Contribution of Forestry to Poverty Alleviation - APFNet

Forest Policy and Its Objectives
About 71% of Bhutan’s forests are government-owned and are managed and protected by the Department
of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS). Almost 41% of the forest area is contained within the Protected
Area System with an additional 9.5% designated as biological corridors. This makes a total of 51% of
the total forest area designated as national parks and reserves. As of June 2009, 0.9% of the government
reserved forests (GRFs) were handed over to communities as community forests for their management
and protection. The DoFPS target is to issue a total of 4% of the total forest area to local communities
by 2013 (DoFPS 2009). Communities are given use rights and control of forest products and services
in community forests, although the land belongs to the government. Forest products harvested include
timber and wood, such as sawn beams, planks for the construction of houses and buildings, poles
for scaffolding, fencing and religious flags, and fuelwood for cooking and heating (Dick and Yonten
1995); NWFPs such as food, medicinal plants, leaf litter collected for cattle bedding and fertilizers
(Roder et. al. 2003), mushrooms picked for vegetables and cash income (Namgyel 1996); and tree and
grass fodder for feeding domestic cattle (Roder et. al. 2003). The forested watersheds of Bhutan also
provide vital ecosystem services like watershed regulation for hydro-electricity generation, irrigation
and domestic water supplies.
According to the forest resource assessment, out of the total forest area, 14% is potentially available
for commercial exploitation while 9% is available for exploitation with improved science-based
technology, improved forest road networks, and forest management plans. About 5% of the national
forest is currently under 16 forest management units (FMUs) that are parts of the national forest set
aside for the harvesting of forest products for commercial and non-commercial uses. With the rapid
development of construction industries in the country, the challenge to meet timber requirements and
other forestry goods and services is a growing concern of the government. The national forests are also
being lost to infrastructure development (such as road networks, urban expansion, and electricity grid
networks) and agri-horticultural encroachment.
A key feature of the National Forest Policy (NFP) is the application of an integrated landscape level
approach to sustainable forest management (MoAF 2009). This is done through the implementation of
strategies aimed at achieving a balance between conservation and sustainable utilization that respects
the cultural values of the forests. Of particular importance is the emphasis on poverty reduction that is
a thread woven throughout the policy objectives and strategies. The framework for the NFP consists of
a long-term goal and major policy objectives and principles. The goal of the NFP is for forest resources
to be managed sustainably to provide a wide range of social, economic, and environmental goods
and services, which benefit all citizens, while still maintaining 60% of the forest cover at all times.
To achieve the NFP goal and to ensure that all citizens receive an equitable share of the benefits from
sustainable forest management, six broad poverty reduction strategies are to be pursued within a
planning framework that integrates environmental and economic or commercial outcomes, as well as
poverty reduction outcomes Box I.1.
Box I.1. Strategies toward achieving the National Forestry Policy goals
The six strategies are as follows:
• Sustainable production of environmental goods and services to meet the long-term needs
of society through sustainable management of forests, including government reserved
forests inside and outside FMUs:
• Maintaining species diversity and ensuring long-term sustainability of biodiversity,
ecosystem services, and natural habitats through a network of protected areas (including
national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas, botanical parks, nature reserves,
and biological corridors), with other parts of the forest landscape also managed to deliver
positive environmental outcomes;
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