Training on demonstration and extension of ITTO
manual on restoring forest landscapes in tropics of China
China
China is currently the largest tropical timber importing country
in the world. As it is implementing a strict logging ban in its natural forests,
its timber needs have increased continuously in the last years, and it is expected
that this trend will continue in the future. Such a volume of imports of timber
is exerting an enormous pressure on the forests of supplying countries, particularly
on the tropical sources. Internal reforestation activities to produce wood are
needed to help China meet part of its timber needs and contribute to reducing
pressure on timber producing tropical forests. The increase in timber production
in China can therefore contribute to ensuring sustainability of topical timber
trade. Such an increase can be reached through the restoration of degraded forests.
The Development objective of the project is to promote restoration,
sustainable management of tropical forests and the sustainable development of
the tropics in China. The specific objectives are (1) to train and apply ITTO
Manual on restoring forest landscapes in the tropics of China, and (2) to demonstrate
and extend ITTO Manual of restoring forest landscapes in the tropics of China.
The project will use the ITTO manual on restoring forest landscapes
(2005) as a reference to train the users and to develop a Plan for Forest landscape
restoration of Lingshui County of Hainan Province. It will establish demonstrative
plots for site-level restoration on secondary forests, degraded forestlands
and agricultural lands.
The beneficiaries of the project include: (1) Local inhabitants,
forestry workers and farmers who will be directly employed to conduct the fieldwork
of the project, specially those who manage the lands on which the demonstration
plots are established and (2) Community leaders and forestry workers, technicians
and extension workers who will participate in training courses offered by the
project related institutions and individuals who will also benefit from the
implementation of the project.
Implementing agency
Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese
academy of Forestry (CAF)
Since the Forty-second Session
of the Committee and in accordance with the project's progress report
submitted by the Executing Agency in August 2009, progress in implementation
of the project can be summarized as follows:
A survey on the social, economic and environmental
aspects of the selected three local villages (Fengyou, Fengjie and Dagan)
in Lingshui County of Hainan Province was conducted and relevant information
was integrated in a map of the selected villages. A study was conducted
to analyze the impacts of the landscape ecological integrity and local
human well-being of the villages under different interventions.
Forest land restoration plan (including site-level
restoration) for the selected villages was developed and discussed by
representatives of village groups and other stakeholders. Site-level
restoration demonstration plots for degraded primary forests and managing
secondary forests have been established.
A meeting of the Project Technical Committee was
held on 11 September 2009. The main issues reviewed at the meeting included:
need to continue to pay attention to the balance of forest landscape
restoration and the social and economic development, particularly in
the conjunction with the current reform of forestry land in China; expansion
of the project's impacts to improve the public awareness through advocacy
and communication, as well as education for the local stakeholders;
enhancing the project activities to improve its influence on the local
community members and policy recommendations to promote the concept
of restoring forest landscape; and the sustainability of the project
in terms of continued financial support, personnel arrangements, trainings
and demonstrations.
December 2007
At the time of reporting the Executing Agency was still
at the stage of preparing the first year plan of operation.
