An estimated 1.6 billion people around the world depend on forests for their livelihoods and daily subsistence needs. Forests serve as the storehouse that supplies basic human needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and medicine, as well as environmental services which are key to the survival and well-being of local communities. Sustainable forest management is therefore the cornerstone of community development, especially in developing countries where millions of forest-dependent communities live. This module examines forestry as a form of development intervention, and looks at how it can better contribute to achieving the goal of community development.
