Decentralization in natural resource management (NRM) is increasingly promoted as it is believed to offer better management. This study explores the positive and negative aspects of the forestry conflict that sometimes increases with decentralization. Drawing upon the results of a case study from Sumatra, this study examines how forestry conflict under decentralization processes was viewed by stakeholders. The conflict involved a logging company and a local community, and centered on a disputed forest boundary.

Should market efficiencies or social objectives drive the design of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes? 

This issues paper challenges the notion that markets should solely drive PES schemes, given the emerging evidence of how PES can impact the livelihoods of the rural poor. Blindness to social welfare can fuel the very real risk of adverse social outcomes, and result in missed opportunities to improve the circumstances and opportunities of the rural poor.

The scale of REDD is one of the most important issue being discussed in the ongoing REDD debate. Three options exist: national, sub-national and a nested approach. Between 28 February and 2 March 200, twelve participants from eight Asia-Pacific countries came together in Bangkok to discuss issues of REDD scale. This brief synthesizes their opinions. 

As market reforms to the Mongolian economy continue and the country enjoys rapid economic growth, the environment has entered a period of unprecedented pressure. Mining, infrastructure development and tourism development, in particular, are undergoing rapid expansion, and all pose risks to Mongolia's globally important biodiversity.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential impact of climate change on element budgets and acidity in northern forest ecosystems. A catchment approach should provide the most appropriate unit and to be investigated in several spatial scales. Future monitoring has also to address tree composition, forestry activities, follow the soil organic matter storage and include changes in hydrology with episodic extremes.

This Complementary Law, consisting of 42 articles divided into seven Chapters, establishes the Planning and Territorial Planning System of the State of Roraima. The above mentioned System, called SPOT/RR, is the main guiding instrument for planning of land occupation and control of the use of natural resources of the territory of the State of Roraima, in the implementation of plans, programmes, projects, works and public and private activities. The purpose of the SPOT/RR is to implement the provisions of art.

The report documents on illegal logging and illegal export of timber to China in Kachin State in Burma, which is on the border of China and where deforestation is at its worst. It also documents the response of the relevant authorities in both Burma and China to ‘A Choice for China’, a Global Witnessexposure of the massive illegal timber trade between Burma and China in 2005 which resulted in a ban on logging and timber transportation in Kachin State in Burma and a Chinese ban on the importation of Burmese timber followed by Interim Measures to control the trade.Key findings are:

This sub-decree categorized land for transfer for development purposes of the 5,200 hectares of the permanent forest reserve in Samlot district, Battambang province.

The Joint Forest Management circular that took the National Forest Policy (1988) as its basis for people’s involvement in the development and protection of forests, issued more than 18 years ago, has failed in its attempt to utilise forest wealth to improve local livelihoods. The structure of the JFM is skewed towards the forest department and needs to be balanced with equal opportunities and rights to the participating communities.

Author pesents the critical issues of Joint Forest Management in this article.

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo describir los cambios en la cobertura y uso del suelo sucedidos en el Estado de México en el periodo 1993-2002. Se calculan los cambios, intercambios y transiciones sistemáticas que afectan la pérdida de la cobertura forestal, se aplican métodos de regresión multivariantes para explicar las posibles causas que provocan este proceso de deforestación regional. Una descripción detallada demuestra que las categorías de bosque tienen cambios netos bajos, pero valores de intercambio altos.

This paper summarises the importance of wetlands in relation to climate change and eaxmines their potential role in the measures for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) under the Kyoto Protocol. The links between REDD concepts and wetlands are explored for the following reasons:

Deforestation arising from conversion of forest areas into agriculture is a serious problem in Malawi. This paper discusses competition for agricultural land and investigates why the poor are closely associated with forests. Furthermore, the paper examines the effects of changes in crop land use on changes in forest cover. The author notes that the government of Malawi, like many others in sub-Saharan Africa, is currently faced with the problem of poverty. Moreover, being agricultural based most poverty reduction policies are streamlined along the agricultural sector.