Dear readers,

The Commentary of the Month for November focuses on the ‘Contribution of Community Forestry to Protected Area Management’. This paper was prepared for the IUCN-World Conservation Forum session on ‘Regional Collaboration in Protected Area Management in Southeast Asia’. The PDF version of the full text and references can be downloaded from http://www.recoftc.org/documents/Workshop_Reports/Contribution of cf to protected area mgt.pdf. As an update, the report on Linkages between Community Forestry and Poverty, featured last month, can also be downloaded from http://www.recoftc.org/documents/Working paper/Community forestry and poverty.pdf.

At the World Conservation Congress, we made many new contacts who signed up for information about RECOFTC. We welcome you to your first issue of our Community Forestry E-News. If you have any news or information to share, please do send them to us. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with you when the opportunity arises.

Closer to home, we are pleased to announce the latest manual on our shelf. The Art of Building Analysis and Writing Skills by Melissa Marschke and Lydia Braakman, based on field-tested training courses, is a practical guide to improve your analysis and case study writing skills. The various session plans can be adapted to suit your own training programs and needs. To purchase a copy, please send a message to info@recoftc.org.

Best regards from Bangkok,

The Editor

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The Community Forestry E-News is an email released at the end of each month to update readers on community forestry related activities and issues throughout Asia and the Pacific. To provide you with the latest news, we welcome any information from different sources on people's participation in forest management. Please send your information, comments and suggestions to mailto:info@recoftc.org by the 20 th of the month.

We would be grateful if you could forward this message to others whom you think would be interested. If you would like to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the list, please visit the RECOFTC website. To find back issues of the E-News, please go to http://www.recoftc.org/04resource/e-letter/e-letter.html

The views expressed in articles published by the Community Forestry E-News do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of RECOFTC.

To learn more about community forestry, go to http://www.recoftc.org/

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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COMMENTARY OF THE MONTH
'The Contribution of Community Forestry to Protected Area Management'

NEWS FROM THE PRESS
1. Cambodia: The death of Cambodia’s forests
2. China: China drafting law to protect nature reserves
3. India: Government preparing model legislation on non-timber forest produce
4. India: Development of forest villages: focus on tribal rights, creation of infrastructure, social security
5. India: BILT bets on farm forestry for margins
6. Malaysia: Firm permitted to fell timber: Board
7. Nepal: Challenges of benefit-sharing
8. Nepal: Now we want to manage it so that people can get more benefit out of it
9. Philippines: Defensor says reforestation failure
10.Philippines: Use charcoal briquettes for fuel to save trees
11.Vietnam: Lawmakers call for sustainable forest use
12.Vietnam: NA approves new laws on power, publishing, forests, local committees

UPDATES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
1. Accessible information on development activities (AiDA)
2. AFSC: Proposed dam project threatens community forest
3. Forestry Images and Invasive.org: Image archive and database systems
4. Google debuts scholarly search service
5. ITTO: Call for papers on experiences in community-based forest industry
6. IUCN/WWF: Whose forest is it anyway?
7. World Bank: Laos Premier urges ASEAN to support mega-dam project

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. 17th Commonwealth Forestry Conference: Forestry’s Contribution to Poverty Reduction
2. ForestLeadership Conference: Partnerships towards Sustainability
3. Global Conference on Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Medicine

PUBLICATIONS
1. For Services Rendered: The Current Status and Future Potential of Markets for the Ecosystem Services Provided by Tropical Forests
2. Involving the Community: A Guide to Participatory Development Communication
3. Poverty and Forestry. A Case Study of Kyrgyzstan with Reference to Other Countries in West and Central Asia
4. The Art of Building Analysis and Writing Skills, A Training Manual

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
1. Cambodia Development Resource Institute: Senior Technical Advisor
2. id21/Institute of Development Studies: Research Editor - Social & Economic Development
3. International Food Policy Research Institute: Research Fellow
4. Oxfam Hong Kong: Representative for Vietnam and Laos
5. UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Fellowships
6. Wetlands International: Project Manager

RECOFTC HAPPENINGS
1. Welcome to Peter Stephen, Capacity Building Coordinator

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COMMENTARY OF THE MONTH
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The Contribution of Community Forestry to Protected Area Management

Forests are one of the most important natural resources and assets for the rural poor to sustain their livelihoods. Global forest cover, in 2000, was 3.9 billion hectares. Worldwide, some 350 million of the world’s poorest people are heavily dependent on the forests for their survival. Another one billion poor people – about 20 per cent of world’s population – rely on remnant woodlands, homestead and farmland trees for their fuelwood supply, food and other household needs. Many of these people live adjacent to (or sometimes inside) forest designated as protected areas. Protected areas have long been used as a method of in-situ conservation. Today, protected areas cover at least 11% of the terrestrial earth’s surface. In contrast, community-owned and administered forest totals at least 377 million hectares, or at least 22 per cent of all forests in developing countries and three times as much forest as is owned by industry or individuals.

In most countries in the region, local communities’ use of forest resources, even on their own lands, is strictly regulated. The strategy of managing forests through stringent protection and regulation has in fact not been very successful in protecting forests in Asia, and has resulted in conflicts between enforcement officers and communities. The costs of effectively enforcing such protection arrangements in existing and future protected areas, is prohibitive. New strategies are required that acknowledge the high costs and conflicts in classical protected area management approaches and look at complementary strategies for achieving conservation by working with, rather than against, local communities.

This treatise is not new, but it is now clearer that these alternative strategies (broadly incorporated in the term ‘community forestry’) have much to offer, although there is also much room for improvement. A recent analysis has shown that whilst community forestry has been able to provide some tangible benefits to poor people, there is no evidence of scaling up. There is, however, a large potential for community forestry to deliver poverty-related outcomes to scale-up these approaches and therefore a broad scope for community forestry to contribute to the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015.

In addition, recognition that strategies for protected area management must provide outcomes that contribute to the Millennium Development Goals is increasing (e.g. through the Durban Accord which signaled a formal intention for governments and conservation partners to move away from strict conservation management to other forms of community-based forest management, with a poverty focus.)

The Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) is well aware of the conflicts between conservation and the needs of communities that rely on the natural resources in their localities. The issues of protected area management approaches and complementary strategies for working with local communities are integrally linked to its vision and strategic plan.

RECOFTC’s Vision and Strategy

RECOFTC’s vision is that local communities in the Asia-Pacific region are actively involved in the equitable and ecologically sustainable management of forest landscapes. The strategic development of landscape linkages or ‘biodiversity corridors’ must be undertaken in the context of current international evidence on forest conservation and poverty linkages, and on current international commitments to reaching the poor.

The linking of forestry development with poverty is a logical one. The evidence shows that community forestry intervention has provided positive outcomes for poor people. This evidence (with examples from policy, strategic and operational levels) provides a basis for suggesting that there a significant potential for community forestry to do this on a large scale.

There is however a paradox. As many rural poor people are living adjacent to, and are reliant on, valuable remaining areas of forest, do economic development opportunities offered through community forestry threaten the conservation values of the resource? We believe not, if managed according to best practices.

