Ecotourism and other Services Derived from Forests in the Asia- Pacific Region: Outlook to 2010. (FAO - Forestry, 1997): 2. SERVICES PROVIDED BY FORESTS: 2.3 Institutional and Policy Environment

Ecotourism and other Services Derived from Forests in the Asia- Pacific Region: Outlook to 2010. (FAO - Forestry, 1997)

2. SERVICES PROVIDED BY FORESTS

		(introduction...)
		2.1 Categories Of Services
		2.2 Relationship Between Services of Forests and Forest Production
		2.3 Institutional and Policy Environment
		2.4 Issues In Maintenance of Services of Forests
		2.5 Summary of Issues Related to Services Provided by Forests

2.3 Institutional and Policy Environment

Across the region, national and state governments largely determine how forests can be used. This is an approach to management that often has been implemented at the expense of indigenous or local management and control. This often has meant a loss of control at the local level, either by indigenous groups themselves or by local people who live in the forests or use its services, thereby potentially creating a situation in which certain services of forests (such as spiritual or religious values) are ignored or not recognized within the forest policy context.

However, there have been policy initiatives that reflect a movement away from a centralized top-down approach to management and government intervention. Two of examples of these initiatives are 1) the strengthening of protected area management and 2) a movement towards social and community forestry. These initiatives are described in Section 4.1.