2006年-世界发展银行全球_Andean_Countries___A_Strategy_for_Forestry_Volume_3_Ecuador_53页_1mb

Summary of "Andean Countries: A Strategy for Forestry Case Studies - Volume III of V ECUADOR"

Core Content

This report provides an analysis of the forestry sector in Ecuador, focusing on the country's forest resource base, economic, environmental, and social attributes, and the challenges and opportunities in the sector. It was prepared by Richard Owen, TCIL, with input from Hans Thiel of Ecuador, and coordinated by Selim Mohor of FAO.

Main Points

I. Introduction

• Ecuador had 11.6 million hectares of forests in 2000, which was 47% of its continental area.
• The country experiences a high deforestation rate of 1.5% annually, four times higher than neighboring countries.
• Indigenous communities, which make up less than 2% of the population, control about 44% of the country's forests.
• There are significant land tenure issues, with 50% of forest land unresolved.
• Illegal logging and trade are widespread, with 17.5–54% of wood harvested and traded illegally.
• The lack of an efficient forest control system and fiscal incentives hinders sustainable forest management (SFM).
• The Ministry of Environment (MoE) lacks the capacity to effectively manage the forest sector.

II. The Forest Resource Base

A. Ecuador's Forest Cover

• In 2000, the total forest area was 11.68 million hectares, excluding the Galapagos Islands.
• The National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) includes 3.98 million hectares of natural forests.
• Only 7.66 million hectares of natural forests are potentially available for timber harvesting and forest management.
• There are significant discrepancies in estimates of productive forest area, ranging from 3.0 million hectares to 3.9 million hectares.

B. Forest Tenure and Distribution

• Forest ownership is divided among indigenous communities, communal land, and private farms.
• Indigenous people control about 6.4 million hectares of land, which includes 5 million hectares of natural forests.
• Around 83% of farmers own properties up to 50 hectares, with only 28% of the total forest cover reported for farms.
• Legal land titles are limited, with only 34% of farmers in the northern Amazon holding legal titles.
• There are overlapping legal categories, leading to conflicts and uncertainty in forest management.

C. The National System of Protected Areas (SNAP)

• The SNAP includes 32 conservation units covering 4.06 million hectares, or 15.8% of continental Ecuador.
• The system is dominated by protected areas in the eastern cordillera and Amazon lowlands.
• Indigenous communities have property rights over their ancestral territories, creating legal contradictions with the SNAP.
• Despite the Forest Law prohibiting extractive activities in protected areas, illegal logging and oil drilling are still common.

D. Forest Plantations

• There is no accurate and updated data on forest plantations in Ecuador.
• A best estimate is that there are over 220,000 hectares of forest plantations.
• The majority of plantations (about 72.7%) are in the highlands, consisting of pine and eucalyptus.
• The remaining 27.3% are in the lowlands, with a broader variety of species.

E. Secondary Forests

• ITTO estimates at least 1.5 million hectares of secondary forests exist in Ecuador.
• These forests have significant productive potential but are not adequately considered in the market.
• Secondary forests are primarily used for local fruit box production and may be increasing due to land abandonment.

III. Economic, Environmental, and Social Attributes

• The forest sector contributes only 1–2% to total exports and 1% of GDP.
• Wood consumption from natural forests is about 2.2 million cubic meters per year, primarily for lumber and pallets.
• Consumption from forest plantations is estimated at 2.289.6 thousand cubic meters per year.
• There is a severe wood deficit in natural forests due to over-harvesting and limited sustainable management.

IV. Government Policies

• The Forest Law of 1981 prohibits extractive activities in protected areas, but illegal logging persists.
• The Ministry of Environment is weak and needs to be strengthened, particularly in forest control.
• A new forest law is required to address land tenure issues and promote SFM.
• The "Strategy for Sustainable Development of Ecuador's Forests" (EDFSE) aims to benefit forest owners but requires political and economic support to be implemented effectively.

V. Main Problems and Potentials

• Land tenure problems and legal contradictions are major barriers to SFM.
• Institutional weaknesses and lack of financial incentives hinder sustainable practices.
• Agricultural expansion and illegal production and trade are key drivers of deforestation.
• Indigenous communities have a unique potential for SFM, but face challenges due to their governance structure.
• The potential for voluntary forest certification (VFC) exists but is limited due to economic and social realities.

VI. Key Themes for Action

• Strengthening the policy and regulatory framework is essential.
• Institutional reform is needed to improve forest management.
• The political economy of reform must consider who benefits and who is affected.

Appendices

• Apéndice 1: Criterios e Indicadores para el Manejo Forestal Sustentable del Ecuador.
• Apéndice 2: Estrategia para el Desarrollo Forestal Sustentable del Ecuador – Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

• AME: Association of Municipalities
• CEDENMA: Umbrella Organization of E-NGO's
• CNDS: National Council for Sustainable Development
• CONCOPE: Association of Provincial Governments
• CONIFOR: National Association of Forest Engineers
• DNF: National Forest Directorate
• EDFSE: Strategy for Sustainable Development of Ecuador's Forests
• EU: European Union
• FLEGT: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
• FSC: Forestry Stewardship Council
• IERAC: Instituto Ecuatoriano de Reforma Agraria y Colonización
• INDA: Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agrario
• INEFAN: Instituto Ecuatoriano Forestal y de Áreas Naturales
• ITTO: International Timber Trade Organization
• LULUCF: Land use, land change and forestry
• MDF: Medium Density Fiberboard
• MoE: Ministry of Environment
• NFP: Natural Forestry Program
• NGO: Non-Governmental Organization
• NTFP: Non-timber forest product
• ONHAE: Organization of the Huaorani People
• PFE: Public Forest Estate
• RF: Forest Regents
• SNTCF: National Forest Control System
• SNDGA: National System of Decentralized Environmental Management
• SENPLADES: Secretariat for National Planification of the Presidency of the Republic
• SFM: Sustainable Forest Management
• SGS: SGS Group
• US$: United State Dollars
• VFC: Voluntary Forest Certificate