Private Enterprise and Financial Markets > Environment > Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation and Management
Sustainable Forest Management in Latin America: Relevant Actors and Policies
By Ronnie de Camino V. (04/99, En)
This working paper is being published with the sole objective of contributing to the debate on a topic of importance to the region, and to elicit comments and suggestions from interested parties. This paper has not gone through the Department's peer review process or undergone consideration by the SDS Management Team. As such, it does not reflect the official position of the Inter-American Development Bank.
Despite efforts to curb deforestation in Latin America it continues largely unabated. A coordinated effort to formulate policies that can help achieve sustainable uses of forest resources has yet to emerge. Such an effort is vital because many countries in the region possess significant forest resources that should be utilized and managed not only for their development potential, but also for the environmental benefits they generate for the entire global community.
This paper analyzes the role of particular social and economic actors in the forest sector, and the impact of existing policies in the region. The aim is to visualize the options that are available to improve forest policies and practices that will in turn generate income and ensure sustainability with the active participation of the actors.
It is necessary to engage all interest groups involved in forestry activities in order to facilitate sustainable forest management. At the same time, it is necessary to craft macro-economic and extra-sectoral policies that support healthy development through the elimination of perverse incentives and other measures that cause the conversion of forests to other land uses. Illustrations of promising experiences are identified, confirming the need to duplicate these efforts and to disseminate sustainable forest management information to more of Latin America.
Until now, the utilization of forest resources has focused on the extraction of wood and non-timber forest products, with little attention to the potential income from environmental services (stabilization of climate, watershed protection, carbon sequestration, and recreation, among others). Thus, it will be necessary to create both national and international policies and instruments that will permit key actors to capture income and the society in general to benefit from the environmental services provided by forests.
Equal opportunity of various actors to participate in policy making and in various aspects of forest management is a prerequisite to ensure the sustainable development of forest resources. With this basic principle in mind, the document presents a framework for changes in practices in the sector. Lastly, it identifies a set of measures that could support the sustainable use of forest resources in Latin America.
Last updated: 04/20/07
