Country

China
India

Outlook
Net importer of wood and wood
products, thus, should focus on
production
People empowerment will play a
crucial role in forestry development

Challenges
Loss of forests through diversion,
encroachment and degradation
(including desertification and soil
erosion).
Declining forest productivity through
overuse beyond sustainable limits.
Inadequate investment in afforestation
and forest protection, management and
development inability to fully
implement full multiple use/protected
area management.
Inadequate rural energy sources and
lack of viable alternative energy for
rural communities.
High cattle population with low
productivity in rural areas and
inadequate fodder production resulting
in very high grazing pressure on forest
areas.
Lack of capacity of the people living in
and around forests to implement SFM.
Forest fire and shifting cultivation.
Inadequate regeneration and
enrichment planting to
restock/rehabilitate degraded forests.
Inadequate distribution of protected
areas for full representation of
biodiversity and ecosystems.
Ever-increasing biotic pressures on
forest research and extension in

bringing knowledge and technology to

the field.
Inadequate extension support to
farmers for agro/farm forestry lack of
appropriate agroforestry production
models and other extension service.
Over-reliance on rules and procedures
of forestry organisations rather than on
productivity and efficiency.
Inadequate and non-prioritised forest
research and extension in bringing
knowledge and technology to the field.
Inefficient forest industry in terms of
scale of operations, equipment,
technology, management, shortage of
raw material, protection, etc.
Inadequate infrastructure and
institutional support for marketing and
distribution of wood and NWFPs.
Insufficient database and information
systems for resource utilisation and
management planning.
Lack of effective national and state land
use policy planning and
relationalisation of priorities.
Breakdown of linkages between
technical forestry issues and financial
planning.
Forestry education is not abreast with
the latest developments in the forestry
sector.
Lack of viable economic/social


Lao PDR

Nepal
Thailand

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Strong policy to strengthen and

support community forestry is
necessary, otherwise it will fail

Increase in forest cover (47%)

Protect, manage and develop
16.24 M hectares

alternatives for rural poor and tribal

people.
The vast potential of biodiversity and
NWFPs found in forests is not reaped
fully.
Consolidation and institutionalization of
lessons learnt from CBFM initiatives
Decentralized management requires
strong capacity at grass root level
Longterm commitment and sufficient
funds
Development of legal instrument and
information dissemination
Non-integration of forest management
system into the overall land-use system

Low trust and confidence to local

people as forest custodians
Conflicting interests among
stakeholders
Increasing number of illegal immigrants
Privatization of land ownership
Tenure and use-rights of forests and
forest products
No financial support on community
forestry
Lack of appropriate regulatory
framework

unawareness of rights due to political

and social marginalization
Lack of government program

 Increase in demand for wood and

non-wood products
Economic gains through proper
PES strategy
Laws and policies towards
sustainable biodiversity
conservation and development
Creation of employment
opportunities through land
allocation and lease (2 M in the
forestry sector)

supporting CFM
Confusion and conflict in land
classification leading to ineffective and
unclear land allocation
Lack of technical training and degraded
forestlands being handed to
beneficiaries
Lack of resources and administrative
skills
Low growth rate and profit in the
forestry sector.
Forest resources such as NWFPs and
environmental services have not been
fully utilized.
Population growth and migration which
lead to increase in shifting cultivation
and forestland conversion.
The increase in demand on forest
products and limited supply of
production forests has put much
pressure on remaining natural forest
resources.
Unstable forest products processing
industry, uncompetitive markets,
insufficient investments on technology
development, and heavy reliance on
imported raw materials.