We would separate economic development into two realms: firstly opportunities to improve access, management and income for improved subsistence (keeping the poor slightly less poor, with significant product but marginal cash returns from forest management); and secondly management for commercial economic returns (lifting the poor out of poverty).

There are even fewer examples of enterprise development benefiting the poor (let alone also achieving conservation objectives), but those examples that do exist again support a case for developing further lessons for effectively and safely scaling-up.

We should also not throw out good older ideas just because they are old and have therefore had time for poorly applied examples to be publicly seen and evaluated. ICDPs, if applied well, can also provide significant subsistence-level benefits to the rural poor.

RECOFTC’s strategy to scale up community forestry and multiply its impact entails working with community forestry landscapes that will encompass a wide variety of land tenure, land-use entitlements and intervention options. Community forestry will be the ‘glue’ that connects communities and contiguous land parcels together.

Some guiding principles for this work include:

• Ensuring that incentives are provided for protection. This can be in the form of development activities combined with cash payments for environmental services (e.g. Forest Protection Contracts in Vietnam).
• Using community forest management institutions as a vehicle for broader subsistence development. Subsistence-level support for forestry and non-forestry activities can lead to reduced livelihood risk and shocks (i.e. asset building through integrated development planning).
• Using community forest management institutions to support equitable commercial development (e.g. pro-poor entrepreneurship) to lift the poor out of poverty, but within guiding principles from current best practices. For example: choosing native species that are not viable for domestication; conducting a vulnerability assessment for traded species; and developing sustainable inventory and management guidelines before detailed business planning.
• Ensuring that the poor are identified and their needs supported from the beginning (not assuming a local trickle-down effect, but accounting for equity and transaction cost in project intervention).
• Recognizing, respecting and building on local tenure and entitlements. For example, if the law prevents trees being felled on private land or state forest, why should farmers plant them? Also a recognition that biodiversity values can in some cases be higher on private land than public land.
• Developing projects with long time horizons (20 years plus) and graduated measurable milestones that measure process (is the intervention likely to lead to equitable and poor focused outcomes? Can a contiguous area be covered? Are landscape and ecological values being adequately represented?) and products (such as group numbers, area coverage, ecological type and health indicators, income and people health indicators).

RECOFTC can play an important role in advancing community forestry in protected areas in several ways:

At ASEAN Regional Level:

• Analyze the results of field experiences from various countries for practical policy implications.
• Communicate and advocate results and lessons learned from field experiences to relevant national, regional and international policy fora.

In Capacity Building (including HRD):

• Raise awareness through networking, training, workshops, publications, etc. of the importance of adopting a community forestry approach in and around protected areas.
• Design and conduct national and international training courses on how to plan for and implement protected area management through community forestry.
• Strengthen capacity in implementing partners in conservation and protected area management through community forestry.

In Country Programs at National and Sub-national Levels:

• Design and undertake action research studies on the impact of community forestry practice on biodiversity, ecological processes and poverty.
• Design and implement country programs in selected countries in the region to advance, among other things, conservation management through community forestry.
• Contribute to the development of indicators for measuring the impact of community forestry implementation on biodiversity and on the livelihoods of the poor.

Many of these activities can take place concomitantly and synergistically, working across the three program areas of RECOFTC. We look forward to advancing this agenda in collaboration with all key stakeholders in the near future.

If you have any feedback on this Commentary, please send them to Mike Nurse, Manager, Regional Analysis and Representation, RECOFTC (michael.ch@ku.ac.th).

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NEWS FROM THE PRESS
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1. Cambodia: The death of Cambodia’s forests
Source: Keith Andrew Bettinger, Asia Time Online, Tuesday, 23 November 2004

In Cambodia, environmental peculiarities – massive flooding in one region and drought in another – is especially harsh on the people of Cambodia, where more than 80% of the population lives in rural areas and 36% lives in extreme poverty, earning less than 50 US cents per day. Experts have blamed massive deforestation for causing some of the environmental disasters. Pressures on the forests come from every direction: displaced villagers, corrupt government officials lining their pockets with proceeds from illegal logging, other countries that have banned logging within their own borders and demand that Cambodia do the same, and land speculators.

Some proponents have advocated community forestry approaches, which decentralize control over forest resources and aim to develop the nation from the ground up. An important feature of these programs is that they emphasize community participation and local skills development. These approaches have a great deal of support from NGOs and local communities, and were also favored in a recent Independent Forest Sector Review on Cambodia, which was paid for by international donors and jointly commissioned by donors and the government of Cambodia.

Estimates vary as to the amount of forest cover remaining in Cambodia. In 1970, about 70% of the country was covered by primary forest. The most reliable estimates suggest that half has been logged out, with the majority being taken over the past 10 years. It is not clear how the government accounts for its forest stock, and repeated requests to the Environmental Ministry and the Department of Nature Conservation for comment and information were unsuccessful. All experts agree that time is running out.

Cambodia is in a state of flux right now. Further exacerbating the problem is the expiration of the Multi-Fiber Agreement, a system of preferences on garment exports that ensures nations such as Cambodia will have a market for their products. The agreement is set to expire at the end of this year and most analysts expect Cambodia to be hit hard as manufacturers shift to suppliers in China. This could have the dual effect of increasing the number of people that rely on forests for their livelihood, both commercially and in subsistence terms, while increasing the pressure on forests themselves to provide foreign exchange and the corrupt greasing of the wheels that keeps Cambodia running.

For the full text, see http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/FK23Ae01.html

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2. China: China drafting law to protect nature reserves
Source: Xinhua, Tuesday, 16 November 2004

China is drafting a law on protected areas of nature reserves for submission to the National People’s Congress (NPC) in 2006. Currently, land designated as a nature reserve cannot be used in any other way. However, abundant land and forest resources in the country’s nature reserves are owned collectively by the local communities, whose livelihoods subsist on the resources. Lining these villages into the nature reserves will lead to either the difficulty in implementing the regulation on nature reserves or undermine the villagers’ rights and interests.

Mr. Mao Rubai, director with the Environment and Resource Protection Committee of NPC, noted that nature reserves should be reconciled with the development of surrounding communities. To fully understand the rights and interests of surrounding communities and to have the community participate in the management process of protecting nature reserves, the core guideline of co-management advocated by the College of Humanities and Development (COHD - China Agricultural University) and WWF joint research project will be essential references in the legislation on nature reserves law.

For the full text, see http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/16/content_2225929.htm

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3. India: Government preparing model legislation on non-timber forest produce
Source: Team India, Thursday, 4 November 2004

A model legislation was being prepared for adoption by states, conferring rights in respect of non-timber forest produce for weaker sections working in the forests, according to Union Environment and Forests Minister, A Raja. The legislation will safeguard the legal rights of tribal communities over mineral and water resources and protect their livelihoods. Raja said his ministry had formulated the Draft National Environment Policy which is intended to be a guide to environment protection throughout the country and at the same time taking care of the livelihoods of the poor.

