The Forest Policy Green Paper

Contents | Executive Summary | Introduction | The state of forests in Swaziland | Current forest policy and legislation | Forestry issues to be addressed | Towards a national forest policy and action programme | Appendices

Chapter 5 - Towards a national forest policy and action programme

5.1 Towards a National Forest Policy

This Green paper is the first step towards formulating a National Forest Policy and Action Programme. As mentioned in Section 1.5 this Green Paper intends to serve as a catalyst towards achieving a common vision for forestry in Swaziland.

Such a vision can only be achieved through consultation with and participation of all stakeholders. Representatives of all stakeholders with an interest forestry, the forest environment and forest products will need to be organised into a "Forestry Forum". The terms of reference and mandate for such a forum would need to be defined during the consultative process.

The forum should be made up of representative of the following spheres of interest:

• Government departments
• Commercial forestry
• Research and education
• Traditional authorities
• Non-governmental organisations
• Women’s and youth groups
• Conservation and rural development groups
• Labour organisations
• Tourism sector
• Private individuals

The forum would be expected to play an important role in the formulation of the Forest Policy of which the next step would include the definition of:

• the goals
• the policy principles
• the role of government and other stakeholders including NGOs and the private sector

5.1.1 Goals

In the past government has tended to focus on industrial forest resources. However, since the adoption of the Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests originating from the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 (Agenda 21), the world view of what constitutes forest has been dramatically widened.

The multiple use of forests is an integral part of modern forest management as it provides for a wide range of uses and opportunities.

The new Forest Policy must have new goals that not only cover the industrial forest sector but also the development of community forestry and the sustainable management of natural forests and woodlands.

The overall goal of the new Forest Policy is to achieve efficient, profitable and sustainable management and utilisation of forest resources by all, and to increase the role of forestry in environmental protection, conservation of plant and animal genetic resources and rehabilitation of degraded land.

This goal will be pursued through the sustainable management of the following areas of utilisation:

• Industrial forestry
• Community forestry
• Urban forestry
• Natural forest and woodlands
• Biodiversity protection
• Tourism development
• Energy consumption
• Watershed management

5.1.2 Policy principles

The policy should be based upon the following principles:

• forests and forest resources to be treated as a national asset
• people­driven development
• a competitive and value-adding forest sector
• sustainable forest development including bio-diversity protection
• recognition of the scarcity of water and land resources
• consultation and participation in formulating and implementing the Forest Policy
• equitable sharing and distribution of benefits including investment and employment opportunities
• gender equity in the management and utilisation of forest resources

The Forest Policy must integrate several elements to form the framework for new legislation and include:

• an overall policy to govern the place and role of forestry in the management of land, water and natural resources
• a policy for industrial forestry
• a policy for community forestry
• a policy for the sustainable management and utilisation of natural forests and woodlands
• a policy for biodiversity protection
• a policy for research, education and training
• a policy for enhancing trade in forestry products within the region and globally

5.1.3 The role of government and other stakeholders

The internationally accepted concept of forest management has dramatically changed in recent years from being more concerned with the industrial productivity of forests to one of being concerned with the sustainable utilisation and management of ALL forest resources.

These developments in sustainable forest management, which are found outlined in recent national development strategies and plans, necessitate forestry institutions to provide a wide range of expertise and services, for which current institutional arrangements and capabilities are not adequate.

The Government of Swaziland is expected to assume a leading role in guiding and implementing the forthcoming Forest Action Programme and its subsidiary Action Plans and as such will be required to undertake an in depth review of its capability and capacity to meet its future responsibility.

Government alone can not implement the Forestry Action Programme and will need to seek the support and cooperation of all other stakeholders including private sector enterprises. Implementation of such a programme will require funding and the source and amount of funding will have to be discussed with stakeholders. Projects resulting from the development of the Action Plans will need to be managed and coordinated through cooperation with all stakeholders.

The importance of other stakeholders in this process should not be underestimated. The Forestry Section can not design and implement the Action Plans without their support and input and it is hoped that the cooperation already existing between stakeholders and the Forestry Section, will continue for as long as the implementation of the Action Plans continues.

5.2 Towards a National Forest Action Programme and Action Plans

The issues and options identified in Chapter 4 indicate not only the need for a Forest Policy, but also for a National Forest Action Programme (NFAP) with its resulting Action Plans.

The main purpose of a NFAP is to identify the priority problems and corresponding plans for action. The NFAP must include the following functions:

• Define a government strategy to implement the Forest Policy.
• Reflect the views of the common vision developed by government and all stakeholders.
• Indicate how the goal of the Forest Policy is to be met.
• Provide strategic direction to all stakeholders of forestry and related institutions
• Provide guidance to the primary users of forests with regard to management.
• Show flexibility in the design in order to absorb new views and solutions as developed and proposed during the course of continuous dialogue in a "Forestry Forum", in which all stakeholders are represented.
• Initiate a fundraising programme of action to pay for the implementation of the Action Plans
• Collaborate with other institutions implementing the Rio Conventions to optimise the use of resources and share knowledge

The formulation of the Action Plans, the implementation-on-the-ground phase of the NFAP, will necessitate the establishment of an institution to manage this implementation. In turn the institution will need to secure funding for the implementation of its plans.

Fundraising activities will have to start early in the planning process - the identification of potential donors and the detailed formulation of projects under the Action Plan will be needed. A dedicated fundraising officer may be required to secure the necessary funds.

Collaboration with other national institutions implementing programmes and action plans as part of the UN Conference on Environment and Development cluster of Conventions, i.e. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) and the Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests (Appendix 7), needs to be strengthened as all these conventions share a concern for many environmental and sustainable development issues and contain numerous overlaps - so much so that if one is implemented without regard for the others it is likely to impede them.

There is a growing recognition that while each convention does stand on its own, with its own defined objectives and commitments, there are also linkages and inherent relationships between all of them. The Conventions operate in the same ecosystems. If they are implemented collaboratively, progress can be made on all fronts and results can be obtained that are greater than the sum of the three. For example:

Combating deforestation reduces net carbon dioxide emissions, land degradation, and the loss of biodiversity and it also helps in defining a more effective strategy for sustainable development.

The introduction of renewable energy technologies can cut greenhouse gas emissions while easing pressure on land and forests by providing an alternative to unsustainable biomass fuels.

Maintaining the biodiversity in forests and in arid and semi-arid land depends on managing forests and combating desertification in ways that are sensitive to the conservation needs of species and ecological communities as well as populations