Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management: The road travelled and the way ahead

Criteria and indicators (C&I) have emerged as a powerful tool in implementing sustainable forest management. In a relatively short period, around 150 countries have adopted C&I. Some processes have used C&I in forest management and produced progress reports. Six of the seven thematic areas common to all processes are also being used as a basis for reporting progress towards sustainable forest management [e.g., the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in its Global Forest Resource Assessment 2005]. However, there are significant problems in the wider application of C&I. A number of countries are not using C&I at all, and in some countries where they are being used, it is not done in an effective manner. Areas that need improvement in order to promote the use of C&I include: (1) strengthening concepts and definitions; (2) rationalising criteria and indicators; (3) further research on indicators; and (4) utilising C&I in more effective ways. The future development of C&I must be based on an active link between research effort and operational needs in order to prevent a waste of resources and effort. Some of the research undertaken to date has led to the adoption of innovative approaches to optimise resource use and simplify application. This paper identifies areas needing more research and draws from ongoing work to show where progress is being made.