An Action Plan was being developed to increase the country’s forest and tree cover from about 23 per cent of the land area to 33 per cent by 2012. The Ministry has also fixed a target to clean up all major rivers in the country by 2012.

For the full text, see http://www.teamindia.net/index.php?action=fullnews&id=33967

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4. India: Development of forest villages: focus on tribal rights, creation of infrastructure, social security
Source: Press Information Bureau, Friday, 5 November 2004

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has identified the development of tribal villages as the priority agenda item for the year 2004-2005. Of the total number of 2,690 forest villages reported by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, only 167 villages have so far been converted into revenue villages and get the benefits of all development schemes. All state governments have also been requested to take immediate action to confer ownership rights in respect of minor forest produce (MFP) by defining MFP under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The Ministry has asked the states to define MFP in such a way that it includes ‘all’ the traditional produce of the tribals.

For the full text, see http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=4752

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5. India: BILT bets on farm forestry for margins
Source: SIFY, Thursday 18 November 2004

Paper companies, such as Ballarpur Industries Ltd (BILT), are aggressively looking at farm forestry operations to cut down on the landed cost of wood, which could translate into higher margins for them and also lower paper prices in the long run. With transportation costs accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the wood cost, these companies are pursuing farm forestry operations near their manufacturing units instead of relying on sourcing wood from the timber market.

BILT Tree Tech Ltd. supplies farmers, in and around areas where the mills are located, with seedlings and provides buyback support for the plantations. The farmers, in turn, plant pulpwood, mostly eucalyptus, acacia and casuarina trees, on land owned by them, which is mostly degraded forestland. Currently, the company is working with about 12,000 farmers and about 40,000 ha have been planted. The area is expected to double in the next three years, with a target that 30 per cent of the total wood requirement should come from the farm forestry operations.

Other players are also looking at farm forestry to address the Government’s policy of not allowing corporates to develop plantations. In fact, the area brought under farmland for tree cultivation had almost doubled from 20,000 ha to over 40,000 ha by 2002. Companies such as Harihar Polyfibres and ITC Bhadrachalam are now getting a huge chunk of their wood from farmers.

For the full text, see http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=13612424

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6. Malaysia: Firm permitted to fell timber: Board
Source: Daily Express, Wednesday, 24 November 2004

The Board of Trustees (BoT) and main community leaders of a gazetted Native Grazing Reserve encompassing three villages refute that illegal logging is going on at the 810 hectares (2,000 acres) reserve. They contend that the felling involving Kg Kaiduan, Kg Bisuang and Kg Bolotikon constitutes development for an integrated oil palm project by Excel Spot Sdn Bhd. Thus, the work done by the company is not unlawful as it was appointed for the task by the BoT in early 2003. The company would only be acting illegally if the logs were taken out of the reserve without obtaining Form 2B (to pay royalty to the government) issued by the Forestry Department.

Excel Spot had obtained the District Office's approval to enter the reserve as well as clear the area and received support from the Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry (Dovsai). However, approval from the Secretary of Natural Resources of the Chief Minister's Department to enable the company to pay for the royalty and take it out of the reserve has yet to be obtained.

For the full text, see http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=30907

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7. Nepal: Challenges of benefit-sharing
Source: Keshab Poudel, Nepal News, Vol. 24, No. 17, 26 November- 2 December 2004

After more than two and a half decades of implementation, Nepal's community forestry program has reached another stage – on issues of sharing benefits, which is going to be more complicated and difficult. There are many ambiguities regarding the role of community user groups and the government. There is no law to define whether the community user groups are just implementing institutions or they have the right of ownership. This confusion has already resulted in a number of disputes between the government and user groups recently. As forests are just beginning to reach the mature stage of generating resources, there will be more such disputes in the future on the matter of sharing benefits. The challenges that lie ahead is how to prevent confrontation in the process of community forest management.

Following the expiry of the tenure of representatives of the local bodies two years ago, the community forestry user groups are the only representative institutions at the grassroots level functioning in many parts of the country. Although intensification of insurgency has created a number of problems, user groups have been able to keep their institution intact, continue to organize meetings and decide the way out for resource mobilization.

According to the Community Forestry Division of Department of Forest, more than 11,13,171 ha of forest areas have already handed over to 13,538 forest user groups up until 11 November 2004 covering 15,28,032 households. The total annual income from the sale of forest products from community forest is about Rs.747 million. In calculating the proportion of the value of forest products, timber generates the highest percentage (69 percent) followed by fuel wood 18 percent, and grass and fodder and bedding materials 10 percent.

According to a study conducted, CFUGs are spending 28.5 percent of their income in forest protection and management. Community development comprises the highest proportion of CFUG expenses (36 percent), which includes school support, road construction and other community infrastructure development. Although it is very low at 3 percent, the CFUGs are also spending their money on pro-poor programs. The total annual budget of the Department of Forest was about Rs.680 million, and the annual income of the Department was about Rs.550 million in 2002.

The first two and half decades of community forestry program has taught that the sustainable forest management is possible when the user groups at the grass root level are accountable to the people. Despite intensification of insurgency resulting in the disruption of voting exercise at the central and local level, forest user groups are still functioning; managing the forest for the benefit of a large segment of the population.

For the full text, see http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/spotlight/2004/nov/nov26/coverstory.htm

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8. Nepal: Now we want to manage it so that people can get more benefit out of it
Source: Keshab Poudel, Nepal News, Vol. 24, No. 17, 26 November- 2 December 2004

Keshav Raj Kanel, Division Chief of Community Forestry at the Department of Forest, is a well-known resource economist. Kanel spoke to SPOTLIGHT on various issue related to the community forestry. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

How do you find the present situation of the community forestry?
Community forestry is a program directed to the utilization of forest resources through the participation of local community. We are building democratically elected local institutions - which can work with local administrative system. Community forestry is a paradigm shift in conservation development. Initially, it was to create the natural resources. Now we want to manage it so that people can get more benefit out of it.

What was the priority of the first phase?
More than 1.1 million ha of forest land (25 percent of the total land) has so far been handed over to over 13,000 Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), which constitutes around 35 percent of the total population of Nepal. Denuded forest areas have regenerated, the condition of the forest has improved, and the users themselves decide the level of forest extraction. Income from the sale of forest products is used in community development, and forest management activities are based on the decisions of the users themselves. In first phase, the aim was to create greenery in the hills, which was too much degenerated. We were successful in reviving the greenery in the region.

What are the challenges for community forestry?
The challenges lie in increasing the productivity of these forests, streamlining the benefits from forests towards livelihood promotion (particularly poverty alleviation), and strengthening good governance for equitable performance. The next stage of the program should be focused on livelihood promotion, good governance and sustainable forest management.

How much money do the CFUGs generate annually?
The total annual income from the sale of forest products from community forest is about Rs.747 million. Forest user groups consume a major portion of forests products – about 79 percent within the groups.

