PROJECT TITLE:

Support to strengthening sustainable and multipurpose forest management to improve rural livelihoods and address climate change in Kosovo

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:

Support to increase forest sector’s contribution to the Kosovo economy and reduce poverty in rural areas through efficient and gender-responsive forest management.

LOCATION:

Kosovo

SECTOR:

Environment / Forests

DURATION:

2 Years (1 Jan 2022 until 1 Jan 2024)

VALUE:

EUR 1.5 Million

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

PARTNERS:

Embassy of Sweden in Pristina, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development in Kosovo, Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure in Kosovo,

BENEFICIARIES:

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development & Kosovo Forest Agency, directorates for forestry at municipal level, forest users, SMEs involved in forestry activities, general public.

ACTIVITIES:

Set-up a Kosovo task force on timber legality and ensure its secretariat Strengthen Public service capacity, and provide equipment to detect and counteract illegal logging, transport and trade; Raise public awareness on legality issues in forestry and timber trade; Monitor implementation of media contracts and assess impact; Operationalise the Kosovo Forest Information System for transparent decision-making in sustainable forest management; Organize sectorial review events and produce sector progress reports Support the implementation of National Forest Health Programme (NFHP) Action Plan to monitor and prevent pest and disease outbreaks; Support the implementation of the National Afforestation and Reforestation Programme (NARP), involving women, youth, ethnic minorities and rural SMEs; Improve seedling production of broadleaved trees; Identify the opportunities to promote multi-purpose forestry: areas of eligibility, target area size, target groups (ethnicity, gender), granting & monitoring system, etc. Provide hands-on training on multi-purpose management techniques, pre-commercial silvicultural works (recreation, NWFPs, mixed forest afforestation, reforestation, tending, irrigation and first thinning) Develop gender-sensitive forest-based value chains to reduce non-regulated logging and alleviate poverty; Build forest fire prevention and preparedness capacities and integrate them in forest management planning; Train on-the-job 200 fire-fighters and fire prevention volunteers and public forest workers Procure and distribute equipment (portable field type fire extinguishers, pumps, hoses, etc.) and train final users

RESULTS:

Improve timber legality, trade and law enforcement in forest sector; Enhance transparency and strengthen the institutional capacity in good governance and implementation of forest policies, strategies and programmes; Introduce multi-purpose forest management and inclusive forest value chains for poverty alleviation of rural women and men.