Conflicts over the appropriation, management and use of forest resources can pose significant constraints to sustainable forest management. Often, there are long-standing conflicts between governments, their agencies, the private sector and local communities, as well as among and within communities, over forest resources and their use and control.

Meeting symbol/code: COFO 2001 6-Supp.1

This regional study presents an overview of the socio-economic importance and ecological impact of the use of non-wood forest products (NWFP) in Africa. The document consists of two main parts: i) presentation of background information on the programme activities and analysis of the available information on the regional and sub-regional level (both in English and in French); and ii) presentation of data on NWFP on the national level (so-called “country profiles”, available in either English or French).

La présente publication «Situation des ressources génétiques forestières de la Mauritanie» est issue d’un rapport national présenté à l’Atelier sous-régional FAO/IPGRI/CIRAF sur la conservation, la gestion, l’utilisation durable et la mise en valeur des ressources génétiques forestières de la zone sahélienne (Ouagadougou, 22-24 sept. 1998).

The natural forests used to be the only source of commercial timber in tropical timber producing countries. In the past several years however, governments have begun implementing strict conservation policies, which have curtailed the harvest levels from this fast depleting resource base. To meet their respective wood requirements and at the same time revegetate denuded areas, most tropical countries have started to embark in tree plantation programs.

This country report focusses on the factors influencing the development of forestry in the country and goes on to outline likely future scenarios based on current trends and problems.

Situacin de los bosques del mundo presenta, cada dos aos, un anlisis de la situacin de los bosques del mundo, de los principales acontecimientos institucionales y de poltica y de los problemas a los que se enfrenta el sector forestal.

The international community is committed to eliminating poverty. International development targets to that end include a reduction by half in the number of people who are food insecure and a similar reduction in the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015. The Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the support of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), held an interagency Forum on the Role of Forestry in Poverty Alleviation in September 2001.

The State of the World's Forests reports every two years on the status of forests, recent major policy and institutional developments and key issues concerning the forest sector. The purpose of the publication is to provide current, reliable and policy-relevant information to policy-makers, foresters and other natural resource managers, academics, forest industry and civil society.

This first edition of a synthesis document, compiling a status of forest genetic resources in the Sahelian and North-Sudanian zone of Africa and a sub-regional action plan for the sustainable management of these resources, is the fruit of a process undertaken at the initiative of countries in the sub-region, towards a better consideration of the important but complex issues linked to forest genetic resources.