Living with trees: policies for forestry management in Zimbabwe

"Living with Trees" is an account of the results of a joint World Bank and Zimbabwe Forestry Commission study, in which the status, use and future of Zimbab we's forest, woodland and tree resources are reviewed. The first chapter is, in effect, an executive summary, capturing the major themes of the review and presen ting them within a framework which targets the key policy issues affecting forestry in Zimbabwe.

The second chapter is a national overview and deals with land, agriculture and economic structural adjust ments, which are key policy concerns in Zimbabwe. Within this national context, chapter 2 also reflects on the form and role of the Forestry Commission. This provides a macroeconomic setting for the subsequent chapters which detail social and industrial forestry issues: local technical practices for the management of woodland and trees; the status and economic significance of these resources and their importance to food se curity and the functioning of small-scale agricultural production systems; tenure and gender issues; the in stitutional and legal forces which surround these themes; a future role for forestry extension; and prob lems of woodland resource valuation.

The last two chapters focus on industrial forestry and forestry research. The major concern for industrial for esters is the dual role played by the Forestry Com mission, as producer and processor of timber, and the market implications of this integration. A full review of all forestry-related research in Zimbabwe is presented, with suggestions for the future.

A map of Zimbabwe's woody cover is included which is based on interpreted satellite imagery from the mid-1980s combined with local sources.