IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

How to fight illegal logging

17 April 2009 | News story

IUCN’s Strengthening Voices for Better Choices project for better forest management

Illegal logging and illegal timber trade costs governments 10 to 15 billion dollars in lost revenue every year. It also causes vast environmental damage and impoverishes rural communities that depend on forests for a living.

To curb illegal logging, IUCN’s Strengthening Voices for Better Choices project aimed to strengthen sustainable forest governance by bringing together all stakeholders involved: governments, civil society and the private sector. Only through multi-stakeholder participation the broader governance issues can be tackled such as insecurity of land tenure, inappropriate logging concession systems, corruption and overcapacity of timber processing.

The project focused on the following six countries:

• Brazil, South America: Helping to free Acre of illegal logging - 2.72 MB • January 2009
   
• Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa: When all voices are heard, forest stakeholders work together - 2.78 MB • January 2009
   
• Ghana, West Africa: Enhancing forest governance capacities at national and community levels - 884 KB • October 2008
   
• Sri Lanka, South Asia: Helping stakeholders build a common understanding of forest governance needs and priorities - 689 KB • January 2009
   
• Tanzania, East Africa: Helping stakeholders overcome the obstacles to better forest governance locally and nationally - 1.14 MB • January 2009
   
• Viet Nam, Southeast Asia: Supporting the national dialogue on forest law enforcement, governance and trade - 1.07 MB • October 2008