Forestry and Compliance

Forestry and Compliance
Guyana Chronicle Editorial. 22 January 2008
The forestry business globally is coming under increasing scrutiny,
particularly with respect to sustainable forestry practices, as the
world tries to grapple with the crucial issue of Climate Change.

Developing countries, like Guyana are caught in a dilemma, as they try
to exploit their forestry resources for developmental purposes and at
the same time, play the role of the “lungs” of the world.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO): “Sustainable
Forest Management aims to ensure that the goods and services derived
from the forest meet present-day needs, while at the same time,
securing their continued availability and contribution to long-term
development.”

In its broadest sense, forest management encompasses the
administrative, legal, technical, economic, social and environmental
aspects of the conservation and use of forests.

It implies various degrees of deliberate human intervention, ranging
from actions aimed at safeguarding and maintaining the forest ecosystem
and its functions, to favouring specific socially or economically
valuable species or groups of species for the improved production of
goods and services.

Many of the world’s forests and woodlands, however, especially in the
tropics and subtropics, are still not managed in accordance with the
Forest Principles adopted at the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED, 1992).

Many developing countries have inadequate funding and human resources
for the preparation, implementation and monitoring of forest management
plans, and lack mechanisms to ensure the participation and involvement
of all stakeholders in forest planning and development.

Where forest management plans exist, they are frequently limited to
ensuring sustained production of wood, without due concern for non-wood
products and services or social and environmental values.

In addition, many countries lack appropriate forest legislation,
regulation and incentives to promote sustainable forest management
practices. FAO helps member countries overcome these constraints
through the provision of information and policy advice and through
institutional and technical capacity-building activities.

FAO collects, analyses and disseminates information; prepares manuals
and guidelines; and organises workshops and seminars that facilitate
the dissemination of best practices and the exchange of experiences.
Field projects are implemented in all types of natural forests. They
also address emergency situations caused by natural disasters or the
adverse effects of human activities, and offer opportunities for
hands-on training.

At the national level, FAO supports initiatives for the development and
implementation of criteria and indicators to define clearly, the
elements of sustainable forest management and to monitor progress
towards it. At the field level, FAO helps identify, test and promote
innovative forest management approaches and techniques, e.g. through
support for model and demonstration forests.

Here in Guyana, significant strides have been made with respect to
sustainable forestry practices, albeit there is quite a lot more work
to be done.

But compared to the situation which existed about a decade ago, there
has been a marked improvement and this trend should continue through
the persistent ongoing efforts by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC)
in this regard.

One of the notable strategies of the GFC has been the involvement of
stakeholders in the forestry sectors, through consultations and
meaningful involvement in the formulation of policies and programmes of
the forestry sector.

On this score, the recent announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture
that forestry operators are being encouraged to ensure that they are in
full compliance with the necessary requirements set by the GFC for
permission to continue their operations in the new year, is a welcome
one.

The assurance by the Agriculture Minister that there will be no
compromise with stakeholders, as regards to the necessary requirements,
is a positive signal that the GFC and the Ministry means business. This
is how it should be because for too long many operators in the sector
have escaped with ‘murder’.

The forestry sector is crucial to the economic advancement of this
country and it is evident that with the coming years, it will play an
increasing role in the national economy.

Therefore, it is imperative that the sector is managed efficiently and
effectively in order to maintain sustainable forestry practices. A key
component of this is that stakeholders play by the rules.