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Forest Monitoring in the Caucasus and Central Asia

United Nations Development Account (UNDA) project 2016-2020

Strengthening forest monitoring in the Caucasus and Central Asia was implemented through the capacity-building project "Accountability Systems for Sustainable Forest Management", which was funded by the United Nations Development Account (UNDA), under the 10th tranche. The timeframe of the project was initially 2016-2019 but has been extended with additional resources until September 2020.
The objective of this project was to strengthen the national capacity of five target countries (Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) to develop national criteria and indicators (C&I) and reporting, or accountability systems, for sustainable forest management (SFM).
The project enabled the target countries to actively participate in international processes related to forests, and contribute to the sustainable development of the sector towards a green economy. National criteria and indicators for SFM will serve as a tool to communicate the relevance of forests as they relate to the environment as well as a socio-economic situation at national, regional and international levels.

National Focal Points

To see the list of the project focal points in each country, please click here.

The key recipients were forest-related ministries, national forest agencies, research institutes, and NGOs. The project was carried out with key partners including other international organizations or initiatives already operating in the countries (e.g. FAO, German development cooperation GIZ, United Nations Environment Programme UNEP, Global Environment Facility GEF). The implementation of the project has been led by experts from the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section.

 

Study

The main results of the project are presented in a study on forest reporting and sustainable forest management (SFM) in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The publication was developed by the Joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section in cooperation with international experts. In addition to the general overview of forest reporting, the study introduces national sets of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management developed by the five project countries. Furthermore, the study shares best practices in developing and using C&I for SFM.

Study CCA.png

Main Results

National sets of criteria and indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (as of 9.12.2020)

  • Armenia
  • Georgia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Uzbekistan

Publications

Policy briefs

Background information

Most of the countries in the target region struggle with the degradation of the limited natural resources due to extensive grazing, illegal logging and deforestation. These countries did not have the capacity to regularly monitor the status of forests. In addition, they were not able to monitor and assess the socio-economic aspects of forests. Due to these limitations, the importance of the forest sector was continuously neglected in policy development.
With the exception of Georgia, the target countries were not part of any international processes on criteria and indicators for SFM. Therefore, they could not benefit directly from the knowledge and tools developed by these processes. The project supported evidence-based policymaking by providing knowledge, capacity-building, training materials and advisory services for defining the scope and relevance of information needed for implementing SFM at the national level. The project supported beneficiary countries in developing national criteria and indicators for SFM, in identifying key indicators and setting threshold values for monitoring. The criteria and indicators can be used for monitoring the status and trends in the forest sector, and eventually monitoring the progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

      The table below provides an overview of useful material and information about Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in English and Russian. This material can be used as a source of information and inspiration to develop national Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management. The table is not exhaustive. If you are aware of relevant material that is not yet listed kindly inform the project manager.

                                                                                            Topic/
      Тема
      Language/
      Язык
      Document/
      Документ
      General information
      Общая информация
      The System for the Evaluation of the Management
      of Forests (SEMAFOR) Система оценки управления лесами (СЕМАФОР)
      ENG-RUS ENG pdf
      RUS pdf
       

       

      Sustainable Forest Management definition
      Определение устойчивого лесопользования
      ENG-RUS pdf
        Criteria and Indicator definitions
      Определение критериев и показателей
      ENG-RUS pdf
        Useful links
      Полезные ссылки
      ENG-RUS pdf
        FAO Voluntary Guidelines on National Forest Monitoring ENG pdf
        CIFOR Guidelines for Developing, Testing and Selecting Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management
      Руководство по разработке, тестированию и выбору критериев и индикаторов для устойчивого лесопользования
      ENG pdf
      Examples for C&I
      Примеры КиИ
      Criteria and Indicators for SFM in Austria
      Критерии и индикаторы для УУЛ в Австрии
      ENG pdf
        Criteria and Indicators for Low Forest Cover Countries
      Критерии и индикаторы для слаболесистых стран
      ENG pdf
      Forest Europe Process
      Процесс Леса Европы
      Pan-European Indicators for SFM
      Общеевропейские индикаторы для УУЛ
      ENG pdf
        State of Europe’s Forests report
      Отчет о состоянии лесов Европы
      ENG pdf
        Pan-European Questionnaire
      Общеевропейский вопросник
      More information here
      Дополнительная информация здесь
      ENG-RUS ENG Excel

       

      RUS Excel

       

        Relevant Terms and Definitions for Pan-European Indicators
      Соответствующие термины и определения для Общеевропейских индикаторов 

       

      ENG pdf
      pdf

       

      Montreal Process
      Монреальский процесс
      Montreal Process Criteria and Indicators
      Критерии и индикаторы для Монреальского процесса
      RUS pdf
        Booklet
      Брошюра
      RUS pdf
        Factsheet
      Фактологический бюллетень
      ENG pdf
        Montreal process: criteria and indicators for conservation and SFM of the temperate and boreal zones 2008
      Монреальский процесс: критерии и индикаторы сохранения и УУЛ умеренной и бореальной зон 2008
      RUS pdf
      Other publications
      Прочие публикации 
      Forests in the ECE region 2015
      Леса региона ЕЭК 2015
      ENG-RUS ENG pdf
      RUS pdf

       

