An assessment of the policies and practices of selective logging and timber utilisation: A case study from natural forests of Tarai Nepal and Queensland Australia
Article
Article Title | An assessment of the policies and practices of selective logging and timber utilisation: A case study from natural forests of Tarai Nepal and Queensland Australia |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 21007 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Poudyal, Bishnu Hari (Author), Maraseni, Tek (Author) and Cockfield, Geoff (Author) |
Journal Title | Land Use Policy: the international journal covering all aspects of land use |
Journal Citation | 91, pp. 1-12 |
Article Number | 104422 |
Number of Pages | 12 |
Year | 2020 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0264-8377 |
1873-5754 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104422 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837719306210 |
Abstract | Selective logging (SL) contributes nearly 15 percent of the global timber needs. Considering its role in sustainable timber production, biodiversity conservation and forest carbon enhancement, assessment of SL policies and practices is crucial. This paper assesses the policies and practices of SL in natural production forests of the Tarai region of Nepal and Queensland Australia to explore the key differences in such policies and practices and their possible implications in achieving sustainable forest management objectives. The primary methods applied in the study were review and synthesis of key policy documents and qualitative analysis of the information gathered from key informant interviews and stakeholders’ workshop. Altogether, 53 respondents from a wide range of stakeholder groups (government organizations-15, non-government organizations/networks-15, private sector including the individual landowners-13, local political leaders-3 and independent forest experts/scientists-7) were consulted. Findings suggest that: (1) frequent and inconsistent changes in policy provisions, lengthy administrative procedures and heavy engagement of state forest agencies in forest product harvesting and sales processes play key roles in sub-optimal forest production in Nepal, whereas lower dependency on forest-products, higher labour costs, lack of species-wise royalty rate and flexibility in selecting optional logs are the key factors for increased wastages of forest products in Queensland; (2) recovery and utilisation of the harvested forest product is better in Nepal but policy and practical considerations on biodiversity and environment are better in Queensland; and (3) Forest harvesting specific codes of practice, occupational health and safety standards, and their compliance mechanism of Queensland could be beneficial for Nepal to minimise operational harvesting risks and to attract professional harvesters that support promoting sustainable use and management of natural forests, as we found this aspect almost neglected in Nepal. |
Keywords | Sustainable forest management; Forest policies; Selective harvesting practices; Log grading; Forest recovery; Occupational health and safety |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410406. Natural resource management |
410401. Conservation and biodiversity | |
410404. Environmental management | |
Byline Affiliations | Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q57v8/an-assessment-of-the-policies-and-practices-of-selective-logging-and-timber-utilisation-a-case-study-from-natural-forests-of-tarai-nepal-and-queensland-australia
228
total views10
total downloads3
views this month0
downloads this month