environmental commons. Nearly 90 percent of terrestrial biodiversity is found in the world's forests, with a disproportionate share in the forests of developing countries. Most of the carbon emissions of developing countries come from deforestation, which accounts for between 10 and 30 percent of global carbon emissions. Growing forests are a valuable resource not just for their timber and biodiversity values but also for their prospective value if a global market emerges for the sequestering of carbon from forests. A Forest Strategy for the Bank that can make an effective contribution to poverty reduction and environmental management is central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These goals include increasing school enrollment, reducing child and maternal mortality, expanding health services, eliminating gender disparities, and improving environmental management for sustainable development. This publication is accompanied by a CD containing background materials on how the World Bank's Forests Strategy was developed, including the stakeholder consultative process, as well as information on the role of forests in poverty reduction, economic development, and the provision of environmental services that helped to shape the strategy. World Bank safeguard policies relevant to forests and a short video highlighting the strategy's objectives are also included in the CD. The Appendixes, Notes, Boxes, Figures and Tables are included as Volume 2.Publication A Legal and Institutional Framework for Sustainable Management of Forest Resources in Southern Sudan : Policy note(World Bank, 2010-02-01)This policy note was prepared in response to a request from the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) for World Bank assistance in developing legislative and institutional policies and strategies that will take advantage of the potential of the region's forest resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, food security, sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and to protection of forest-related environmental services such as climate, biodiversity, water, and wildlife resources. The note is intended to: (a) take stock of the current situation on the ground, including identifying the legislative, institutional, governance, and policy reforms needed to create an enabling environment for both public and private-sector investment. This should help in contributing to improved understanding of the currently underutilized potential of Southern Sudan's forest resources; (b) analyze what has worked and what has not worked prior to and since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); and (c) suggest priority solutions and actions towards revitalizing the forestry sector. Key policy issues addressed in this note include: 1) strengthening forest resource information and knowledge base; 2) developing a coherent legislative and policy framework, organizational structure, and capacity for the sector; 3) promoting participatory forest and woodland management; 4) enabling forest-based industries to thrive; 5) creating an enabling environment for attracting private-sector investment; 6) protecting and enhancing forest-related environmental services; 7) using technical approaches to conservation and sustainable management of forest resources; and 8) introducing predictable and sustainable long-term financing mechanisms.Publication Participation in Sustainable Forest Management : Linking Forests and People in Kenya(Washington, DC, 2007-06)This forest policy note was prepared to provide input to the ongoing forest sector reform in Kenya on participation in sustainable forest management. It offers recommendations on possible priority forest policy actions within the forthcoming Natural Resource Management (NRM) Project. The latter focuses enhancing the capacity of Kenyans to manage the natural resource base and resources available to poor and vulnerable communities. By outlining priority actions, such as improving the forest information base and establishing accountability mechanisms, while at the same time seizing the opportunities for engagement of local communities and private investors, the policy note outlines a set of actions critical for increased participation in sustainable forest management. In this respect the policy note supports the World Bank's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) and the more recent CAS progress report. The latter emphasizes the Bank's strategy on growth and poverty reduction, but gives enhanced attention to equity and governance. The forest policy note complements previous the World Bank-supported analytical work in the forest sector since 2004, including a strategic environmental assessment of the 2005 Forests Act. Taking into account the importance of forests and woodlands in rural areas and the opportunities offered in the 2005 Forest Act for increased stakeholder participation the policy note as well as the forthcoming NRM Project are closely aligned the Bank Group's strategic emphasis on growth and poverty reduction with enhanced attention to equity and governance.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Mozambique(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-08-04)Mozambique ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control only in 2017, but some tobacco control policies were already implemented in the country before that. The prevalence of current tobacco use in 2003 was about 40 percent in men and 18 percent in women, while women consumed predominantly smokeless tobacco. Between 2003 and 2011, the level of tobacco use among women decreased: the prevalence of smoking remained at the same level, but the use of other tobacco products substantially declined. However, among men, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking increased. The volumes of annual cigarette sales increased from about 2.5 billion cigarettes in 2006-2010 to about 3.7 billion cigarettes in 2012-2013 and then declined in 2014-2016. Since 2010, the tiered specific excises for cigarettes and mixed (ad valorem and specific) excises for other tobacco have been in place. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, the excise rates were increased. In 2013-2016 combined, tobacco prices in Mozambique increased by 85 percent in nominal terms, or by 27 percent in inflation-adjusted terms. Over those years, inflation-adjusted GDP per capita increased by 14, and so, cigarettes became less affordable. In 2013-2015, the increase in tobacco excise became one of the factors of the price increase, which reduced tobacco affordability and probably reduced tobacco consumption and sales in the country. Tobacco excise revenue increased from 3.2 billion MZN in 2012 to 3.75 billion MZN in 2015. However, all neighboring countries have cigarette prices and taxes much higher than Mozambique. In such a situation, cigarette smuggling out of Mozambique is rather common, while cigarette smuggling into Mozambique is very unlikely. Even in the report commissioned by the tobacco industry, percentage of contraband cigarettes at the Mozambican market was estimated to be only 1-2 percent of total consumption. The following recommendations could provide both public health and fiscal benefits for Mozambique: As the first step, cigarette specific excise rates should be unified for all kinds of cigarettes at the level currently used for hard-pack cigarettes. Then, the unified rate should be annually increased to make tobacco products less affordable over time in order to reduce consumption and prevalence in line with FCTC provisions. The issue of cigarette smuggling should not be used in hindering the implementation of tax and price policies. Increase of cigarette taxes and prices in Mozambique would reduce cigarette smuggling out of the country, and it would reduce tobacco consumption in the neighboring countries. Tobacco control monitoring, including economic information on