Poverty Reduction

Harnessing the potential of forests to reduce poverty

 

Effectively addressing the poverty issues related to forests is not straightforward. Experience has shown that remedial strategies can generate internal conflicts. If not done correctly, assisting groups of poor people living in or near forests in developing their abilities to service forest products markets can increase competition for the forests; exclude the access by the poorest of the poor to essential forest products; or disrupt communal systems for management by groups that traditionally have relied on common property forest resources for meeting essential fuel wood, grazing and other needs.

A main challenge is to ensure that conditions are created so that the rural poor become able to manage their natural resources, especially the forests, for their own benefit. Capacity must be built to support and regulate community use of forests and plantations. Forest assets under various forms of community management, possibly supported by private sector, could become major sources for global environmental services such as of biodiversity and carbon sequestration.