In December 1997, FAO hosted a workshop, Pluralism and Sustainable Forestry and Rural Development. to exchange information and experiences and to explore mechanisms, methods and fore for optimizing cooperation among the different groups concerned with the management of forest resources. The workshop was attended by 35 participants representing different organizations (and organizational types, geographic regions and disciplines). The articles in this issue of Unasylva are adaptations of papers presented at that workshop.

Community-based natural resource management and local users of natural resources can, and in many cases do, manage resources sustainably – if their rights to do so are recognized and protected, if appropriate institutions are in place or can be developed, and if the benefits are significant, obvious and secure. The article analyses one facet of the complex relationship between law and community-based management: the problem of how national laws recognize community-based land-owning or resource managing groups.

This case study is one of a series of publications produced by the Forest Harvesting, Trade and Marketing Branch of FAO in an effort to promote environmentally sound forest harvesting and engineering practices. The purpose of these studies is to highlight both the promise of environmentally sound forest harvesting technologies as a component of sustainable forest management, and the constraints that must be overcome in order to assure widespread adoption of those technologies.

The Government of South Africa has a major holding of forest land, with a total estate covering 892,000 ha of forest and associated land. Within the state's forest holding there is a wide diversity of forest and land types including: commercial plantations and other afforested land; indigenous forests; legally protected (indigenous) forest areas; and associated bare land. This land is partly owned by the state and partly held on behalf of local communities, some of whom also have existing rights to use the forest land for various purposes.

FAO Investment Centre environmental reports are directed to environment and natural resources specialists. They address environmental issues associated with the formulation of investment projects for the agricultural/rural sector. This report describes an environmental assessment that contributed to improvements in the project design for the Aberdares Natural Resources Development Project in Kenya. The objective of this six-year project was to conserve and develop the natural resources of the Aberdares region based on an integrated management approach involving local communities.

The purpose of the expert consulation was to review of current policies that affect the management of livestock and natural resources, focussing on sub-regions and different agro-ecological settings and the identification of policy trade-off. Presentations/resource papers were delivered from each of the five different sub-regions of the Latin American/Caribbean region (Amazon/Brazil; Andean countries/highlands; Central American countries and Mexico; Southern Cone; Caribbean).

A description of Mongolia's forest resource base, including the prevailing socioeconomic, biological and physical environment. The country's forest industries and main wood products are outlined and forest development plans and legislation are presented

An introduction to the status of forest resources and forestry industries in Thailand. Forest policies are outlined in the context of the prevailing social and economic environment.

La mayor parte de los nmeros de Unasylva se centran en un tema concreto. El objetivo de esa orientacin temtica es examinar de forma pormenorizada un aspecto determinado de las actividades y el desarrollo forestales, con el fin de resaltar su significado e importancia dentro de los confines ms amplios de nuestro universo. Sin pretender que los diferentes nmeros sean como un manual de una materia concreta, se propone presentar una serie de anlisis de cuestiones especficas que contribuyan a suscitar inters y a concienciar al lector.