Certification is increasingly gaining prominence as a mechanism to promote sustainable forest management. However, the tools for measuring the quality of management are still severely lacking, and there is a shortage of adequately trained personnel to carry out the evaluations. Several initiatives are ongoing in the Asia-Pacific region to develop both certification systems and auditing methods. However, to turn the reports into practical guidelines which can be used in the field takes special effort. This publication offers simple and practical guidelines to assess, monitor and report on national-level criteria and indicators for dry forests in Asia. It represents part of FAO's ongoing efforts to enhance the understanding of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management, and transfer the necessary skills to field practitioners. FAO is pleased to make this report available to people who are actively involved in developing and promoting sustainable forest management in the region.
