Resource information
This policy note was prepared in
response to a request from the Government of Southern Sudan
(GoSS) for World Bank assistance in developing legislative
and institutional policies and strategies that will take
advantage of the potential of the region's forest
resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, food
security, sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and to
protection of forest-related environmental services such as
climate, biodiversity, water, and wildlife resources. The
note is intended to: (a) take stock of the current situation
on the ground, including identifying the legislative,
institutional, governance, and policy reforms needed to
create an enabling environment for both public and
private-sector investment. This should help in contributing
to improved understanding of the currently underutilized
potential of Southern Sudan's forest resources; (b)
analyze what has worked and what has not worked prior to and
since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA); and (c) suggest priority solutions and actions
towards revitalizing the forestry sector. Key policy issues
addressed in this note include: 1) strengthening forest
resource information and knowledge base; 2) developing a
coherent legislative and policy framework, organizational
structure, and capacity for the sector; 3) promoting
participatory forest and woodland management; 4) enabling
forest-based industries to thrive; 5) creating an enabling
environment for attracting private-sector investment; 6)
protecting and enhancing forest-related environmental
services; 7) using technical approaches to conservation and
sustainable management of forest resources; and 8)
introducing predictable and sustainable long-term financing mechanisms.