Where do the CFUGs spend their money?
Community development comprises the highest proportion of CFUG expenses (about 36 percent), which includes school support, road construction and other community infrastructure development. Operational cost is the third biggest area of CFUG's expenditure. Although it is very low, CFUGs are spending 3 percent of their money on pro-poor programs. We can see that the CF program generates substantial income; the distributional effects of this program are being raised. About 25 percent of national forest is now being managed by more than 35 percent of the total population of Nepal. Elected representatives or about 143,000 committee members (of which 35,000 are women) make day-to-day decisions about forests, funds, and other development activities. Their leadership capacity has substantially increased with the result that many of them have taken leadership positions in District Development and Village Development Committees.

How do you settle the issues related to distribution of resources generated by the Community Forest UserGroups among local bodies, the government and community forest user groups?
Our Ministry considers that the sharing of revenue generated from community forest among the CFUGs, local political bodies and the government should be resolved through a consultative process.

Do you see any possibility to increase the income?
Community forests are generating substantial amount of forest products and income. There is also a substantial potential of further generating income from the better management of community forests. These funds can be better utilized to benefit the poor and marginal groups. There are multiple avenues of channeling resources through CFUGs in alleviating poverty in the rural areas of Nepal. CFUGs will be assisted to tap these resources for the benefit of poor and disadvantaged groups.

For the full text, see http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/spotlight/2004/nov/nov26/coverstory.htm

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9. Philippines: Defensor says reforestation failure
Source: Allan Macatuno, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Thursday, 11 November 2004

Environment Secretary Michael Defensor said the government’s reforestation program has failed to fully achieve sustainable development, as the remaining forests in the country remain “fragmented.” The reforestation projects have only achieved a 30-percent success rate in the past years because people hardly recognized the economic benefits from protecting the environment.

“Local governance and community participation play key roles in improving the state of our country’s forests. Our local governments are now combining forest protection efforts with livelihood opportunities,” Defensor said.

For the full text, see http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=17732

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10. Philippines: Use charcoal briquettes for fuel to save trees
Source: Rhodina Villanueva, ABS CBN News, Wednesday, 24 November 2004

To remove the dependence of forestry-based communities on destructive-livelihood activities like kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) and traditional charcoal-making, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has urged the public to shift to charcoal briquettes (DCBs) instead of using ordinary charcoal or uling, which has become common alternative to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for home cooking.

Materials used in DCBs are leaves, twigs and stems and other forest waste. For wood-based sources, those that are widely used in DCB-making are twigs and branches of trees such as gmelina, ipil-ipil, mahogany, kakawate and avocado. They are dried using “carbonization”, a technology devised by the DENR’s Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), and then compacted into briquettes using starch as binding material. Since 1999, the DENR has been helping upland communities in the provinces to mass produce and market DCBs as a major livelihood activity under its Community-Based Forest Management Program.

According to studies by the ERDB, a family’s wood-fuel requirement to be able to cook three meals a day would need around three-and-a-half kilos of ordinary charcoal which costs P30 to P35, while it would only take around 1.69 kilos of DCBs, which cost P12 a kilo, for the same amount of cooking. A total of 43 million m 3 of charcoal are consumed yearly with an average of 0.05 m 3 a person a year.

For the full text, see http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?section=Metro&OID=63975

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11. Vietnam: Lawmakers call for sustainable forest use
Source: VNA, Saturday, 30 October 2004

The rate of forest destruction has increased alarmingly. Figures from 1995 indicated the nation’s forests had dwindled from nearly half the country in 1943 to cover about 28 per cent of the country nine years ago.

Prudent use of land and incentives for farmers to preserve trees should be clearly defined under law for sustainable harvesting of the country’s forests. Assigning forests to farmers was the right policy, and many farmers associated forest preservation with protection of their income source, although it was conceded that many farmers found it difficult to resist cutting down trees when they were paid up to VND100,000 per tree, compared to an average yearly conservation fee of VND50,000 per hectare.

The law should offer farmers appropriate incentives, so they would not be tempted by offers from timber smugglers, and for forest rangers to be given authority on a par with police to improve enforcement of forest protection. The law should allocate forest land to nearby communities, as locals had proved effective in protecting and developing about 2.4 million hectares of the nation’s forest. Furthermore, the forests should not be set aside for political or social organisations, as there would be no individuals to be personally accountable for the forests in the long term.

For the full text, see http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/2004-10/30/Stories/02.htm

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12. Vietnam: NA approves new laws on power, publishing, forests, local committees
Source: VNS, Tuesday, 11 November 2004

The National Assembly (NA) passed the law on Forest Protection and Development with the support of more than 78 per cent of voting deputies. The revised law, including 8 chapters and 88 articles, was necessary to improve the State’s management of forest protection and development as well as protecting the rights and interests of farmers. The provisions of the revised law include: forest planning, protection and development, forest allocation and lease, as well as changes in forest utilisation. The provisions set out the responsibilities of forest protection, the rights and obligations of naturalists, as well as the organisation of the forest rangers. The new law also says that farmers who want to clear-cut natural forest for other land purposes must plant new trees to ensure sustainable forest development for the whole country. In order to secure national security and defence, as well as to promote forestry potential, the government will consider specific regulations for forest development projects.

For the full text, see http://www.vneconomy.com.vn/eng/index.php?param=article&catid=03&id=041115101154

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UPDATES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
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1. Accessible Information on Development Activities (AiDA)

AiDA, part of the Development Gateway, is a common entry point to information found on the web sites of international development donors and some civil society organizations and private foundations. It is an extensive directory of historical and current activities from participating sites. From AiDA, you can get information on project funding and implementing agencies by country, donor, and topic. For more information, visit http://aida.developmentgateway.org/AidaHome.do.

Source: IFPRI-TCSP Newsletter Vol. 4, No. 11

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2. AFSC: Proposed dam project threatens community forest

Its early dawn as our boat plies its way through the dark waters of the Kampong Saom River, in the Sre Ambel district of Koh Kong province. As we make our way upstream, pairs of oriental pied hornbills fly across our path, while the occasional iridescent coloured kingfisher is flushed from its perch by the roar of our outboard. Looking to our right, towards the Elephant Mountains, the dark deciduous jungle of the Phnom Toub Cheng community forest emerges from the morning mist.

In the boat are staff of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), an international NGO that has been operating in the area since 1997. Working with local communities, the NGO has helped the area’s villagers take responsibility for their neighbouring forests, showing them how to use and manage them sustainability. In their wake, the tide of slash and burn farming, which once threatened this jungle, has been reversed, while villagers have found sustainable ways to use the resources they hold. Now wild animals, formerly extinct from the area, have started to reappear, bird numbers have increased and indicators of rural well-being are on the rise.

However, just as the future looks bright for the people and forests of the upper Kampong Saom, dark clouds are on the horizon. These clouds take the form of a proposed dam, Kirirom III, which a Chinese company, with support from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, is proposing to build within the boundaries of the community forest. Unsurprising, the project poses numerous threats to the Phnom Toub Cheng initiative, of which three are especially concerning for villagers and AFSC staff.

The first, according to Mr Kheang Song, AFSC natural resource component manager, will be the flooding of jungle that will come with the filling of the dam. This will result, he explains, in the loss of land and trees formerly designated as community forest. The area that will be lost by flooding is unclear, according to Song, although estimates of 2 to 3 square kilometres have been calculated on the basis of maps previously shown to him.

