Collaborative Efforts for Sustainable Forest Management in Algeria

Algerian forests, covering approximately 4.1 million hectares, face numerous challenges including forest fires, overgrazing, agricultural expansion, and climate change, contributing to deforestation and degradation over time. The General Directorate of Forests and the National Delegation for Major Risks, in collaboration with the World Bank, have produced a joint report, "Note on Algerian Forest: Sustainable Forest Management to Combat Forest Fires." The report outlines key action areas for strengthening the sustainability and climate resilience of Algeria's forest resources.

Key Takeaways:

• The report highlights five crucial areas for sustainable forest management and firefighting: ensuring sustainable financial resources, improving governance, better information management, strengthening technical capacities, and active community participation.
• Algerian forests cover approximately 4.1 million hectares, with Aleppo pine (68%) and cork oak (21%) being the dominant species.
• Fires consume an average of 20,000 hectares of forest land in Algeria each year.
• The report emphasizes the importance of placing sustainable forest management and fire risk analysis at the heart of interventions, with the active participation of communities.
• The World Bank and Algerian government institutions stress the significance of the report, highlighting its alignment with the country's forest strategy for the 2035 horizon.
• The report's findings and recommendations are in line with Algeria's new forest law, which aims to promote sustainable, participatory, and climate-friendly forest management.

Statistics:

• Algerian forests cover approximately 4.1 million hectares.
• Fires consume an average of 20,000 hectares of forest land in Algeria each year.
• Aleppo pine and cork oak are the dominant species in Algerian forests, comprising 68% and 21% of the total forest area, respectively.

Sources:

• "Note on Algerian Forest: Sustainable Forest Management to Combat Forest Fires" (joint report by World Bank and Algerian government)
• APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.