Criteria and Indicators for the Amazon Forests
11/6/97
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Headline: Criteria and Indicators for the Amazon Forests
Source: Julio Cesar Centeno, PhD
Las Tapias, Edif. Carreto
Pent House Tel. +58-74-714576
PO Box 750 Fax +58-74-714576
Merida - Venezuela Email: JCenteno@ciens.ula.ve
http://www.ciens.ula.ve/~jcenteno/
Date: 11/6/97
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF AMAZON FORESTS
Julio C,sar Centeno
International Conference on Global Approaches to.
Sustainable Forest Management, Certification, Criteria and
Indicators.
Prince George, Canada.
September 1997
Introduction
The Amazon forests are among the most valuable legacies of humanity.
They cover over 560 million hectares, about 10 times the size of France.
They represent a third of all tropical forests left on Earth (1660
million ha, FAO 1997), and 16 percent of the forest reserves of the
planet (3450 million ha, FAO 1997).
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty is an international agreement subscribed
by 8 countries: Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Suriname and Guyana, with a total surface of 13.6 million square
kilometers, about one-and-a-half times the size of the United States of
America. The treaty applies to all territories in the Amazon River
basin, as well as to those territories with closely linked geographic,
ecological or economic characteristics. Amazonia is thus a territory
stretching over 725 million hectares, of which nearly 80 percent is
covered by forests.
Amazon forests are also among the most important resources on which the
countries of the region depend to establish sustainable development
models. The multiplicity of goods and services they provide, as well as
their important reserves in timber, minerals, water, energy, biological
and genetic resources, make them essential to the economic and social
stability of the region.
One of the most important and perplexing characteristics of Amazon
forests is the impressive complexity of their ecosystems. They have been
estimated to contain at least half of all plant and animal species left
on Earth. Biological diversity is associated to a wide variety of
microclimates and environments, in which astonishing life forms and
associations may be found.
Among the general characteristics of Amazon forests is the vulnerability
of the soils upon which they stand. Most are infertile, acidic, highly
susceptible to erosion, poor in phosphates, and with a high degree of
toxicity due to aluminum contents. They are also usually weak and
shallow, with a low content of nutrients. Only about 10 percent is
considered fertile, appropriate for permanent agriculture, and
fractionated in dispersed lots throughout the region.
Nonetheless, Amazon forests have developed a delicate but resilient
mechanisms of survival, centered upon the recycling of its own organic
matter and water resources, as well as in a highly effective use of
its own exuberance and diversity. This takes place with such efficiency
that the net loss of nutrients is practically null.
Deforestation and forest degradation has become a key political and
environmental concern for Amazon countries. Forests have been destroyed
and converted to other uses at alarming rates over the past 20 years.
During the decade of the 80s, the aggregate deforestation in these
countries took place at the rate of over 6 million hectares per year,
amounting to nearly 40 percent of all yearly forest loss registered in
the tropics during that decade (FAO, 1993). Between 1990 and 1995
deforestation reached 4.3 million hectares per year, over eight hectares
each minute (FAO 1997).
Estimates of the proportion of Amazon forests lost to date range from 10
to 20 percent.
The need to control deforestation has become a fundamental component of
efforts to achieve sustainable models of development. So is the need to
make the best possible use of the potential of forests to contribute to
the economic and social development of the region. The definition of
viable mechanism for the sustainable management of Amazon forests is
thus seen with great interest, not only by the countries of the region,
but by the international community as a whole.
Development of Criteria for the Sustainable Management of Amazon
Forests.
The members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty have endorsed the key
commitments made at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, which took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Of particular
relevance are the commitments of Chapter 11 of Agenda 21, the Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Declaration of
Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and
Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests.
Furthermore, article One of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty establishes
the commitment to a joint effort by the contractual parties to promote
the harmonious development of their respective portions of Amazonia, in
order to generate mutually beneficial results, the protection of the
environment, and the conservation and rational utilization of the
natural resources of this territory.
The members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty are also signatories of the
International Tropical Timber Agreement. They are therefore bound by the
commitments reached within this international instrument. Of particular
relevance are:
a.The management of production forests according to the "ITTO Guidelines
for the Sustainable Management of Natural Tropical Forests".
b.The establishment and management of plantations according to the "ITTO
Guidelines for the Establishment and Sustainable Management of Planted
Tropical Forests".
c.The application of the "Criteria for the Measurement of Sustainable
Tropical Forest Management"
d.The application of the "ITTO Guidelines on the Conservation of
Biological Diversity in Tropical Production Forests"
e.The ITTO Objective 2000, according to which, by the year 2000, all
exports of tropical timber should come from forests managed according to
the guidelines and criteria mentioned above.