The second problem, Song explains, is the intention to create two large cuttings through the centre of the community forest, each 200 metres wide, to transport lake water to the Kampong Saom River, via a piped tail race; “We cannot understand the need for such wide cuttings through the forest; this will scar the mountains, open them up to erosion, deprive animals of habitat and the villages of forest products”, he remarks.

Mr Mien, meanwhile, a farmer who has lived in the area since the early 1980s and is the present chair of the community forest, shares a concern with other villagers about the loss of water from the down stream section of the dammed river, a smaller branch of the Kampong Saom River. He explains, “The dam will mean no water will find its way downstream; this will affect our land, which depends on freshwater from this river, the river fishery will be lost; we are very worried.”

Villages are also anxious about the effects that this diversion of water will have on the downstream Steng Penrol Falls, whose jungle setting and size make them an ideal eco-tourism site. “This area has been recognised as having enormous potential for tourism”, remarks Song, “in the past visitors have come here and in the future there are possibilities for community-based eco-tourism, but without water this opportunity will be lost.”

Meanwhile, attempts by Vuthy Doung, the AFSC programme manager, to find out more about the project from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and the construction company have gone unanswered, “We would like to talk to them [the Ministry and company] about the project and to have the concerns of the villagers recognised. We understand the needs of Cambodia for electricity, but we also think it is possible to have the dam without the bad effects that the villagers and our staff have identified”.

Those working with the villagers recognise that the lack of public discussion on the proposal has created unease within the local community. Amongst some, it has even raised questions about their involvement in community forestry. “They [the villagers] feel that they have been doing the right thing to protect and use the forest sustainability”, Song explains, “now they hear of people who want to come and cut down the trees and flood the forest. They do not understand why this is allowed.”

AFSC and community forest members appear united in their wish for discussion with the dam’s proponents and the desire for cooperation with them. “We want to work together”, Doung remarks, “so that villagers, the forest and the dam people can all be happy.”

Coordination in the production of social and environmental impact reports is, Doung suggests, one form this should take, “It is important, if the dam is to be truly sustainable, that local concerns and environmental impacts are recognised and then remedied or mitigated.”

Our boat pulls up at the small dock of Kran Chak village, the main settlement bordering the Phnom Toub Cheng community forest. Children rush down to greet us, smiles appearing as they recognise the faces of their favourite AFSC staffers. Dogs appear underfoot as we alight from the boat; another day, working together in this forest of hope, beckons.

In the distance the echoing call of gibbons, feeding in the branches of the rejuvenated jungle can be heard. But just how long this scene will play out is now, today, in the balance.

Wayne McCallum will be in Laos between 21 November to 10 December. At this time he can be contacted through macwayne9@hotmail.com. Mr McCallum is a New Zealand volunteer working as a natural resource management advisor to the AFSC programme in Sre Ambel. If you wish to verify the content of this article please contact Vuthy Doung, AFSC programme manager (Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods Programme), Sre Ambel. Ph. 035 940 740; 012 694 460. E-mail: 012694460@mobitel.com.kh

Source: Community Forestry Alliance for Cambodia (CFAC), email: cfac1@online.com.kh

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3. Forestry Images and Invasive.org: Image archive and database systems

New releases of the Forestry Images <http://www.forestryimages.org/> and Invasive.org <http://www.invasive.org/> Image Archive and Database Systems are now available for use.

Over 25,000 high quality photographs and images taken by over 650 photographers on a wide array of forested system and invasive species topics are available for educational use at no cost as long as appropriate credits are given. The operational concept of The Bugwood Network systems is to consolidate a wide array of quality images that are available to users for educational purposes. Subjects for which images are available include: Forest Pests, Invasive Organisms, Other Damage Agents, Tree Identification, Understory and Rangeland Plants, Silvicultural Practices, and Wildlife. Although the primary focus of these sites is North America, there are many hundreds of images of European species as well as organisms from other parts of the world with special focus on those that are of regulatory significance. The image systems are taxonomically-based and are fully searchable. Multiple resolutions of every image are available enabling the user to find and select the appropriate image for his/her application. Every image and image resolution has a unique URL and, hence, can be directly linked into a web application. Voluntary contributions of photographs and images are welcomed. Contact Keith Douce, Professor of Entomology and Co-coordinator of The Bugwood Network, University of Georgia, Tifton Georgia USA (kdouce@uga.edu) for questions or to discuss contribution of images to these systems.

Source: Forest Information Update Vol. 5, No. 46, 15 November 2004

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4. Google debuts scholarly search service

Google is adding a new search service geared toward the needs of academic and scientific researchers, offering a central starting point for scholarly literature like peer-reviewed papers, books, abstracts and technical reports. The new search tool, accessible at http://scholar.google.com is the result of collaboration with a number of scientific and academic publishers, including ACM, Nature, IEEE and OCLC. The new service initially will be advertisement-free, but company executives say that will change.

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5. ITTO: Call for papers on experiences in community-based forest industry

The development of a socially responsible, community-based forest industry could play a crucial role in the achievement of sustainable forest management and in reducing poverty. However, many communities lack the capacity to undertake such activities, including product processing and development, business management, marketing and gaining access to financial resources.

The International Tropical Timber Organization is undertaking a study to identify and review experiences of about 20 community-based forest industries in ITTO producer countries. As part of the study, ITTO invites the submission of papers on experiences in community-based production of timber and timber products, non-timber forest products, or forest-related environmental services.

For further information or to submit a paper, contact Dr. Hwan Ok Ma (ma@itto.or.jp). The deadline for submission of papers is 31 March 2005.

Source: Tropical Forest Update, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2004

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6. IUCN/WWF: Whose forest is it anyway?

Who owns the world’s forests and what ownership systems work best for forest conservation? The latest issue of arborvitæ, the joint IUCN/WWF Forest Conservation Newsletter, explores forest ownership from different angles and from the experiences of numerous countries worldwide. The feature article by Forest Trends shows that communities not only own and administer 22 percent of all forest land in developing countries, but that they also invest between US $1.3 billion and US $2.6 billion in sustainable forest management. This is more than the investment made by their own governments or external donors, making them the largest investors in forests today. So is community ownership the way forward? Clearly, though there is a marked shift towards community management and ownership, the social, political and economic complexities surrounding forest ownership preclude a one-size-fits-all solution. Several articles in this issue highlight the problems faced in the implementation of decentralization and privatization measures and stress the need for governments to continue playing a regulatory role and providing incentives for sustainable forest management.

For the PDF version of the issue, go to http://www.iucn.org/info_and_news/press/arborvitae-26.pdf

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7. World Bank: Laos Premier urges ASEAN to support mega-dam project

Laos' prime minister lobbied Monday for a massive dam in his country, urging Southeast Asian leaders to support the long-delayed project, aimed at alleviating poverty but slammed by critics who say it will destroy forest homes of rural Laotians and elephants.

