"The Sourcebook is a key source of this expertise, which will not only help in improving activities in the sector but in ensuring that the sector is taken into consideration in the context of development objectives more broadly," he added.

In 2002 the World Bank developed a Forests Strategy, in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, to take advantage of the potential forests offer in poverty reduction, sustainable economic development and the protection of local and global environmental services.

However, moving beyond the old view of forest protection to a more holistic view of the role of forests in the broader development paradigm brings with it different challenges.

Addressing these challenges through the multi-sectoral approach outlined in the strategy – taking into account the impacts of activities, policies, and practices outside the sector on forests and people who depend on forests for their livelihoods – also requires specific tools, like this Sourcebook, to guide practitioners through the process, said the World Bank.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2008)