        Global Forest Resource Assessment, Synthesis Document
      Глобальная оценка лесных ресурсов, обобщающий документ
      More information here
      Дополнительная информация здесь
      ENG-RUS ENG pdf

       

      RUS pdf

       

        Global Forest Resource Assessment, Summary tables for quantitative variables
      Глобальная оценка лесных ресурсов, Сводные таблицы для количественных переменных
      ENG-RUS ENG pdf

       

      RUS pdf

       

        Global Forest Resource Assessment, Terms and Definitions
      Глобальная оценка лесных ресурсов, Термины и определения
      ENG ENG pdf
        Global Forest Resource Assessment, Questionnaire
      Глобальная оценка лесных ресурсов, Вопросник
      ENG ENG pdf

      Process

       
        Outcome English Outcome Russian/other Link
      Dec 2020 Online - Concluding regional workshop report Eng   Workshop on Forest Monitoring and Restoration in the Caucasus and Central Asia 
      May 2019 Kyrgyzstan - Forest Congress report Eng report Rus Forest Congress for the Caucasus and Central Asia
      Feb 2019 Armenia - 2nd national workshop report Eng report Arm 2nd national Workshop - Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Armenia
      Nov 2018 Kyrgyzstan - local consultation workshops report Eng report Rus  
      Nov 2018 Georgia - 2nd national workshop report Eng report Geo 2nd national Workshop - Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Georgia
      Sep 2018, Kazakhstan- 2nd national workshop report Eng report Rus 2nd national Workshop - Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Kazakhstan
      Aug 2018, Uzbekistan - 2nd national workshop report Eng report Rus 2nd national Workshop - Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Uzbekistan
      Apr 2018 Kyrgyzstan - 2nd national workshop report Eng report Rus 2nd national Workshop - Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Kyrgyzstan
      Feb 2018 Georgia - Regional Interim Workshop report Eng report part. Rus Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia
      Nov-Dec 2017 Georgia- National coaching workshop report Eng report Georg Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Georgia
      September 2017 Armenia- National coaching workshop report Eng report Arm Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Armenia
      August 2017 Uzbekistan - National coaching workshop report Eng report Rus Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Uzbekistan
      June 2017 Kazakhstan - National coaching workshop report Eng report Rus Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Kazakhstan
      Mar 2017 Kyrgyzstan – National coaching workshop report Eng report Rus Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management for Kyrgyzstan
      Nov 2016 Armenia - Regional Inception Workshop report Eng report part. Rus Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia
      Project Flyer ENG RUS  
      Read the full project proposal here.

      Media coverage

      The below table provides a selection of news and articles in relation to this project. If you have published a related article or are aware of media reaction which is not listed here, kindly contact the project manager.

      UNECE news  UNECE supports five countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia to develop national sets of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management 11 November 2020
      UNECE news Azerbaijan brings degraded land restoration commitments in Caucasus and Central Asia to 3 million ha 31 May 2019
      IUCN news Azerbaijan brings regional restoration commitments to 3 million hectares 07 June 2019
      FAO news Countries scale up ecosystem restoration in Central Asia and the Caucasus, Russian version 28 May 2019
      FAO news Armenia harmonizes forest monitoring system Russian version Armenian version 22 February 2019
      UNECE news Armenia harmonizes forest monitoring system 20 February 2019
      UNECE news Kazakhstan includes socio-economic aspects in its forest monitoring system 26 September 2018
      FAO news Uzbekistan sets sights on new forest monitoring system 8 August 2018
      UNECE news Uzbekistan develops forest monitoring system 8 August 2018
      FAO news Kyrgyzstan advances forest monitoring in support of the Sustainable Development Goals 3 May 2018
      UNECE news Kyrgyzstan advances forest monitoring in support of the Sustainable Development Goals 26 April 2018
      UNECE news UNECE and FAO advance reporting of sustainable forest management in the Caucasus and Central Asia 21 February 2018
      FAO news Sustainable forest management in focus of regional meeting in Tbilisi 21 February 2018
      UNECE news Georgia gets one step closer towards sustainable forest management 29 November 2017
      UNECE news Armenia advances monitoring for SFM 13 September 2017
      FAO news Armenia advances monitoring for sustainable forest management

       

      13 September 2017
      News release in Armenian link

       

      List of sustainable forest management criteria and indicators in Armenia being developed
      13 September 2017
      UNECE news release Visible progress in sustainable forest management and monitoring in Uzbekistan 9 August 2017
      Press release of the State Committee of Forestry of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sustainable forest management and monitoring will be discussed in Tashkent 2 August 2017
      UNECE news release Kazakhstan is making considerable steps towards Sustainable Forest Management  12 July 2017
      Press release of The Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Казахстан значительно продвигается в направлении устойчивого управления лесами 23 June  2017
      UNECE news release Kyrgyzstan moving closer to monitor and assess progress on sustainable forest management 23 March 2017
      IISD Knowledge HUB FAO, UNECE Launch SFM Criteria and Indicators Project in the Caucasus and Central Asia 1 December 2016 

       

      UNECE news release Caucasian and Central Asian countries join forces for sustainable forestr 21 November 2016

      Contact

      Economic Affairs Officer
      United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
      Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
      Joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section
      Geneva, Switzerland