Prime Minister Bounnhang Vorachith told leaders in an opening speech to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit that Laos is a landlocked country with few resources. The government bills the $1.3 billion plans to build the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric dam as the centerpiece of efforts to raise living standards of the country's 5.7 million people, among the world's poorest. The project has been held up for years amid criticism from international environmental groups and social groups. They say the reservoir, created by the 48-meter-high dam across the Nam Theun River, would flood a 450-square-kilometer forest area. Thailand signed a contract earlier this year to buy 90 percent of the electricity produced by the dam for 25 years, providing $200 million in annual revenues - about half of which would go to Laos' communist government.

The World Bank must decide by May 2005 whether it will provide a guarantee protecting international investors – who would provide 70 percent of the funding - against the risk of investing in a communist country notorious for corruption and a weak legal system.

Source: World Bank Press Review for November 29, 2004

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EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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1. 17th Commonwealth Forestry Conference: Forestry’s Contribution to Poverty Reduction
28 February-5 March 2005, Colombo, Sri Lanka

To view the provisional program, go to http://www.cfa-international.org/CFC%20Outline%20Programme.doc.

For more information, contact Conservator General of Forests, Forest Department Sampathaya, P.O. Box 3, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka, Tel: 941-286-6616; Fax: 941-286-6633, forlib@sltnet.lk

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2. Forest Leadership Conference: Partnerships towards Sustainability
1-3 March 2005, Toronto, Canada

The ForestLeadership conference features a combination of keynote addresses, high-powered panels and breakout sessions, targeted at industry, conservation, government and other leaders in sustainable forestry from North America and from around the world.

Consult the conference program and find registration and accommodation booking details at http://www.forestleadership.com.

For further information, contact The ForestLeadership Conference Team, Tel (514) 274-4344 or toll free (888) 274-4344, Fax (514) 277-6663. E-mail conference@forestleadership.com

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3. Global Conference on Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Medicine
16-18 March 2005, Johannesburg, South Africa

Hosted by Africa First, the main theme of the conference is “Can assuring protection for indigenous knowledge lead to quality improvement in global health care system?” An objective of the conference is to educate indigenous healers on how to develop and protect their medical products, process and procedures.

The conference objectives are to:

• review current international, regional, state and local laws as they affect indigenous knowledge and practices, and to recommend changes and amendments to such laws wherever necessary, so as to give adequate protection to indigenous knowledge and the rights of traditional healers to medicinal knowledge and products against bio-piracy;
• educate indigenous healers on how to develop and protect their medical products, process and procedures; and
• promote collaboration between indigenous healers, conventional medical practitioners and corporate institutions for joint-development and sharing of intellectual property rights of medicinal products, processes and procedures for the advancement of the global village.

The conference is designed for members of governmental and nongovernmental institutions; orthodox medical practitioners and personnel from medical schools and associations; traditional health practitioners; representatives from foundations and pharmaceutical/bio-tech companies; and legal practitioners and students from schools and societies around the world.

For more information, contact J. William Danquah, President/CEO, Africa First, LLC, 517 Asbury Street 11 St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 USA, info@africa-first.com

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PUBLICATIONS
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1. For Services Rendered: The Current Status and Future Potential of Markets for the Ecosystem Services Provided by Tropical Forests
Scherr, S., White, A. and Khare, A., 2004. ITTO Technical Series 21. ITTO, Yokohama.

This report looks into issues surrounding payments for services rendered by tropical forests. Four key findings include:

• The total value of direct ecosystem service payments in tropical countries is presently modest, but has grown dramatically over the past decade;
• Markets for forest ecosystem services are expected to grow over the next 20 years;
• Governments play a critical role as the principal buyers of many of the services and as catalysts for private-sector direct-payment schemes; and
• Ecosystem service payments will in most cases cover only a modest – but potentially catalytic – share of the costs of good forest management.

Three main issues for consideration when engaging in ecosystem service markets are:

• Property rights and national legal frameworks are necessary for ecosystem service markets to develop;
• Markets are not likely to contribute substantially to poverty alleviation unless proactive efforts are made to recognize rights and shape markets to provide equal access to low-income producers; and
• New market institutions are needed to reduce transaction costs and financial risks.

For a copy of the report, contact Information Officer, ITTO Secretariat, ahadome@itto.or.jp.

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2. Involving the Community: A Guide to Participatory Development Communication
Bessette, G., 2004. Southbound, Penang, and IDRC, Ottawa.

This book, published by Southbound in association with Canada’s International Development Research Center, is intended for people working in research and development. It introduces participatory development communication concepts, discusses effective two-way communication approaches, and presents a methodology to plan, develop, and evaluate communication strategies. The book seeks to address the following questions:

• How can researchers and practitioners improve communication with local communities and other stakeholders?
• How can two-way communication enhance community participation in research and development initiatives and improve the capacity of communities to participate in the management of their natural resources?
• How can researchers, community members, and development practitioners improve their ability to effectively reach policymakers and promote change?

For more information, visit http://web.idrc.ca/ev_en.php?ID=52226_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC, or to download the e-book, go to http://web.idrc.ca/openebooks/066-7/

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3. Poverty and Forestry. A Case Study of Kyrgyzstan with Reference to Other Countries in West and Central Asia
Fisher, R.J., Schmidt, K., Steenhof, B. and Akenshaev, N., 2004. LSP Working Paper 13. Rome, FAO, Livelihood Support Programme (LSP).

This paper uses the case study of Kyrgyzstan to show how access to forests in West and Central Asia can contribute to poverty reduction using a sustainable livelihoods approach. The study supports FAO's Forestry Outlook Study which aims to better understand the dynamics and relationships between societies and nature and particularly the role of the forestry sector in socio-economic development.

To download the PDF version of the paper, go to ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/J2603E/J2603E00.pdf

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4. The Art of Building Analysis and Writing Skills, A Training Manual
Marschke, M. and Braakman, L., 2004. RECOFTC, Bangkok.

The training manual was prepared to help users

• improve their analysis and writing skills through learning how to write a case study;
• experiment with how to share stories and lessons learned from field experiences;
• stimulate them with ideas on how to train others in specific writing and analysis techniques needed to develop case studies; and
• build the skills of other writers, not only in writing, but also in analysis, by providing them with a field-tested learning process and writer’s toolkit.

This manual can be used in many different ways, depending on the type of training program being planned, objective, target group, money and time available. The contents can be adapted for an intensive two-week course, or components can be extracted to reinforce certain skills. Field exercises can be incorporated, or time can be set aside for participants to go back and practice on the job.

For more information or to purchase a copy of the manual, please contact info@recoftc.org.

