The Forest Policy White Paper, 2001

Contents | Chapter 1 - Introduction | Chapter 2 - Issues and Policy Statements | Chapter 3 - Institutional, Legal and Planning Arrangements | Appendix 1 | Appendix 2 | Appendix 3 | Appendix 4 | Appendix 5

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:

• To encourage the University of Swaziland to introduce selected forestry subjects within current diploma and degree courses.
• To establish formal links with training institutions outside Swaziland to facilitate human resources development for the forestry sector.
• To encourage forestry and forestry related subject courses be included as part of the training programmes offered by local training institutions.
• To establish a panel composed of relevant stakeholders including the Ministry responsible for forestry and the Ministry responsible for education to redesign forestry courses for primary and secondary schools.
• To consider allowing credits for relevant subjects that can be taken by distance learning on the internet from accredited institutions.

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.