PART I THE SITUATION AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FOREST SECTOR Forestry and agriculture face similar challenges Today, agriculture and the forest sector are more inextricably ments. The sustainable management of forests and trees linked than ever before as they face similar challenges in including the use of agroforestry and watershed manage- coping with poverty and food insecurity. While these prob- ment, is an integral part of the effort to reduce food insecu- lems contribute to forest destruction and degradation, the rity, alleviate poverty and improve environmental quality for solution for alleviating them and for minimizing the negative the rural poor Technological innovations and new manage- impacts of agriculture on the environment involves a com- ment methods that increase agricultural and forest yields per plex set of factors, using the best of old and new technolo- hectare can also have a significant positive impact on the gies, innovative ideas and modern institutional ar coastal areas has led to the conversion of many mangrove areas to other uses, including infrastructure, aquaculture, rice growing and TABLE 1 salt production Numerous case studies have Previous estimates of global mangrove area described mangrove losses over time. However, information on global-level status and trends is scarce.The first attempt to estimate the total Reference Reference Estimated mangrove area in the world was undertaken as part of the FAO/UNEP Tropical Forest Resources assessment in 1980. when the world FAO UnEp 1981a, b c 1980 15642673 total was estimated as 15.6 million hectares Saenger, Hegerl Davie, 1983 1983 16221000 More recent estimates range from 12 to 20 FAO.1994 1980-1985 million hectares(Table 1). In many of these studies, countries with small areas of roombridge, 1992 1992 19847861 mangroves were excluded because of a lack of ITTO/ISME, 1993b 1993 5 1242911 nformation and because their combined area of Fisher Spalding, 1993 1993 19881800 mangroves would not significantly affect the Spalding, Blasco&Field, 1997 1997 112 18100077 world total Aizpuru, Achard Blasco, 2000 2000 112c 17075600 A recent initiative by FAO aims at facilitating access to comprehensive information on the a For FAO& UNEP, 1981a, b, c puru, Achard Blasco, 2000, the re the average for all the estimates included, weighted by the area of each estimate For past and present extent of mangroves in all the all other sources, the reference year is the date of the publication(s) countries and areas in which they exist. This Combined figure from three publications: Clough, 1993; Diop, 1993; and Lacerda, 1993 New data were provided for 21 countries. For the remaining countries the estimate builds on the earlier FAO /UNEP assessment is based on Spalding, Blasco& Field, 1997 and on the recent fra 2000, for which all sked to provide informatic current forest area according to forest type, An extensive literature search yielded using their own classification systems. Because additional information. More than 2 800 national mangroves are a distinct and relatively easil and subnational data sets have been collected so defined forest type, most countries that have far, covering 121 countries and areas where mangroves were able to provide information mangroves are known to exist, with the earliest estimates dating back to 1918. The int5 SECTOR FOREST THE IN DEVELOPMENTS AND SITUATION THE I PART many of conversion the to led has areas coastal including, uses other to areas mangrove and growing rice, aquaculture, infrastructure have studies case Numerous. production salt ,However. time over losses mangrove described is trends and status level-global on information total the estimate to attempt first The. scarce as undertaken was world the in area mangrove Forest Tropical UNEP/FAO the of part world the when, 1980 in Assessment Resources .hectares million 6.15 as estimated was total 20 to 12 from range estimates recent More these of many In). 1 Table (hectares million of areas small with countries, studies of lack a of because excluded were mangroves of area combined their because and information the affect significantly not would mangroves .total world facilitating at aims FAO by initiative recent A the on information comprehensive to access the all in mangroves of extent present and past This. exist they which in areas and countries assessment UNEP/FAO earlier the on builds all which for, 2000 FRA recent the on and on information provide to asked were countries ,type forest to according area forest current Because. systems classification own their using easily relatively and distinct a are mangroves have that countries most, type forest defined information provide to able were mangroves .them about Estimated Number Reference Reference total world countries of yeara (ha (included 673 642 15 51 1980 c, b, 1981a, UNEP & FAO 000 221 16 65 1983 1983, Davie & Hegerl, Saenger 000 500 16 56 1985–1980 1994, FAO 861 847 19 87 1992 1992, Groombridge 115 429 12 54 1993 1993b, ISME/ITTO 800 881 19 91 1993 1993, Spalding & Fisher 077 100 18 112 1997 1997, Field & Blasco, Spalding 600 075 17 112c 2000 2000, Blasco & Achard, Aizpuru year reference the, 2000, Blasco & Achard, Aizpuru and c, b, 1981a, UNEP & FAO For a For. estimate each of area the by weighted, included estimates the all for average the is .(s(publication the of date the is year reference the, sources other all .1993, Lacerda and; 1993, Diop; 1993, Clough: publications three from figure bCombined estimate the countries remaining the For. countries 21 for provided were data cNew .1997, Field & Blasco, Spalding on based is 1 TABLE area mangrove global of estimates Previous inextricably more are sector forest the and agriculture, Today in challenges similar face they as before ever than linked the, degradation and destruction forest to contribute lems￾prob these While. insecurity food and poverty with coping negative the minimizing for and them alleviating for solution ,trees and forests of management sustainable The. ments￾arrange institutional modern and ideas innovative, gies￾technolo new and old of best the using, factors of set plex￾com a involves environment the on agriculture of impacts for quality environmental improve and poverty alleviate, rity￾insecu food reduce to effort the of part integral an is, ment￾manage watershed and agroforestry of use the including per yields forest and agricultural increase that methods ment￾manage new and innovations Technological. poor rural the the on impact positive significant a have also can hectare .forests s’world challenges similar face agriculture and Forestry yielded search literature extensive An national 800 2 than More. information additional so collected been have sets data subnational and where areas and countries 121 covering, far earliest the with, exist to known are mangroves information The. 1918 to back dating estimates