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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1. Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI)

Position: Senior Technical Advisor - Natural Resources and Environment
Location: Phnom Penh Cambodia

The CDRI, Cambodia’s leading policy-oriented research institute is seeking a Senior Technical Advisor for its Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) programme. Initiated in 2001, the NRE Programme conducts research to support improved policymaking on issues of natural resource management, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development. The framework for upcoming research focuses on assessing the economic benefits of Cambodia’s natural resources. This assessment will serve as a foundation for identifying management strategies that can be environmentally and financially sustainable pathways out of poverty. The Senior Technical Advisor position offers an exciting opportunity to conduct path-breaking research on NRE issues in Cambodia, and build the capacity of research staff. S/he will provide technical advice, strategic direction and support to a team of NRE researchers, and promote a collegial working environment, conducive to scholarship, creativity and productivity. S/he will have a commitment to the quality and integrity of research and responsibility for the delivery of research outputs. S/he will be committed to strengthening research capability within CDRI and facilitating national, regional, and international cooperation between research institutes with mutual interests. S/he will work with others to ensure the effective dissemination of research findings and analysis, and actively engage Cambodian policymakers, the aid community, and civil society organisations in policy discussions related to areas of NRE’s research.

Preferred qualifications:
Masters or PhD in Environmental/Resource Economics, or related field (e.g., natural resource management, public policy, development studies) with significant coursework in economics; Experience with policy-oriented, socio-economic research; economic analysis of natural resource issues; Sound analytical grasp of natural resource management issues affecting Cambodia and the region; Demonstrated management ability, strong organisational skills, and experience working with and motivating a team; Strong communications skills, experience in mentoring, and commitment to professional development of researchers; Excellent English writing and oral skills.

Competitive salary and benefits. The appointment is for a two-year period, with possibility of extension.

Submit application letter, CV, sample publications, and list of three professional referees (names, post and e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers) to the Director, CDRI, P.O. Box 622, #56 Street 315, Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh Cambodia, FAX (855) 23 -880-734 or E-mail: Moudda@cdri.forum.org.kh; website: http://www.cdri.org.kh.

Source: Forest Information Update vol. 5, No. 44, 1 November 2004

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2. id21/Institute of Development Studies

Position: Research Editor - Social & Economic Development
Location: Brighton, UK
Closing date: 17 December 2004

id21 is an online service, based at IDS, that relays the latest and best development research to the policy community worldwide (more at www.id21.org). We need a versatile communicator with a background in Social and Economic Development.

The post involves writing and editing reviews, articles and syntheses of the latest and best research on social and economic development. id21 aims to make development research accessible to a diverse international audience of development policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders. Creativity and a sound knowledge of research are therefore essential.

A relevant post-graduate qualification or equivalent experience in social and economic research plus excellent writing and editorial skills are essential.

Interview date: 6 January 2005

OFFICIAL APPLICATIONS FORMS ONLY. For further information and to download an application form please log on to www.ids.ac.uk/ids/recruit/index.html. Alternatively to receive a hard copy, please email Human Resources, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, hr@ids.ac.uk.

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3. International Food Policy Research Institute (IPFRI)

Position: Research Fellow
Location: Washington DC, USA
Closing date: 5 December 2004, or until filled

IFPRI seeks a qualified candidate to serve as a Research Fellow (RF) for a two year, fixed term appointment primarily based at Washington D.C. This position will involve travel to the ISNAR Divisional headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and any of the countries in which IFPRI carries out its research.

Essential duties:

• Conduct research, analysis, training, outreach, and communication activities on developing countries, with a focus on distance learning in postgraduate education in agriculture.
• Participate in teaching courses in policy analysis related to food, agriculture and natural resources, research management, policy communication, and research methods among others.
• Facilitate the conversion of research results into learning materials.
• Develop postgraduate distance learning program under the new CGIAR initiative of Global Open Agriculture and Food University.
• Work on a number of developing countries.
• Wwork with local collaborators in various countries.
• Produce quality distance learning training, research, and outreach publications.

Required qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in agricultural sciences, agriculture economics, economics, social sciences, development issues, or related field.
• At least three years post PhD experience of empirical agriculture research and management in developing countries.
• Strong capabilities in quantitative analysis.
• Experience in distance learning.
• Ability to work in multi disciplinary teams.
• Ability to travel extensively.
• General understanding of Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.
• Strong communication skills in written and spoken English.
• Must be goal oriented and a creative team player.

Preferred qualifications:

• Work experience in Africa and South Asia highly preferred.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening approaches and distance learning.
• Other language skills desirable.

Email as attached word documents a detailed letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of at least three references to: IFPRI HRS, Position #04-156, 2033 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. E-mail: IFPRI-HRINTL@cgiar.org. Applications that do not include the position number and the job title will not be considered.

For more information on IFPRI, please visit www.ifpri.org.

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4. Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK)

Position: Representative for Vietnam and Laos
Location: Vietnam
Closing date: 5 December 2004

OHK is seeking a Representative to lead a committed, professional team of 10 local staff to support and further develop our programmes in Vietnam and Laos. Our goal is to improve the livelihoods of poor people in remote, mountainous areas, with a focus on women, ethnic minorities and the environment. We do this through a geographically-focused, sectorally integrated programme approach, including sustainable livelihood, basic services and disaster management. Key elements include partnerships with and capacity building for local organizations, enhancing the participation of marginalised people, and strengthening gender equity.

Overall responsibility:
The Representative will have overall responsibility for strategic development of the Vietnam and Laos programmes in line with OHK’s regional strategy, and for ensuring the high-quality impact of our work and the professionalism of our staff. In particular:

• Representation. Represent OHK in Vietnam and Laos; support strategic development of our advocacy work; play an active role in the national development communities; represent OHK in Oxfam International in Vietnam and Laos.
• Programme Development and Support. Ensure high-quality and gender sensitive programme development and implementation; ensure partner participation and support the development of partnerships with civil society; ensure high-quality monitoring and evaluation; engage in agency policy-making and strategizing; actively seek out opportunities for collaboration with other development organizations; support and develop the Laos programme; and ensure timely emergency responses.
• Capacity Building . Strongly support capacity building for all staff and partner organisations, focusing particularly on gender and development management; support the development of civil society organizations.
• Administration. Take full responsibility for financial transparency and accountability.

Necessary qualifications:

• Extensive professional field experience in development work, including work with NGOs and government organizations.
• Proven skills in leading and developing a strong cross-cultural team, and sensitivity to local cultural and political context.
• Excellent analytical, writing and organizational skills.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Financial and personnel management skills.
• A personal commitment to OHK’s principles, including gender equity and participation.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision.
• The health and personal situation necessary to travel extensively under often difficult conditions to remote areas of the country as well as within the region.
• Computer literate in Word, e-mail and the internet.

Preferred qualifications:

• Ability to speak and read Vietnamese.
• Extensive work experience in Vietnam or the Southeast Asia region.

This Hanoi-based position is offered on a two-year contract , preferably start from Jan 2005. Salary and benefits are competitive with those of similar organizations and positions.

Send CV and cover letter including 3 work references, to: Human Resource Manager, Oxfam Hong Kong, 17 Floor, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong. Email: HR@oxfam.org.hk. Interviews will be held on 10 Dec 2004.

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5. UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Fellowships

Closing date: 14 January 2005

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is calling on young researchers with advanced degrees (M.A., M.Sc. or equivalent) in developing countries to apply to the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowship Programme for fellowships ranging from USD $6,000 to USD $10,000. The amount varies according to duration and place of study. The duration of the research studies could be between 3 months (minimum) to 9 months (maximum).

Through this programme, UNESCO grants a total of 20 fellowships a year to researchers in four areas: environment, intercultural dialogue, information and communication technologies, and peaceful conflict resolution.

A maximum of two researchers, no older than 40, will be chosen by each National Commission. A selection committee made up of experts in the four study areas will then examine the applications and make preliminary recommendations to the Director-General.

Only applications from invited countries are eligible to apply (see below for more information). No applications will be considered from individuals. All applications must be sent to the National Commission for UNESCO of the country of origin of the candidate (see below for more information). The National Commission will decide whether they will submit the application to UNESCO. It should be noted that all candidatures must be endorsed by the National Commission for UNESCO.

To obtain The UNESCO Fellowship Application Form, applicants may contact the National Commission for UNESCO in their country. (The Medical Examination Report is NOT NEEDED when applying.)

Contact Ali Zaid, Chief of Section a.i. Fellowships, Tel: +33 (0)1 45 68 15 07, Fax: +33 (0)1 45 68 55 03, l.zas-friz@unesco.org, http://www.unesco.org/fellowships

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6. Wetlands International

Position: Project Manager
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands
Closing date: 14 December 2004

Wetlands International has received from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DGIS, a grant contribution under the TMF funding mechanism for a global project on “Wetlands and Poverty Reduction”, with four major focal areas:

• Influencing international policy frameworks relevant to poverty-environment issues in wetlands, as well as national level planning mechanisms such as PRSPs and national Biodiversity or Wetland Strategies.
• Poverty reduction initiatives in Africa and South-east Asia integrating wise use wetland management practices. The Project Manager will ensure that project activities will deliver measurable results in terms of poverty reduction and bring a specific focus to the values of wetlands for environmental and food security.
• Enhancing technical capacity to deliver poverty reduction in wetland areas in Africa .
• Development of awareness and outreach materials focused on development sectors, the global donor community and NGOs.

Reporting to the Senior Programme Manager, the main duties of the Project Manager will include:

• Responsibility for effective management of projects and activities under the Wetlands and Poverty Reduction DGIS-financed Programme .
• Coordination of staff, consultants and involvement of partner agencies in the implementation of the DGIS-financed programme.
• Development and promotion of new partnerships, particularly between development assistance or poverty relief agencies and nature conservation organisations in the development of innovative integrated wetland conservation poverty reduction projects.
• Continuous assessment of the quantity and quality of the programme’s activities, communication, outputs and results, particularly in regard of measurable poverty reduction and wetland biodiversity conservation .
• Provision of guidance to the Secretariat of the Working Group on Wetlands and Sustainable Livelihoods, and contributing to the development of positions on relevant policy issues.
• Documentation of project reports including the completion of planned activities as well as the management and annual audit of project budgets as appropriate.
• Contribution to the strategic planning of Wetlands International in relation to the Programme theme of wetlands and sustainable livelihoods .

Selection criteria:
The successful candidate will be an accomplished project/programme manager with experience in the policies and practice of natural resource management and/or sustainable rural development. S/he will have an open and creative mind and excellent inter-personal and communication skills.

The following skills, qualifications and experience are essential:

• An advanced university degree in Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management or Rural Development or in a similarly relevant subject area.
• Demonstrated successful experience as a project manager and team builder, including working with field-based staff in the not-for profit sector and consultants.
• Competency in financial management of budgets and monthly accounts.
• Competency in coordinating complex, multi-partner, transboundary programmes.
• At least five years of field experience gained in a developing country on conservation or rural development projects, with proven track record in monitoring, assessing and reviewing project progress.
• Excellent communication skills, including command of English, written and spoken.
• Full computer literacy skills.

A highly motivated individual, comfortable with working under minimum supervision and as part of a team. An ability to cope with work-related pressure, whilst remaining deadline and focus oriented.

Willingness to engage in significant international travel.

The following skills and experience will be an advantage:

• Experience in rural development and/or natural resource management in Africa;
• Experience in working in a multi-cultural environment;
• Knowledge of other languages, such as French or Spanish.

Those interested in applying should send a cover letter together with their detailed curriculum vitae and a paper addressing the selection criteria (based on the skills, qualifications and experience points listed above), plus contact details of three referees, who can vouch for professional and personal qualifications.

Interviews will be held in the week of 20 December 2004.

Further enquiries should be directed initially to Danielle Nieuwenhuijse , Wetlands International , PO Box 471, 6700 AL Wageningen, The Netherlands, Fax: +31-317-478850 , email: danielle.nieuwenhuijse@wetlands.org

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RECOFTC HAPPENINGS
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1. Welcome to Peter Stephen, Capacity Building Coordinator

Peter Stephen, from Australia, has two Masters degrees – one in Forest Science from the University of Melbourne and the other in Development Studies from Deakin University. He was working as a Research Fellow and National Coordinator of the Australian Master Tree Grower Program – School of Resource Management, University of Melbourne, Australia and possesses many years of work experience in forestry/community forestry. He joins RECOFTC at the end of November as a Capacity Building Coordinator. Welcome, Peter!

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ABOUT RECOFTC
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The Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) was established in 1987 in response to the growing awareness that community participation in resource management could assist in protecting forests as well as in enhancing rural livelihoods. In 2000, RECOFTC became a fully autonomous international organization.

RECOFTC works in close collaboration with partner organizations to support community forestry development in the region. RECOFTC focuses on designing and facilitating learning processes and systems to strengthen the capacity of community forestry institutions. RECOFTC also seeks to promote dialogue between different stakeholders to enhance the sustainable management of forest resources.

Key RECOFTC Staff:

Yam Malla
Executive Director
Email: "Yam Malla" oyam@ku.ac.th
(Secretary: "Pimpakarn Serithammarak" opksr@ku.ac.th)

Mike Nurse
Manager, Regional Analysis and Representation
Email: “Mike Nurse” michael.ch@ku.ac.th

Noelle O’Brien
Manager, Capacity Building Services
Email: “Noelle O’Brien” obrien@ku.ac.th
(Secretary: "Leela Wuttikraibundit" ftcllw@ku.ac.th)

Colin McQuistan
Manager, Country Program Support
Email: “Colin McQuistan” ocolin@ku.ac.th
(Secretary: “Ferngfa Panupitak” mailto:ftcffs@ku.ac.th)

Roshanara De Croos
Head of Finance and Administration
Email: "Roshanara De Croos" ordc@ku.ac.th

For more information contact:

Lay Cheng Tan
Editor/Manager, Information Management and Communication
Email: "Lay Cheng Tan" otan@ku.ac.th
(IMAC Program Admin. Asst.: "Ketsara Naunpunyong "mailto:okrn@ku.ac.th)

or

RECOFTC
P.O. Box 1111
Kasetsart University
Bangkok 10903, Thailand
Tel: 66-2-9405700; Fax: 66-2-5614880
E-mail: info@recoftc.org
Web-site: http://www.recoftc.org/

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