Sustainable forest management is a global issue

Every year, 15 million hectares of forest is destroyed as a result of anthropogenic factors. Forest destruction continues because the contribution that forests make to the economic development of a country and to poverty reduction is underestimated.

Productive forests can reduce poverty

Forests secure people’s livelihoods; they are a source of income and a land reservoir. Forests act as a safety net for the extremely poor and cover their basic needs in times of hunger and crisis.

The political framework

At the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development in Rio 1992, the international community stressed the importance of forests for sustainable development and the need to protect them.

Following intergovernmental talks, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was created in 2000. Now, most international organisations concerned with forestry support the UNFF.

Additionally, many policy obligations arise from legally binding conventions, the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Action Plan.

The complex nature of the forest sector has prevented the international community agreeing on legally binding global regulations for sustainable forest management. Short-term economic needs make it difficult to manage forests sustainably in the long-term.

Need for action

Sustainable forest management needs good governance. This means that political reforms are necessary before forests can display their full potential for the sustainable development of a country.

German development cooperation supports partner countries in this task. One important concern is to link sustainable forest management to the development strategies of other sectors, such as finance, infrastructure, agriculture, mining or health.