Global Policy Perspective of Forests, Environment and Ecosystems

Multilateral environmental agreements pre- and post-UNCED 1992 have implications for forests, environment and ecosystems. These are pertinently presented in the paper, being indicative of the global policy perspectives about the inter-related aspects of earth's ecology and economics, as also reflected by the MDGs launched in 2000. Latest concern is about Kyoto Protocol follow-up and involvement of the forest sector. However, in the international policy arena, climate change and biodiversity loss have often moved in disconnected domains. Likewise, forestry and forest sector has no binding international agreement and is dealt with diversely in the context of cultural, environmental, economic, social, scientific and thematic policy issues. There is a perception that the efforts of developing countries to conserve forests and ecosystems are rarely recognized or rewarded. Also about policies to promote plantations, agro-forestry,, greenery, nature reserves and natural heritage systems. Policy reviews and institutional reforms are required for sustainable management of renewable natural resource assets and creative development in a holistic manner -globally, nationally and locally. Equitable benefit-sharing, ethical trade and eco-labelling, payment of ecosystems services and green accounting are to be addressed through systems modelling as a reliable monitoring and evaluation tool-based on poverty, environment and development dynamics, impact assessment and valuation. Policy incentives and trade-offs can be built into the sequence of subsistence to production to environment and improved Human Development Index. The conceptual framework should have an overarching policy which integrates economics and the environment for an ever-green human well-being as part of the globalization process.