| Abstract | Six major Asian rivers were studied as regards their forestry situations. They were the 4 international rivers the Indus (China, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan), Ganges (China, Nepal, India, Bangladesh), Brahmaputra (China, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh) and Mekong (China, Myanmar, Lao, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam), and the 2 Chinese rivers the Yellow and Yangtze. Basic information is given on the geography, climate, hydrological conditions, sediment and water quality, land cover and socioeconomic characteristics of the rivers. The importance of hydroelectric power in the areas, and amounts of erosion and sediment loads found are mentioned. Forest resources in each watershed are described, and the main forces shaping them in each case are classified and discussed. These include national policies, population growth and poverty, economic development and industrialization, infrastructure and hydroelectric power, climate change, and highland-lowland interactions. Prospects for forestry towards 2010 are predicted assuming various scenarios. The implications for future action are assessed concerning the altitude zones between 300 and 3000 m, forest management by and for local communities, integrated area planning, economies based on forestry and environmental conservation, development of other sectors, international conventions, measures for mangrove forest improvement, reimbursement of highland societies for benefits received in the lowlands, and assistance of the global community in biodiversity conservation. Recommendations are made for assessment of forest cover and analysis of the role of forestry in selected meso-watersheds. |
