Five years after Shiga: recent developments in forest and water policy and implementation

The recurrence of extreme weather events, climate change and the need for adaptation strategies are focusing national and international attention on water, water-related ecosystems and watersheds. In addition, growing problems of water scarcity, environmental degradation, food insecurity and poor livelihood conditions and human health all require urgent policy and management measures, pointing attention to interrelationships between forest and water. A number of forest-related cooperation mechanisms such as regional criteria and indicators processes to monitor sustainable forest management, and the global legally binding environmental conventions on biological diversity, desertification and climate change, have been considering water and watershed issues. At the same time, the growing number of water-related initiatives worldwide, such as the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO, see www.inbo-news.org) or the World Water Council (WWC, see www.worldwatercouncil.org), are progressively taking into account the role of trees, forests, riparian ecosystems and their management in achieving targets of freshwater quality, quantity, timing and hazard prevention. The Global Water Partnership, as another example among many, has developed a compenPier Carlo Zingari is Director of the European Observatory of Mountain Forests, Chambery, France. is Chief of the Forest Conservation Service, Forestry Department, FAO, Rome. Five years after Shiga: recent developments in forest and water policy and implementation