1. Forests of the Caucasus and Central Asia – Forest Nuts in Central Asia
10/7/2019
FORESTS
Forests of the Caucasus and Central Asia – Forest Nuts in Central Asia
Ekrem Yazici
Roman Michalak
UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section
Sustainable natural resources and their value chain – NUTS June 2019, Geneva

2. Caucasus and Central Asia
Area – 419 million ha
Population – 88 million inhabitants
272.5
20.0
7.0
CACAS
418.8 million ha
87.9 million inhabitants EU
447,6 million ha
513 million inhabitants
44.7
3.0
8.7
48.8
14.2

3. Caucasus and Central Asia Region
Harsh climate (deserts, mountains), ecological damage
Transition from USSR
Landlocked (except Georgia) “Middle income” (oil/gas revenue for some countries)
Historical pressures on the forest (tsarist time, wars, reconstruction) led to classification of all forest as Group 1, acknowledged everywhere as priority
Transition was difficult with collapse of trade system and central funding for forests, establishment of new institutions.

4. Share of rural population
10/7/2019
Share of rural population

5. Forest and other wooded land share
Global average – 31%
Armenia – 13.2 %
Azerbaijan – 13.2 %
Georgia – %
Kazakhstan – 4.7 %
Kyrgyzstan – 8.3 %
27 million ha of forest and other wooded land, most in Central Asia; EU – 160 million
0.3 ha for each inhabitant
Average forest cover 6.5% (Georgia is an exception, at 41%)
All forest publicly owned
Tajikistan – 4.0 %
Turkmenistan %
Forest and other wooded land area in the region total – 27 million ha – 6.5% of land
Uzbekistan -7.5 %

6. Varied functions: protection, livelihoods …
40th Joint UNECE/FAO Working Party on Forest Statistics, Economics and Management
10/7/2019
Varied functions: protection, livelihoods …
FORESTS
TEXT
Protection (priority) - 89% designated for protective functions (“Group 1”)
Conservation of biodiversity - 11% conserved for biodiversity
Wood (mostly fuelwood, dependence on imports of products)
Pasture
Rural livelihoods and employment
A few services: hunting, tourism
Climate change mitigation (estimated)

7. Valuable, but under pressure
40th Joint UNECE/FAO Working Party on Forest Statistics, Economics and Management
10/7/2019
Valuable, but under pressure
FORESTS
TEXT
Fuelwood demand leads often to overcutting/illegal logging. Need for affordable rural energy sources
Overgrazing degrades forests but is often an essential source of livelihood for forest managers.
Rural poverty: forests one of few suppliers of livelihoods.
Economic sustainability of local forest management units is weak: inadequate support from central budget + lack of opportunity for revenue generation

8. Non wood products
Forest is formed by a chestnut, a hazelnut, a walnut, an apple, a pear, a cherry-tree
260 species of fruit plants from 37 genera occur
In forests of Central Asia about 200 species medicinal plants

9. FAO Regional Priorities
The 30th session of the FAO European Regional Conference (ERC) in 2016 endorsed following future priorities for the Region:
Formulation of effective policies for sustainable and inclusive growth for farmers and the rural population with emphasis on small holders and family farms;
Help reach new markets through alignment of trade, food safety and SPS policies to meet WTO commitments and through value chain development to meet international food safety quality requirements;
Sustainable natural resource management, combating land degradation and desertification, mitigation and adaptation of climate change;
Addressing food insecurity and reduction of all forms of malnutrition.

10. How FAO supports countries
Sustainable management of forests and trees species in Central Asia under climate change conditions. 
Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in the region
Forest landscape restoration with multi-purpose trees and with intersectoral approach
Capacity building at local level

11. 10/7/2019
Forestry and Timber Section
Thank you!
Ekrem Yazici Roman Michalak Deputy Chief Programme Manager