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. [ TABLE OF CONTENTS | FOREWORD | PREAMBLE | 1 INTRODUCTION | 2 ISSUES AND POLICY STATEMENTS ~ 2.1 Industrial Forestry ~ 2.2 Community Forestry ~ 2.3 Urban forestry ~ 2.4 Natural forests and woodlands | 3 INSTITUTIONAL, LEGAL AND PLANNING ARRANGEMENTS | APPENDICES ] PREAMBLEThe need for a national forest policy for Swaziland is two fold, firstly because of the absence of an integrated and comprehensive forest policy and legislative framework to regulate forestry development and secondly because of the problems of deforestation and environment degradation as faced by the country. Forest resources are being heavily exploited and commercialised to meet the needs of society and sustain livelihoods of rural communities and households. Harvesting of natural forests and woodlands for construction timber, poles, firewood, woodcrafts and medicinal plants has reached alarming proportions. Wattle harvesting for pulpwood export, charcoal, poles, tanbark and fuelwood has become problematic. Forest fires have increasingly devastated forests and other natural resources causing severe strain on the forest resource base. These and other problems have resulted in depletion of natural plant and animal resources of socio-economic and cultural importance. Land degradation and soil erosion have become commonly occurring phenomena and shortages of fuelwood and timber resources are on the increase. The existing pressures are exacerbated by the need for economic development, which occurs at the expense of the conservation of the environment and the ecological balance. Economic development includes conversion of national forest and woodland by commercial agriculture, human settlement, road construction, urban and industrial development, which all contributes to deforestation and the overall degradation of forests and other natural resources. National development has to be co-ordinated in order to minimise the conflict of interests and the resultant adverse effects on the natural resource base. National resources, of which trees and forests are part of, are fundamental and essential elements for meeting basic human life, while at the same time useful in supporting productive functions of national development. It is hoped that the guiding principles and instruments enshrined in the National Forest Policy will help in solving the socio-economic and environmental problems listed above through the application and achievement of sustainable management and development of the national forest resources. This page was last updated on 25 November 2004 |