Community forestry has great potential to improve the welfare of the estimated 450 million impoverished people living in and around forests in Asia. But the extent to which this potential is realized depends strongly upon whether communities are able to secure the benefits that community managed forests generate, and whether these actually reach the poorest at the community level. The real benefits obtained in return for the time and energy expended by communities in forest management helps to gain their long-term commitment to sustainable forest management.

To celebrate RECOFTC's 20th anniversary, this collection of articles shares the stories of those who have worked to further RECOFTC's mission over the past twenty years.

1. Tribute to the founder

2. Birth of a movement: The later years

3. Why communities manage forests

4. Eyewitness to the first 10 years

5. The second decade: In the field

6. The RECOFTC checklist

7. Alumni stories

8. An overview of lessons learned

9. Tributes from longstandi

Le Plan national concernant la protection de la nature est un document à portée nationale qui vise l’atteinte de deux objectifs stratégiques: a) enrayer la perte de la biodiversité, en particulier par le maintien et le rétablissement d’un état de conservation favorable des espèces et des habitats menacés, d’intérêt national ou communautaire; b) préserver et rétablir les services et processus écosystémiques à l’échelle paysagère et nationale.

Hedged agroforestry (AF) demonstration plots with maize/bean intercrops were studied at Matanya in
Laikipia district, Kenya, between 1991 and 1995 inclusive, to understand crop yield behaviour due to
selected soil moisture conservation methods applicable in semi-arid areas. The treatments were:
Grevillea robusta trees root pruned, compared to unpruned, both in combination with (1) minimum
tillage and mulching with 3t/ha maize stalks harvested from the plots with additional stalks collected

Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, discussed how to meet the rising demand for energy while reducing our carbon footprint. Rich countries need to lead by example, renovating and replacing infrastructure and investing in clean technology. Rich countries also need to lead with direct support to developing nations, both to reduce poverty and reduce carbon emissions. Moving to a low carbon path will require investments, and a long-term equitable global regulatory framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The National Environmental Action Plan of Estonia is a national cross-sectoral action plan of Estonia for the period 2007-2013. Its main objective is to present a consensual list of nationally prioritised activities aimed at achieving the primary goals of the environmental policy specified in the national Environmental Strategy, indicating the financing needs and discussing the most optimal use of non-budgetary funding sources.The Action Plan aims to ensure food and potable water safety.

Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank, remarked that we are seeing today an emerging global consensus that we must do something about climate change. But equally important is the agenda to reduce poverty. We face this double challenge of reducing damaging carbon emissions, and still meeting the energy demands of the world’s poor.

The Estonian Environmental Strategy 2030 is a national cross-sectoral strategy of Estonia for the period 2007-2030. Its main objective is to ensure the preservation and improvement of the Estonian living and natural environment in the areas of reduction of waste, disused hazardous sites and the pollution load; sustainable use of water and mineral resources; energy; transport; forestry; fisheries; hunting; and preservation of the diversity of nature and landscapes.The Strategy aims to ensure food and potable water safety.

Increasingly, social capital, defined as shared norms, trust, and the horizontal and vertical social networks that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutually beneficial collective action, is seen as an important asset upon which people rely to manage natural resources and resolve conflicts. This paper uses empirical data from households and community surveys and case studies, to examine the role, strengths, and limits of social capital in managing conflicts over the use and management of natural resources.

An Act to provide for preservation, protection, regulation, acquisition, and maintenance of Hill land and other ecological sites of the State and more specifically within the jurisdiction of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto Whereas it is expedient to provide for preservation, protection, regulation and maintenance of Hill land and other ecological sites of the State and more specifically within the jurisdiction of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation and to protect the said hill land and ecological sites from unaut

This report addresses the environmental and human rights situation faced by villagers and migrant workers in Shwegyin township of Nyaunglebin District, Pegu Division, Burma.

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is key to ensuring that local communities' livelihoods needs are met through the sustainable management of natural resources. Policies promoting CBNRM mean that government agencies, non-governmental organisations and other service providers are increasingly becoming involved in supporting these communities to form natural resource management (NRM) groups to make progress in areas of resource governance and realise its economic benefits through natural resource based enterprise.