tobacco products sales, prices, and other indicators, should be much improved in the country to support more precise forecasts of the outcomes of the current and future tobacco control activities.Publication Global Economic Prospects, January 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-01-09)Note: Chart 1.2.B has been updated on January 18, 2024. Chart 2.2.3 B has been updated on January 14, 2024. Global growth is expected to slow further this year, reflecting the lagged and ongoing effects of tight monetary policy to rein in inflation, restrictive credit conditions, and anemic global trade and investment. Downside risks include an escalation of the recent conflict in the Middle East, financial stress, persistent inflation, weaker-than-expected activity in China, trade fragmentation, and climate-related disasters. Against this backdrop, policy makers face enormous challenges. In emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), commodity exporters face the enduring challenges posed by fiscal policy procyclicality and volatility, which highlight the need for robust fiscal frameworks. Across EMDEs, previous episodes of investment growth acceleration underscore the critical importance of macroeconomic and structural policies and an enabling institutional environment in bolstering investment and long-term growth. At the global level, cooperation needs to be strengthened to provide debt relief, facilitate trade integration, tackle climate change, and alleviate food insecurity.Publication World Development Report 2018(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018)Every year, the World Bank's World Development Report takes on a topic of central importance to global development. The 2018 Report, Learning to Realize Education's Promise, is the first ever devoted entirely to education. Now is an excellent time for it: education has long been critical for human welfare, but is even more so in a time of rapid economic change. The Report explores four main themes. First, education's promise: Education is a powerful instrument for eradicating poverty and promoting shared prosperity, but fulfilling its potential requires better policies - both within and outside the education system. Second, the learning crisis: Despite gains in education access, recent learning assessments show that many young people around the world, especially from poor families, are leaving school unequipped with even the most foundational skills they need for life. At the same time, internationally comparable learning assessments show that skills in many middle-income countries lag far behind what those countries aspire to. Third, promising interventions to improve learning: Research from areas such as brain science, pedagogical innovations, or school management have identified interventions that promote learning by ensuring that learners are prepared, that teachers are skilled as well as motivated, and that other inputs support the teacher-learner relationship. Fourth, learning at scale: Achieving learning throughout an education system will require more than just scaling up effective interventions. Change requires overcoming technical and political barriers by deploying salient metrics for mobilizing actors and tracking progress, building coalitions for learning, and being adaptive when implementing programs.Publication Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-03-05)Digitalization is the transformational opportunity of our time. The digital sector has become a powerhouse of innovation, economic growth, and job creation. Value added in the IT services sector grew at 8 percent annually during 2000–22, nearly twice as fast as the global economy. Employment growth in IT services reached 7 percent annually, six times higher than total employment growth. The diffusion and adoption of digital technologies are just as critical as their invention. Digital uptake has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.5 billion new internet users added from 2018 to 2022. The share of firms investing in digital solutions around the world has more than doubled from 2020 to 2022. Low-income countries, vulnerable populations, and small firms, however, have been falling behind, while transformative digital innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) have been accelerating in higher-income countries. Although more than 90 percent of the population in high-income countries was online in 2022, only one in four people in low-income countries used the internet, and the speed of their connection was typically only a small fraction of that in wealthier countries. As businesses in technologically advanced countries integrate generative AI into their products and services, less than half of the businesses in many low- and middle-income countries have an internet connection. The growing digital divide is exacerbating the poverty and productivity gaps between richer and poorer economies. The Digital Progress and Trends Report series will track global digitalization progress and highlight policy trends, debates, and implications for low- and middle-income countries. The series adds to the global efforts to study the progress and trends of digitalization in two main ways: · By compiling, curating, and analyzing data from diverse sources to present a comprehensive picture of digitalization in low- and middle-income countries, including in-depth analyses on understudied topics. · By developing insights on policy opportunities, challenges, and debates and reflecting the perspectives of various stakeholders and the World Bank’s operational experiences. This report, the first in the series, aims to inform evidence-based policy making and motivate action among internal and external audiences and stakeholders. The report will bring global attention to high-performing countries that have valuable experience to share as well as to areas where efforts will need to be redoubled.Publication World Development Report 2017(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017-01-30)Why are carefully designed, sensible policies too often not adopted or implemented? When they are, why do they often fail to generate development outcomes such as security, growth, and equity? And why do some bad policies endure? This book addresses these fundamental questions, which are at the heart of development. Policy making and policy implementation do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they take place in complex political and social settings, in which individuals and groups with unequal power interact within changing rules as they pursue conflicting interests. The process of these interactions is what this Report calls governance, and the space in which these interactions take place, the policy arena. The capacity of actors to commit and their willingness to cooperate and coordinate to achieve socially desirable goals are what matter for effectiveness. However, who bargains, who is excluded, and what barriers block entry to the policy arena determine the selection and implementation of policies and, consequently, their impact on development outcomes. Exclusion, capture, and clientelism are manifestations of power asymmetries that lead to failures to achieve security, growth, and equity. The distribution of power in society is partly determined by history. Yet, there is room for positive change. This Report reveals that governance can mitigate, even overcome, power asymmetries to bring about more effective policy interventions that achieve sustainable improvements in security, growth, and equity. This happens by shifting the incentives of those with power, reshaping their preferences in favor of good outcomes, and taking into account the interests of previously excluded participants. These changes can come about through bargains among elites and greater citizen engagement, as well as by international actors supporting rules that strengthen coalitions for reform.