Discussion Paper 14
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This study shows that while some international forest sector information is good, accessible and meets user demand, in some cases the analysis and accessibility do not satisfy user demand. There are also areas where the basic data are difficult to locate or are missing.
Asking the questions of "Is there a need for better information exchange on the forest sector in Europe?- and "Who is asking for it?-, EFI carried out a reconnaissance of the international information on the forest sector in Europe in 2007-2008. This involved a review of the supply and the actual suppliers, a survey of demand and an assessment of the relationship between supply and demand. The analysis identified areas of importance where there is a lack of information, in which form it is demanded and who are the clients for additional information.
Comprehensive metadata compiled showed that European-wide and international entities contain data that are well referenced, transparent, user-friendly, and with relevant links and resources for further investigations.
The report concludes that there is still a need for additional efforts on international forest sector information, but recommend that any such effort must complement existing systems; avoid conflicts and competition; work in partnerships to collect, validate, analyse and disseminate; and be flexible in the selection of issues and responsive to needs of forest sector community.
Recommended citation:
Philip Wardle, Caroline Narayan, Aljoscha Requardt, Emi Pesonen and Andreas Schuck. 2008. International Information on European Forest Sector: State- Challenges - Opportunities.
Discussion Paper 14. European Forest Institute.
Number of pages: 64
ISBN 978-953-5453-21-8 (printed)
ISBN 978-953-5453-22-5 (online)