Forests Sourcebook - HCV Resource Network

Box 7.1
Monitoring Promotes Changes in Armenian Forest Policy
In 1998 in Armenia, the available forest inventory data
dated back to the former Soviet Union inventory results.
A strategic objective inventory of the Armenian forests,
financed by SIDA (the Swedish International Development
Agency), was carried out to obtain better decision
support for ongoing policy development in the country.
The results got the attention of decision makers.
Measured growth was twice the previous official figures
per hectare per year, and cuttings totaled six times
the official annual maximum allowable cut per hectare.
It became apparent that illegal cuttings were a big
problem and that cutting was not generally carried out
in a sustainable manner. These inventory results,
shared with Armenia’s policy makers at a seminar,
became an incentive for change in national forest policy.
Further inventory was recommended to update the
forest policy.
In 2005 the government adopted a decree establishing
the State Forest Monitoring System, which includes
establishing a monitoring center responsible for monitoring
illegal logging and timber removal and preventing
illegal activities in forests. Donor support for the
work is being provided by the World Bank, the government
of Japan, and others.
Source: Thuresson 2002.
causes for change and identifying ways to integrate forest
development efforts with overall sustainable development
in the country. From a poverty standpoint, monitoring can
provide more accurate information on how changes in
resources and their uses are affecting the rural poor, and
whether the pattern of resource use by the rural poor is sustainable
(see chapter 1, Forests for Poverty Reduction).
Robust information on changes in quality and quantity
of forest resources and periodic monitoring can assist in
identifying factors driving forest change. Time series information
generated through spatial maps of forest cover,
roads, poverty levels, and property rights can help in the
analysis of cross-sectoral relationships. Such monitoring
efforts can be used to understand the influence of external
factors on forest resources, monitor illegal logging (see note
5.5, Addressing Illegal Logging), or assess carbon assimilated
by forests. Innovative application of spatial and other
monitoring tools can facilitate such uses (see box 7.2).
Periodic collection of, and public access to, relevant and
robust forest information can enable better resource management.
Other contributions to a new environment for
decision making have included advances in understanding
complex interactions, both within ecosystems and among
ecosystems, human activities, and human well-being;
improvements in information technologies and greater
access to information as a result of computers and data sys-
Box 7.2
Using Spatial Monitoring to Assess Links Between Energy Reform and Forests
Since fiscal 2002 several lending operations in Europe
and Central Asia have focused on sector reforms to
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of energy service
delivery in the region. A review of the World Bank’s
activities with regard to the fiscal, efficiency, social, and
environmental dimensions of energy sector reforms in
the region considered human health benefits resulting
from reduced pollution in the electricity sector (Lampietti
2004). However, the study also discussed the possibility
that the reforms have damaged health because
households switched to dirty fuels (such as wood, coal,
or kerosene). The study also highlighted the possibility
that fuelwood use may cause deforestation, although
this could not be proven because of inadequate data.
Source: Lampietti 2004.
This study used spatial information to assess the
environmental impact of energy reform. The methodology
made it possible to identify where households
(because of poverty levels) might switch to dirty fuels.
Overlaying this information with data on forest cover
revealed where the risk of increased residential wood
use is greatest. With this information it was possible to
consider promoting access to alternative energy
sources and more efficient wood stoves in high-risk
areas, as well as to prepare and implement spatially
explicit forest management plans and encourage participatory
forest management to reduce this risk.
Extensive in-country collaboration aided the data
collection process for this study.
248 CHAPTER 7: MONITORING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT