The whole Balkan region is very rich of forests, covering up to 35–60% of the total land area in the different countries. Forests form an important part of especially the rural communities and many citizens depend on forest resources for their livelihood. Communal forests in Albania are covering up to 70% of the total forest area, while private forests are covering 12-40% in the other countries. Decentralised forestry including involvement of local governments and its communities is still weak, but receives increased attention. On the other hand many forests are not managed sustainable and are threatened by deforestation, over utilization, illegal logging and forests degradation.
Besides the economic importance of forest resources, they fulfil an important role in biodiversity, nature conservation, soil stability and erosion control, water management and tourism. All Balkan countries also in relation to their EU integration are striving to achieve sustainable forest management safeguarding sustainable economic production and provision of forest services. Sustainable practices and proper implementation of environmental legislation are a prerequisite for EU integration and also relates to the MDG objective of environment. The main vision is to come to forests management that will provide all products and services to society desired in the near and long term. SNV is supporting communal, private and decentralised forestry to obtain increased income and increased services from forest. Our specific target groups are those communities and people depending on these communal, private and decentralised forests. This is supported by trends on decentralisation and devolution of government control and the need for local forest access and secure land tenure for the society.
The key actors we are working with are local, regional and national level organisations of private and communal forests, local and regional governments involved in decentralised forestry as well as the ministries dealing with forestry and the forestry line agencies or public forest management structures. Besides our work with our direct clients SNV is working in joint effort with other partners. In forestry we cooperate closely with WB, SIDA, DAI, Lux Development etc as well as in a corporate partnership with WFF.
Our overall approach within our forestry support is based on change process facilitation combined with specific technical forestry knowledge and organisational/institutional development. Governance, sustainability and gender equity are incorporated in our forestry work. A major part of our focus is directed to the institutionalisation and organisational aspects of private and communal forestry. We support citizens’ to be well represented for forestry in their organisations at all levels and at the same time benefit from services provided to support them in their forest management.
Parallel to this approach is our support to the legislative and strategy frameworks for forestry. We support the legal reforms, including addressing EU environmental criteria, land tenure & property rights issue and private and communal forestry needs. SNV will support this through a multi-stakeholder process and specific knowledge on EU and incorporation of private and communal forestry needs. Especially supporting citizens’ interest is addressed via empowerment and advocacy with the private and communal structures to voice their interest for legislation reforms.
SNV provides specific knowledge on sustainable forests governance and forest management. With our clients we stimulate development of innovative forest practices in private and communal forestry, also through linkages and learning with forestry stakeholders. We support multi-stakeholder involvement, empowerment and advocacy to private and communal forestry structures to achieve improved quality of services from State institutions. In the wider institutional development in forestry we focus on decentralised forest governance including roles and involvement of local government and communities in forestry, land use management (natural resource management).
An important part of our focus is related to forests products and market issues of private and communal forests. Using value chain approaches certain specific opportunity products can be defined to achieve a better market position. SNV will support private and communal forestry in assessing options for branding and certification of private forest products, as well as support on analysis, identification of cooperation in market development. In general we will support the process on increasing the economic rights for people of private and communal forests.
SNV will address throughout the approach gender equity. In forestry this is a difficult aspect, but through a household orientation and linking to other related sectors (rural tourism development and small scale farming) women involvement and gender will be assured.
Based on many similarities and common issues in forestry in the Balkan a specific attention of SNV within its forestry Balkan programme is our support on regional linkages and cooperation through linking different forestry actors in sharing, learning and joint development.
Overall within the impact area of Poverty reduction, Income and Employment (PIE) SNV Balkan is supporting forestry to achieve impact on income generation and sustainable management of forest resources benefiting the citizens.