Search the SPREP Catalogue

There is a perception within forestry circles that the Rio Summit spawned two parallel concepts for forest conservation and management. One has been that of Sustainable Forest Management, developing from classical forestry and pursued through the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and organizations such as FAO and ITTO. The other has been that of the Ecosystem Approach, developed primarily within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). International fora on forests have discussed the two concepts and governments have committed to implementing them. Yet there is still a good deal of confusion about how the concepts relate to each other. This is more than just an esoteric problem of definitions. There is a risk that national agencies charged with implementing international commitments will get lost in pointless polemics.

The International Waters Project (IWP) is a seven-year project aimed at addressing the root causes of degradation in Pacific island international waters. The coastal component of the IWP supports the establishment of 'pilot' projects in each of 14 participating countries. Among other things, the project aims to address economic incentives that result in unsustainable practices.