CHALLENGEAccess to markets is fundamental to the goal of improving livelihood security for a growing number of micro entrepreneurs in the forest produce domain. But this access depends on efficient service delivery which in turn relies on useful and complete information provision to micro entrepreneurs.APPROACHAs part of the Forest Connect alliance, the Forest Enterprise Information Exchange (FEINEX) initiative is evaluating the processes and systems that enhance efficiency in the agricultural SME sector. It will then incorporate and adapt lessons to enable increased profits – economic and…
Read More

PROGRAM SUMMARYThe development objective of this programmatic activity is to deepen knowledge on and build capacity to develop practical approaches to strengthening forest governance through the creation of joint knowledge products between the Governance Global Practice (GGP) and the Program on Forests (PROFOR). This knowledge creation was a result of PROFOR’s Forest Governance Monitoring and Assessment: A Program of Dissemination, Learning and Implementation and seeks to leverage good governance principles and multi-sector approaches in the World Bank Group’s (WBG) forest administration and…
Read More

CHALLENGEKey features of good governance include adherence to the rule of law, transparency, inputs of all stakeholders in decision-making, accountability of all officials, low regulatory burden, and political stability. While it is widely agreed that good governance in the forest sector is an essential requirement for sustainable forest management, there is much less agreement on what comprises good forest governance and how to distinguish good from poor forest governance. Nevertheless, recent years have seen careful research and serious thinking on these issues, which has moved the…
Read More

The process of political and economic reform in Europe's transition economies has created significant incentives for changing the way forest institutions conserve and manage Europe's forests. These incentives are strong both at the country level, because of the need for institutions which are responsive to local demands for forest services and products, but also within the global context, where various international commitments for forest and biodiversity conservation have created incentives to develop institutional systems which are more responsive to these demands as well.Forest…
Read More

CHALLENGEPrivate foreign direct investment (FDI) in the forest sector considerably exceeds public official development assistance (ODA). In recent years, forest financing has been characterized by an increase in FDI into developing countries to approximately US$8-10 billion a year, and a decline in ODA to about US$1.75 billion a year. However, current levels of investment in the forest sector, both domestic and foreign, fall far short of investment requirements necessary to realize the potential of well-managed forest resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, the protection of vital…
Read More

Assessment of forest landscape restoration potential in Ghana to contribute to REDD+ strategies for climate change mitigation, poverty alleviation and sustainable forest managementCHALLENGEThe negotiations on mitigating climate change have moved from a narrow focus on avoided deforestation to a broader approach to reduced emissions called "REDD+". The "plus" encompasses conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The importance of forest landscape restoration in addressing climate change and other societal needs was brought home in November 2009…
Read More

CHALLENGEOver the past years the Mekong region countries have increased their role in global timber trade and have been a focal point in the global discussion on forest governance and illegal logging. Countries in the region have different and complementing roles in the regional trade but much of the logging in natural forests in the region is still either unsustainable or unauthorized – or both. In all the countries, forest law enforcement and governance (FLEG) has been an actively debated issue.The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has made important progress in building…
Read More

CHALLENGEOver a quarter of India’s poorest people, many of whom are indigenous people, depend on forests for part of their livelihoods. But, almost half the country’s forests have been degraded, and their average productivity is a third of their potential.APPROACHIn 2004, the World Bank engaged in comprehensive forest sector studies in India to support new lending for community forestry projects at the state level, and guide policy dialogue between the Bank and the Government of India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) established a National Forest Commission, chaired by the…
Read More

CHALLENGEDue to climate change, the dry-season length has increased over southern Amazonia since 1979, resulting in a prolonged fire season. Major droughts in 2005 and 2010 significantly damaged the southern portion of the Amazon forest in Brazil and elevated fire-induced tree mortality in as much as 12% of the southeastern Amazon forests. These results suggest that feedbacks between fires and extreme climatic conditions could increase the likelihood of an Amazon forest “dieback” in the near-term. In addition, a recent study of human impacts on the integrity of the Amazon forest reported that…
Read More

CHALLENGEHow do institutional and governance relations in forestry constrain or promote improved livelihoods for the poor?APPROACHIn partnership with CIFOR, PROFOR examined key variables affecting access to forest resources and their benefits. To improve understanding of these relationships in diverse settings, case studies were carried out in Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua to include conservation settlement communities, indigenous territories and agro-extractive communities. The conceptual framework and instruments for conducting the research were developed within a…
Read More