Page 7 - 4. Pre-Course Reading-Training on Forestry Audit 2019

Introduction

Introduction

Forests are vital to human life. They make our natural environment THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
more livable. They support local livelihoods and contribute to
national economies. They enrich the quality of people’s lives Many of the local, national, and global benefits derived from
through their cultural, recreational, and aesthetic values.
forests depend on the forest being left untouched or subject to
minimal interference. On the other hand, many benefits come
from quite deliberate interference that can have a major impact
Forests are amongst the most diverse and widespread
ecosystems on the earth. They are critical in meeting human on forests, such as clear felling. (Other benefits from forests
are often claimed, but are actually false, for example, that
needs for water, food, shelter, medicine, fuel wood, fodder, and forests increase local rainfall, or that forests regulate the flow of 7
timber. They provide a wide range of environmental services,
which include biological diversity conservation, watershed streams and rivers by acting as sponges.)
protection, protection of soil, mitigation of global climate change,
and protection against desertification (FAO, 1999). Just as
significantly, forests provide a range of environmental services Balancing the different ways that humans engage with forests
fundamental to the planet’s wellbeing and environmental depends on good policy and, more often than not, requires
sustainability. For example, they play an important role in governments to play the role of judicious arbiter. One of the
stabilizing soils and protecting land from erosion by wind and key tools that governments can use is appropriate national and
regional legislation and policies.
water, and help maintaining a steady supply of clean fresh
water. Furthermore, forests are now integral to international
efforts to combat climate change, as trees and forest soil lock
up atmospheric carbon, one of the main greenhouse gases
causing global warming. Estonia
The duties of the State in forestry are: setting the overall
direction of forestry, developing a forestry development plan
Forests are also important economically. They are source of and putting in place appropriate legislation and regulations,
livelihood and paid employment for local economies, and make ensuring the good condition of forests, accounting for
a major contribution to national economies through domestic forest resources, supporting private forestry, administrating
and export sales of forest products. It is almost impossible to and managing State-owned forests, organising State
exaggerate the economic importance of the world’s forests. supervision, and ensuring the biological diversity of the forest
According to the World Bank, 1.6 billion people rely heavily on is protected. The performance of the duties of the State in
forests for their livelihoods. In 2003, the international trade in forestry is coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment.
sawn wood, pulp, and boards amounted to almost US$150
1
billion, or just over 2 percent of world trade . In many developing Brazil
countries, forest-based enterprises provide at least a third of all
rural non-farm jobs, generate income through the sale of wood In Brazil, native forests, either public or private, are
products, and enrich private companies, governments, and protected by law. Exploitation of these forests must be
rural communities. previously authorized by the State government and forest
management must be compatible with ecosystems and
arboreal cover. As a rule, the State government is res-
It is not only economic and environmental benefits that make ponsible for all authorizations regarding licensing of
forests essential to human wellbeing. Forests also play a major potential environmental degrading activities, vegetation
social role and contribute to people’s quality of life. For many suppression, and forest management activities.
diverse groups of indigenous people, forests are much more
than an essential source of food and water. Forests are also
their spiritual home, inseparable from their cultural identity.

1 Costanza, et.al. (1997)