National Technical Workshop on   'Evolving Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in India' at IIFM, Bhopal
(January 1999)

The technical meetings laid the ground for a 3-day National Technical Workshop on " Evolving Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in India" (21- 23 January 1999), that was organized by IlFM in collaboration with the State Forest Department and the State Minor Forest Produce Federation, Madhya Pradesh. This workshop drew experts and representatives from various types of organisations, from different parts of the country. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Ravi Prabhu of CIFOR, Indonesia and Dr. Ian Ferguson from the University of Melbourne, Australia. The Workshop aimed at generating a base set of national level Criteria and Indicators to reliably assess SFM in India.

The Workshop endorsed and adopted the Bhopal-lndia Process for SFM (as initiated by IlFM), as the most legitimate and timely initiative for adoption by the Indian Government. The deliberations also led to the identification of a set of 8 National level Criteria and 51 related draft Indicators, under the Bhopal-lndia Process. This set was recommended for further adoption, testing and final implementation to
the Government of India (GoI). These C & I, it was envisioned, would also be relevant to other countries in the Asian region, having similar forests and socio-cultural environment. The Workshop strongly urged the GoI and other interested parties to provide financial and institutional support to follow-up the Bhopal-lndia Process so that the C&I for SFM could be extensively and effectively implemented in practice throughout the country.

C & I evolved during the National Technical Workshop, as part of the Bhopal - India Process of SFM

1. Extent of Forest and Tree Cover

1.1. Area and type of natural and man made forests
1.2. Forest area under fragile eco-systems
1.3. Area of dense and degraded forest
1.4. Forest in non-forest area
1.5. Area rich in species
1.6. Forest area diverted for non-forestry use
1.7. Community managed forest areas

2. Ecosystem Function and Vitality

2.1. Status of natural regeneration
2.2. Status of natural succession
2.3. Status of secondary forests
2.4. Weed, pest, disease, grazing, fire etc.
2.5. Maintenance of food chain

3. Bio-diversity Conservation

3.1. Area of protected and fragmented ecosystems
3.2. Number of rare, endangered, threatened and endemic species
3.3. Level of species richness and diversity
3.4. Canopy cover
3.5. Medicinal and aromatic plants
3.6. Level of non-destructive harvest

4. Soil and Water Conservation

4.1. Soil moisture
4.2. Soil compaction
4.3. Status of erosion
4.4. Run-off (water yield)
4.5. Soil pH
4.6. Soil organic carbon
4.7. Nutrient Status of the soil
4.8. Soil flora, fauna, and microbes
4.9. Level of water table
4.10. Sediment Load

5. Forest Resource Productivity

5.1. Growing stock of wood
5.2. Natural regeneration status
5.3. Increment of wood and non-wood products
5.4. Area of afforestation and new plantation
5.5. Level of material and technological inputs
5.6. Extent of protection measures
5.7. Level of tangible benefits

6. Forest Resources Utilisation

6.1. Aggregate and per capita wood and non-wood consumption
6.2. Import and export of wood and non-wood forest products
6.3. Recorded and unrecorded removals of wood
6.4. Direct employment in forestry and forests industries
6.5. Contribution of forest to the income of forest dependent people

7. Social and Cultural Needs

7.1. Well-being in terms of livelihood, recreation, creational and aesthetic needs
7.2. Degree of economic, social, gender and participatory equity
7.3. Conflict management mechanisms
7.4. Traditional (indigenous) knowledge application

8. Policy, legal and Institutional Framework

8.1. Existing policy and legal framework
8.2. Extent of community, NGO and private sector participation
8.3. Investment in research and development
8.4. Human resource capacity building efforts
8.5  Forest resource accounting
8.6  Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
8.7  Status of information dissemination and utilization

Information on this page is part of the Forest Information System Project of IIFM.

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