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 access markets for forest products can increase competition for forest resources. The poorest of the poor can be deprived of access to essential forest products, and communal systems of forest management can be disrupted, with serious consequences for groups which have traditionally relied on common property forest resources for meeting essential fuel wood, grazing and other needs.  One of the principal challenges is to cultivate conditions in which the rural poor become able to manage their natural resources, especially forests, for their own benefit. This requires capacity to support and regulate community use of forests and plantations, and where this capacity is not in place, it must be developed. Forest assets under various forms of community management, possibly supported by the private sector, could become major sources for global environmental services such as of biodiversity and carbon sequestration. |
RSS