Within this context, the country members of the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty have agreed to a collective effort to develop a common set of
criteria for the sustainable management of Amazon forests. It is
recognized that the end product should be compatible with the key
commitments reached within the International Tropical Timber
Organization, as well as with the agreements of the Rio Summit.
The implementation of this process must take into consideration the
parallel and complementary development of equivalent commitments by
other regions of the world. The progress and implementation of the
Montreal process and the Helsinki agreement are developments that need
to be taken into consideration, to ensure the equitable participation of
all countries in the global commitment for the conservation and
sustainable management of all forest resources.
In must be considered that tropical countries have made a formal
commitment, through an international agreement under the auspices of the
United Nations systems, to sustainable manage their production
forests by the year 2000. The same can not be said for other regions of
the world, particularly for temperate countries. In addition, the
commitments made by tropical countries through the International
Tropical Timber Agreement have been made with full, open and equitable
participation by all countries, tropical and non-tropical. The same can
not be said for the Montreal and Helsinki agreements for the definition
of criteria for the sustainable management of temperate forests.
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS
The members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty have agreed on the
following initial set of criteria and indicators for the sustainable
management of Amazon forests. These have been designed through a
common effort by the eight countries of the region, and are at the
moment subject to processes of national consultations.
It is recognized that this set of criteria and indicators need further
harmonization, as well as their organization in a conceptual framework
better compatible with the ITTO guidelines, as well as with possible
global agreements on the subject.
The result of the national consultations now in progress will facilitate
the adaptation of these criteria to the specific conditions of each
member country. It is expected that the consultations will conclude in a
practical and viable set of criteria and indicators to guarantee the
sustainable management of forests in the Amazon region.
>From the final set of criteria, forest management standards are expected
to be developed by each country of the region.
The following criteria and indicators have been defined at three
different levels of compliance: at the national level, at the management
unit level, and at the global level.
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL
CRITERION 1: SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Indicators of Income, Production and Consumption
a.Economic profitability of the management and sustainable use of
forests.
b.Sustainable production, consumption and extraction of forest products.
c.Values of forest products from sustainable sources, and from
unsustainable sources, as percentages of the Gross National Product.
d.Employment, direct and indirect income, from sustainable activities in
the forestry sector, and generation of forest-based employment in
relation to the total at the national level.
e.Average per capita income in the different activities of the forestry
sector.
f.Efficiency and competitiveness of forest product production and
processing systems.
g.Impact of the economic use of forests on the availability of forest
resources of importance to local populations.
h.Relationship between direct and indirect uses of forests.
Indicators of Investment and Economic Growth in the Forestry Sector
a.Proportion of annual investment in plantations, sustainable forest
management and conservation, in relation to total forest sector
investment.
b.Level of added-value in the production of forest products from
sustainable sources.
c.Rates of return on investment of the array of sustainable economic
activities in the forestry sector, in relation to other sectors of the
economy, considering all costs and benefits.
d.Rate of increase of sustainable tourism and recreational activities.
Indicators of Cultural, Social and Spiritual Needs and Values
a.Area and percentage of forestlands, in relation to total forest lands,
managed to protect cultural, social and spiritual needs and values.
b.Area and percentage of forestlands used to supply goods and services
to local populations.
c.Level of participation of local populations in the management and in
the benefits generated by forest activities.
d.Development of productive alternatives to illicit crops and mining.
CRITERION 2: POLICIES AND LEGAL-INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTS
Indicators
a.Appropriate political and legal framework to stimulate sustainable
development as a joint effort between the various levels of government
and non-governmental organizations.
b.Policies and legal framework for environmental planning through
ecological-economic zoning.
c.Capacity to implement international instruments of which the country
is signatory.
d.Harmonization and implementation of existing legislation in the
country.
CRITERION 3: SUSTAINABLE FOREST PRODUCTION
Indicators
a.Extension and proportion of forestlands and forests dedicated to
sustainable production, in relation to the total permanent production
area.
b.Quantity and proportion of sustainable forest production, in
comparison to total forest production in the country.
c.Quantity and proportion of sustainable production units, classified by
size, in comparison with the total number of production units in the
country.
d.Area and percentage of forestlands managed for recreation and tourism,
in relation to the total forest area in the country.
e.Level of diversification of sustainable forest production.
