Legal, policy and institutional framework

Laws, policies and institutions are the main tools used by societies to achieve their objectives, in this case, sustainable forest management. This section describes the laws, policies and institutions relevant to forests and forest management which are in place in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The starting point was the same for all eight countries, the system in place in the USSR in the 1980s, characterised by public ownership of all forest land, and strong central direction from Moscow, through directives, financialsupport, and a clear division of labour between the various parts of the USSR. In Caucasus and Central Asia, priority was given to the protection functions, as practically all forests were classified as protective (Group 1). Other parts of the USSR were charged with wood production. Some features of this approach may be detected today, despite the profound social and economic changes over the past quarter century.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Life on Land