Can forestry contribute to poverty reduction? A case study of Kyrgyzstan

Forests cover a small portion of West and Central Asia. Nevertheless, they are an important part of the livelihoods of the rural people who live in and around them. It is also clear that they have the potential to contribute to poverty reduction, if poor people are given greater control and access to these resources. Collaborative Forest Management (CFM), as practised in Kyrgyzstan, may be a way to link poverty reduction and forestry activities.

Research from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) examines the linkages between forestry and poverty reduction in Kyrgyzstan. The rural population of Kyrgyzstan are heavily dependent on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods. Forestry in Kyrgyzstan has traditionally been highly centralised and run by government organisations. However, the government has recently experimented with CFM programmes based on the issuing of forest leases to individual households and sometimes to groups. CFM aims to make rural people partners in decisions about the management and use of forest resources.

In 2003 a new forestry concept was developed in which decentralisation, privatisation, and greater involvement of key stakeholders are central topics (the concept was formally approved in April 2004). This new concept clearly encourages CFM. However, there are many limitations to using forestry as a means to reduce poverty:

• Some forest types are slow growing and offer little potential for use as commercial timber or income generation.
• A limited number of leases are made available for CFM and the criteria applied for distribution of these are often not transparent.
• CFM is seen by foresters as a way of sustaining management bodies and protecting the forest, rather than as an opportunity to address poverty.
• There is very little group or community participation in CFM, due to reluctance amongst rural people towards collective agreements and action.

Unequal access to forest resources and decision-making, and the lack of group action to solve this problem, may actually increase poverty levels, rather than reduce them. In order to effectively use forestry resources for poverty reduction, some fundamental changes must be made to forestry management in Kyrgyzstan. The research makes the following policy recommendations:

• The State Forestry Service must be made to prioritise poverty reduction, in accordance with government policy.
• All suitable forests should be made available for CFM and the selection of tenants and leaseholders must positively discriminate towards the poor.
• There must be improvements to procedures for allocating leases and reviewing decisions and complaints.
• The formation of voluntary tenant associations must be encouraged. Where commercial opportunities exist, there needs to be a clear policy of giving contracts to local people.

The forestry sector in West and Central Asia provides some opportunities for poverty reduction and sustainable livelihood development. Furthermore, experiences in implementing this CFM program may provide useful insights for other countries in the region, particularly those of the former Soviet Union. To date, however, policies and practices have been focused too heavily on technology and have tended to favour local elites. This has prevented the poor from gaining sufficient access to forestry resources and from influencing decision-making. Changes must be made to forestry sector throughout West and Central Asia. These changes must be introduced carefully after extensive study on the current situation and potential alternatives.

Source(s):
‘Poverty and forestry: A case study of Kyrgyzstan with reference to other countries in West and Central Asia’, FAO LSP WP 13, Access to Natural Resources and Sub-Programme, by R.J Fisher, K. Schmidt, B. Steenhof and N. Akenshaev, 2004 Full document.

Funded by: Food and Agriculture Organization, Livelihood Support Program

id21 Research Highlight: 17 February 2005

Further Information:
Brieke Steenhof
CFM Project Leader
KIRFOR
Intercooperation,
UI Jamasheva 1, Sputnik,
Djalal-abad
715611
Kyrgyzstan

Tel: +996 3722 53169
Fax: +996 3722 53169
Contact the contributor: jalabad@mail.elcat.kg

Intercooperation Kyrgyzstan

Robert Fisher
Division of Geography
Madsen Building (FO9)
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia

Contact the contributor: rjfisher@ozemail.com.au

University of Sydney

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'Securing the future of forests – lessons from Namibia'

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'Privileging the partnership: can joint forest management succeed?'

'The International Centre for Forestry Research has further research'

'FAO addresses how to use forests and related resources to improve people's conditions'