The National Forest Policy, 2002This is the draft Forest Policy and as such is a working document and not a formal policy document. It should not be interpreted as the policy of the Government of Swaziland or the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives until it has been finally agreed and adopted. APPENDIX 4 FOREST RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND DATA SYSTEMS A wealth of information on forestry and other natural resources is available in Swaziland, not only in the Ministry responsible for forestry, but also in other departments and ministries. However, much of this information is not readily accessible, due to the lack of integrated information systems. Forest resource assessment A reliable estimate of the national forest resources is required as a basis for forest policy implementation. Forest resource assessment should follow a methodology that can be reliably repeated for monitoring the resources, in particular with respect to the different strata and their spatial distribution. A periodic forest resource assessment will detect changes in forest cover, species distribution, species succession, regeneration, age distribution and other important aspects. The two most recent forest resource assessments, conducted in 1990 and 1999, have provided inconclusive data on the status of the forest resources. Introduction of a reliable methodology that can be repeated within a shorter time interval should be considered to remedy this situation. It is recommended to base the overall framework for guiding this activity on the methodology developed for defining national criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, following the principles of the Dry-zone Africa Process (see Appendix 3). One of the objectives of this initiative is to gather country information on indicators and to monitor forest resources. The definition of criteria and indicators is a starting point for the improvement of the basis for the next forest resource assessment. The proper definition of many of the indicators would require the gathering of new and additional data, such as biodiversity indicators, conservation areas outside of protected areas, area lost annually containing endemic species and species indicators. The primary responsibility for the Ministry responsible for forestry is to provide data on the extent, volume, growth rates and status of the forest resource. Forestry Resource Assessments require substantial technical, financial and human resources, for which external funding are likely to be needed. The Ministry responsible for forestry has demonstrated its capacity to carry out inventories and is in a position to update data as an ongoing activity. Modern techniques including remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) should be used to monitor deforestation and afforestation. The vegetation classification can be further upgraded with 1:50,000 thematic maps, satellite imagery and the latest aerial photography. It is recommended to concentrate activities on the following three areas: Review of forest vegetation types and classification. Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI). Establishment of Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) With respect to classification, adoption of the FAO Vegetation Classification System as the basis for improving the vegetation classification system for Swaziland should be considered. Higher level definition should take the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) vegetation classification scheme into account, and lower level definition the various local systems already applied in Swaziland. In addition, the system of Agro-ecological Zoning (AEZ) as established in Swaziland should be incorporated. For the Continuous Forest Inventory the existing database should be updated to reflect the new density classes, which requires additional sampling and calculation of updated wood volumes. For the Permanent Sample Plots it is necessary to estimate and establish annual growth increment curves and other data related to volumes and species composition. Forestry data systems The forestry data that have been generated in recent years include essential statistical and spatial information on forest resources. All interested stakeholders should use the information in planning and management applications. The available data should be organised in appropriate data management systems, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Land Information Systems (LIS). The Ministry responsible for forestry should establish an information unit responsible for the collection, collation, management and dissemination of forestry related information, including marketing and trade statistics. The results of the updated forest inventory and other data generated by the principal sources, namely the Ministry responsible for forestry and the Forestry Companies, should be used to improve the existing statistical database of the Central Statistics Office. The forest database with the Central Statistics Office has to be reviewed and continuously updated, including related trade statistics. The full value of forestry should also include results of Natural Resource Accounting (NRA) and the assessment and valuation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). National natural resource databases Statistical and geo-referenced databases on land, environmental resources, and socio-economic conditions are a precondition for planning. Practical approaches and suitable frameworks need to be selected for integrated environmental management, in particular with respect to spatial distribution. Although there is database development, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Swaziland, there is no formal overall national facility for information technology and spatial planning. It is recommended to establish comprehensive natural resource databases and management information systems on a national basis, in collaboration with other government departments and stakeholders. The establishment of a national unit may take place in stages. The first priority is to co-ordinate tabular and spatial databases with information on the environment, including forestry, biodiversity, land use, soils etc. In a later stage a comprehensive national central unit should be developed, in order to cater for the needs of all stakeholders, including Government, NGOs and the private sector. APPENDIX 5 HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Present status of human resources development in forestry There is currently a wide variety in skills and employment conditions in the various sub-sectors, such as commercial large-scale industrial forestry, small-scale forestry activities and community forestry. The industrial forestry is the only sector where there is an adequate human resource development with a skilled labour force and competent training facilities. The Government and to some extent the University of Swaziland and a few NGOs are the only other institutions where trained people with expertise in forestry are found. However, the available expertise is not comprehensive of all forest management aspects, and the overall human resource is not sufficient to cope with the multiple functions of forestry. In the other sub-sectors there is a general lack of skills and experience to deal with forestry issues, in particular in community forestry and management of the natural forest resources. Without appropriate knowledge and skills it is unrealistic to expect Government, communities and NGOs to be able to manage the forest resources in a sustainable manner. Training and education are necessary to empower all stakeholders, which requirements should be determined and prioritised by Government through a participatory process. Employment opportunities and matching human resource development There are indications that many Swazis have aspirations to develop their skills and competence in managing trees and forests for their own and the Nation’s benefit. These interests by different groups of people include a wide range of options and applications. The aspirations include employment in the formal industrial forestry sector, developing small-scale commercial activities, setting up entrepreneurial activities in trade and transportation of wood products, involvement in conservation and tourism, etc. An important group is that of rural women trying to improve their social and economic conditions by making more efficient use of forest resources. It is important to evaluate the different sub-sectors with respect to their development outlook and future manpower requirements. Sectors such as the forestry plantations may keep the same demand for unskilled labour, but may reduce the overall labour force due to further mechanisation of forestry activities such as harvesting and transportation. Sectors such as small-scale processing may have promising prospects, but be in need of capital inputs and skills. Trade in non-timber forest products needs education and guidance in the environmental aspects of the activity. Human resource development appears to be the most crucial factor in several of the forestry sectors currently recognised as economically most promising or environmentally most vulnerable. The wide range of skills required for activities from wood production and processing to conservation of natural resources needs to be translated in educational and training programmes at various levels, taking into account future trends in forestry development and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Government, with other stakeholders, needs to establish a strategy for human resource development, with the aim that education and training programmes meet the need for specific skills in the various forestry sub-sectors. Education and training in forestry There is currently inadequate training of rural communities in the sustainable utilisation and management of trees and forests. One of the reasons is the shortage of resources in the Ministry responsible for forestry and other relevant agencies, including NGOs, and another is the lack of comprehensive training materials. These issues need to be addressed in the overall strategy of human resource development. In the present situation local tertiary training institutions do not offer any forestry courses to enable students to enter the active industrial and community forestry sector. The setting-up and running of tertiary education courses is a very expensive undertaking. In view of the modest requirements, it does not appear advisable that the University of Swaziland introduces forestry diploma and degree courses. The national primary and secondary school curricula comprise only few components related to forestry. There is a need to reconsider the position of the forestry education and training in general, including the relevance of currently used training materials. Recommendations to improve the present situation include the following:
Current status and requirements of forestry research Very little forestry related research is undertaken in Swaziland, apart from research by the commercial plantation forestry. There is no national forest research institution, and no university forestry department. The public forestry service has only a very limited research programme, due to a lack of resources. However, there is a need for forestry research, in particular with respect to priority areas such as community forestry, natural forest resource management, conservation forestry and the impact of forestry on the environment. This would also require exchange of research information with other countries. Institutional research arrangements Research should be undertaken under a broader research programme through collaboration of the Ministry responsible for forestry with other institutions such as the University of Swaziland, the Swaziland Foresters Association and the private sector. The research should be co-ordinated through the National Research Council. The Environment Management Bill 2001 calls for the establishment of a National Environment Fund to act as seed capital for environmental projects. This fund could amongst others be used to undertake conservation forestry research. Research is also required for many other land uses in Swaziland, including agriculture, wildlife, water, land rehabilitation, etc. There is a need for an overall science and technology research institution as a long-term strategy to conduct co-ordinated natural resource research programmes. In this overall research framework a greater co-operation is required with international research institutions and donors. Adequate arrangements, including application of copyright, are required to protect intellectual property resulting from research programmes. This should also encompass intellectual property from indigenous knowledge systems. This page was last updated on 25 November 2004 |