CRITERION 4: CONSERVATION OF FOREST COVER AND OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Indicators
a.Forest area, by forest type, in protected areas, in relation to total
forest area.
b.Measures for in-situ conservation of species in danger of extinction.
c.Measures for the conservation of genetic resources.
d.Area and percentage of forests affected by processes or other agents,
such as insect attacks, diseases, fire and floods, among others.
e.Rate of natural regeneration, species composition and survival.
f.Rate of conversion of forests to other uses.
g.Area and percentage of forestlands with fundamental ecological
changes.
h.Impact of activities in other sectors on the conservation of forest
ecosystems (mining, agriculture, cattle ranching, energy,
infrastructure, etc).
CRITERION 5: CONSERVATION AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF WATER AND SOIL
RESOURCES.
Indicators
a.Measures for soil conservation.
b.Area and percentage of forestlands managed for environmental
protection.
c.Proportion of water resources in forest areas, in relation to the
historical range of variation, and maintenance of the relationship
between forests and hydro-biological resources.
d.Effects of forest conservation on the integrated management of water
resources.
CRITERION 6: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF
FORESTS
Indicators
a.Quantity and quality of adequate technology for forest management and
sustainable production.
b.Level of recuperation and degree of use of autochthonous technologies.
c.Investment in research, education and technology transfer.
d.Quantity and quality of research and development projects under
execution.
e.Remuneration mechanisms for traditional knowledge.
f.Degree of access to technology and information, by different sectors
of society.
CRITERION 7: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT IN AMAZONIA
Indicators
a.Quantity and quality of institutions, and of their intersectorial and
inter-institutional coordination.
b.Existence of plans and their degree of execution.
c.Quantity and quality of education and research programs.
d.Degree of effective participation by civil society (academic
institutions, grassroots groups, NGOs, trade unions and the private
sector).
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS AT THE MANAGEMENT-UNIT LEVEL
CRITERION 8: LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Indicators
a.Forest management plan approved by competent authorities.
b.Periodicity of evaluation of the implementation of the management
plan, and level of accomplishment.
c.Legal framework to guarantee the stability of long-term investments in
the forestry sector.
CRITERION 9: SUSTAINABLE FOREST PRODUCTION
Indicators
a.Annual production of timber and non-timber forest products compatible
with the sustainable capacity of the resource base.
b.Area and percentage of forest soils affected by significant
alterations in physical-chemical properties and erosion.
c.Effectiveness of systems of administration and control.
d.Degree of diversification of production.
e.Degree of utilization of environmentally friendly technologies.
CRITERION 10: CONSERVATION OF FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
Indicators
a.Proportion of the forest area under permanent production, in relation
to the forest area under environmental protection.
b.Measures to protect, recuperate and sustainably use wild populations
of species in danger of extinction.
c.Area and percentage of forests affected by processes or other natural
agents (insect attack, disease, fire, etc) and by human actions.
d.Rates of regeneration and structure of forest ecosystems.
e.Soil conservation measures.
f.Measures for the protection of watercourses from forest activities.
CRITERION 11: LOCAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Indicators
a.Quality of life of local human populations.
b.Profitability and rate of return of forest management.
c.Efficiency of forest products production and processing systems.
d.Impact of the economic use of forests on the availability of forest
resources of importance to local populations.
e.Amount of direct and indirect employment, and level of income.
f.Nature and quantity of benefits derived from forest management.
g.Annual quantity of extracted products per hectare.
h.Aggregate value of forest production.
i.Mechanisms for consultation and for the effective participation of
local communities in the management of forest resources, depending upon
the scale of management.
CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR SERVICES AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL
CRITERION 12: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
PERFORMED BY AMAZONIAN FORESTS
Indicators
a.Contribution to the supply of the global demand for sustainable
produced timber and non-timber forest products.
b.Contribution to the global carbon balance.
c.Contribution to the global water cycle.
d.Contribution to the conservation of biological diversity.
e.Contribution to radiation balance and regulation.
f.Contribution to the maintenance of cultural values and diversity, and
to the conservation of indigenous and local populations' knowledge.
g.Contribution to the economy, health, culture, science and recreation.
_______________________________________________
Julio Cesar Centeno, PhD
Las Tapias, Edif. Carreto
Pent House Tel. +58-74-714576
PO Box 750 Fax +58-74-714576
Merida - Venezuela Email: JCenteno@ciens.ula.ve
http://www.ciens.ula.ve/~jcenteno/
_______________________________________________