Criteria and indicator (C&I) frameworks have been developed and implemented on national and international scales to measure sustainable forest management. The purpose of this research is to examine the reasons why Indigenous communities would develop local-level criteria and indicator frameworks, what the process is for their development and how they are being used. Criteria and indicators were collected from published and unpublished literature for six First Nation communities. The indicators were reorganized using researcher definitions of institutional, cultural, environmental, social and economic indicators for ease of data analysis. Representatives from each of the case studies were interviewed to provide contextual information about their framework development. Indigenous indicators capture values rooted in traditional knowledge and cultural practices and seek to remedy social issues centred on community well-being. In the last decade the use of C&I in forest management is declining, but C&I still serve as an important tool to collect data and values to measure change and achieving goals, especially at the local level.

Forests are essential to the long-term well-being of Canada's communities, economy, and environment. This document presents a Canadian approach to criteria and indicators on sustainable forest management. Topics covered are: conservation of biological diversity; maintenance and enhancement of forest ecosystem condition and productivity; conservation of soil and water resources; forest ecosystem contributions to global ecological cycles; multiple benefits to society; and, accepting society's responsibility for sustainable development.

The concept of forest sustainability dates from centuries ago, although the understanding of sustainable forest management (SFM) as an instrument that harmonizes ecological and socio-economic concerns is relatively new. The change in perspective occurred at the beginning of the 1990s in response to an increased awareness of the deterioration of the environment, in particular of the alarming loss of forest resources. The book collects original case studies from 12 different countries in four continents (Africa, America, Asia and Europe). These studies represent a wide variation of experiences from developing and developed countries, and should clarify the current status of SFM worldwide and the problems associated with its implementation.

Criteria and indicators constitute an increasingly common policy tool to implement sustainable forest management (SFM) and to define clear priorities and targets. This should improve monitoring, reporting and assessment of key aspects of SFM performance. These guidelines provide specific concepts, definitions, tools and reference materials to guide the development process of national criteria and indicator sets for SFM. These guidelines have been developed to support the project "Accountability Systems for Sustainable Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia" which is implemented through the UNECE and FAO Forestry and Timber Section and funded through the UN Development Account. The guidelines and the methods described within are used and applied for the development of national criteria and indicator sets for sustainable forest management in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The guidelines might be also relevant for other countries

This assessment framework provides a basis for understanding the impact of community-based forestry (CBF) on forests and local livelihoods at the country level (e.g. improved forest governance, participatory conservation, joint forest management). It also presents indicators that may be used across countries, focusing on formal CBF initiatives recognized by statutory law. The study reports that there has been a substantial increase in forest land under various types of CBF regimes over the past two decades. The associated transfer of power to local people inherent in these regimes involves various combinations of user rights, responsibilities and decision-making. However, there has not been a systematic assessment of the extent and effectiveness of the various types of CBF regimes around the world. The report concludes that well-performing CBF has the potential to rapidly restore forests in ecological terms and scale up sustainable forest management to the national level, while improving the livelihoods of billions of the most marginalised people around the world. In doing so, CBF has the potential to contribute significantly to a range of Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 15, supporting the sustainable management of natural resources, and SDG 1, reducing poverty.

This book analyzes the wide range of issues that should be taken into account in forest-related legislation. It stresses that forest law must be understood in the context of the broader legal framework governing land use and land tenure, as well as international obligations related to trade, environmental protection, and human rights. The book also pays significant attention to institutional arrangements and governance practices relevant to forests, including decentralization, transparency, and law enforcement. The authors draw extensively on experience from around the world to provide tools for dealing with various forest management challlenges. The authors are experts in the field of forest law. Lawrence C. Christy is a Former Chief, Development Law Service, Legal Office, Food and Agricultre Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Charles E. Di Leva is Chief Counsel, Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development and International Law Unit (LEGEN), Legal Vice-Presidency, World Bank. Jonathan M. Lindsay is Senior Counsel with LEGEN, Legal Vice-Presidency, World Bank. Patrice Talla Takoukam is Counsel with LEGEN, Legal Vice-Presidency, World Bank.