Strengthening Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting on Sustainable Forest Management in Asia (GCP/INT/988/JPN) Collaboration with the ASEAN region for forest monitoring, assessment and reporting Masahiro Otsuka Forestry Officer FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok, Thailand DRAFT

Support for ASEAN C&I  Collaboration with ASEAN C&I framework, Online format Training workshop, consultation  Collaboration with countries Willing countries: Cambodia, Philippines, ….. Training, pilot testing, thematic studies (national, FMU)  Collaboration with international processes on forests Harmonization of international reporting processes (C&I, FRA, UNFF, CBD, UNFCCC, etc.) Consultations, training workshop  Limited project funds: Partnership with other organizations

Collaboration with ASEAN  Support for training to member states on the ASEAN online format Training workshop: Kuala Lumpur, 5 – 7 May 2009 Objective: Review the status of countries’ application of MAR Introduce ASEAN C&I framework/online format Discuss further improvement of the format Issue: Capacities of FMU for data collection Data collection for specific indicators (carbon stock, etc.) Data formats of different data sources Local languages for online formats (FMUs, etc.)

 Suggestions to improve an online format Further clarification of footnotes with enough texts Revision of texts by correcting spelling errors Use of decimals for numeric columns Inclusion of a box for remarks with scroll functions for most tables Different coding for indicators: - Not applicable in countries - Applicable but not feasible due to lack of information Resolution of a syntax error problem - Editing of indicators, when “0” is accidentally inserted ASEAN C&I Training (2)

Assessment of an adequate indicator set in each country - Whole C&I set or selected set? Research, institutional strengthening & training in assessment - Forest-dependent flora/fauna - Endangered/rare species - Forest carbon stock - Quantification of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) - Valuation of forest ecosystem services - Application of IUCN Protected Area Management Categories Inclusion of critical variables - Planted forest - Resource ownership/use rights - Role of forest in climate change mitigation/adaptation Recommendations on C&I (1)

Development of appropriate and cost-effective tools - Remote sensing (RS), GIS, etc. Preparation of the C&I format in local languages Effective coordination for inter-/intra-agency collaboration Facilitation in sharing of experiences among member states for CHM by ASEAN Development of networking with other organizations for harmonization of forest-related reporting A periodical synthesis report on application of the C&I format in member states by ASEAN Recommendations on C&I (2)

National C&I format 7 criteria, 59 indicators - Geographic and its general condition of the forest resources - Conservation process (endangered species) - Land protection from Human/natural impacts - Protection of land productivity & upstream catchment's area - Harvest Planning - Assessment of forest utilization process toward economic value, management bodies, and community participation Cambodia C&I (1)

Issues Clarification of technical terms (forest extent, etc.) Non-PFE may not be relevant – national land tenure regimes Difficulty in data collection on forest-dependent people Assessment of forest boundaries – divergent land policies Demarcation of production forests – illegal logging Redefinition of state-owned forest management Carbon assessment techniques Assessment of human resources  Pilot testing/training on national C&I with FMUs at two pilot sites Cambodia C&I (2)

Philippine C&I + audit system 7 criteria, 57 indicators Awareness campaign, field training (FMUs) Issues: Participatory/transparent process for SFM Adaptation to diverse FMUs (land tenure, etc.) One unified concept of SFM – integration/streamlining into one standard reporting system Highly technical indicators: capacity building A need for effective institutional structure to strengthen C&I for SFM Philippine C&I

International Reporting Workshop in Kuala Lumpur, 13 – 16 October FAO/FRA, Forest Dept. of Malaysia, CBD, ITTO, ASEAN + UNEP/WCMC, UNFF, UNFCCC, CITES, Ramsar + 22 countries  Issues on international forest-related reporting International v.s. national terms, definitions, classifications of forests: Flexibility for adaptation or common system? Definitions of Permanent Forest Estates (PFEs) Coordination among different national agencies/programmes for harmonization & collection of data: common terminologies? Limited capacities on thematic aspects: carbon, biodiversity... Lack of updated data - proper tools & methodologies Free data availability for efficient & accurate reporting

Thematic reporting issues Forest extent/conditions: Updated RS data, field studies Forest degradation: Indicators for human/natural factors Biodiversity: Coordination among stakeholders for improved classifications & assessment Soil/water protection: Institutional coordination & scientific studies to improve data quality Climate change: Agreement on a global forest classification for measuring biomass & carbon in trees outside forests Forest production: common classifications on removal of NWFPs: available, actual, unrecorded Socio-economic aspects: Inclusion of cultural aspects? Legal, policy, institutional framework: Methods to assess effects of laws/policies, good governance, etc. for SFM

Suggested next plan 1  Regional programme with ASEAN & partners Follow-up training on C&I online format: FMU - Key indicators Studies on monitoring/assessment for specific indicators - Carbon, biodiversity, NWFP, remote sensing/GIS, etc. Development of the ASEAN network for C&I  ASEAN, REFoP, willing member states  Technical organizations: e.g. IUCN, remote sensing agencies, forest research institutes, forest monitoring projects, etc. + FAO programmes  Integrated (umbrella) programme with partners - Financial partnership

 National programmes in some willing countries Pilot testing & training on national C&I - Methodology of data collection - Database management system  Collaboration with national/int’l stakeholders  Coordination with other forestry programmes  International programme Technical consultations on harmonization of international reporting processes on forests with C&I -FAO: FRA, CPF, NFMA, LCCS/GLCN, GOFC-GOLD, etc. -CBD, UNFF, UNFCCC/IPCC, UNCCD, etc.  Effective budget allocation + partnership Suggested next plan 2

Strengthening Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting on Sustainable Forest Management in Asia (GCP/INT/988/JPN) 14 Thank you!