Proceedings of the workshop on forests for poverty reduction: changing role for research, development and training institutions

Despite the dramatic economic transformation experienced by the Asia-Pacific region in the last 30 years, a significant proportion of its population is still living in extreme poverty. A very large number of the poor are forest dwellers or living in forest fringes. It is paradoxical indeed that their dependency on forests has led directly to their impoverishment. Yet these forests can also be the solution to their indigent condition. Innovative approaches for development and diffusion of p overty alleviation technologies are being pioneered in many parts of the developing world. However, disparities in scientific capacity and capability, coupled with the often archaic and bureaucratic administrations in the developing and underdeveloped countries, have hindered the effective adaptation and application of these technologies. Considerable work lies ahead for many forestry institutions in the region. But, most of all, there is a need for considerable transformation in their objective s, agenda and the products they will have to deliver. This workshop, the first in the series of three workshops held in 2003 on the theme of Forests for Poverty Reduction – Exploring the Potential, was organized in June 2003 in Dehradun, India to share the experiences hitherto gained from poverty alleviation initiatives by forestry research and development agencies in the Asia-Pacific region. These proceedings, a collection of papers presented during the workshop, serve to increase the rec ognition of the role of forestry in poverty reduction, as well as the awareness of policy-makers and specialists on the need for a more pro-poor focus in their undertakings.