Making forestry work for the poor: assessment of the contribution of forestry to poverty alleviation in Asia and the Pacific
The forestry sector’s contribution to poverty alleviation in Asia and the Pacific is of great importance owing to the high prevalence of poverty in forested areas. Obstacles to reducing poverty through forestry are many. Forests are often far from markets and poor people frequently lack marketing knowledge, financial capital and/or networks necessary to reap benefits from forest related activities. Unstable land and resource tenure also hamper efforts to improve prospects for rural people. Some countries in the region have made great strides in forest management in recent years and investments are now paying dividends at the local level in terms of poverty reduction, income generation and livelihoods improvement. This publication documents the contribution of forests and forestry to poverty alleviation in 11 countries in Asia and the Pacific region, including the outlook and recommendations for each country in the coming years.