By providing estimated figures for indigenous and forest peoples’ populations in countries and regions across the globe, this new Forest Peoples Programme report seeks to raise awareness of the existence of peoples who primarily depend on forests for their livelihoods, and to enhance their visibility as key actors and rights-holders in the management and use of forests and forest resources.

This note is an outcome of contributions of information through the CFR‐LA (Learning and Advocacy) process from multiple Civil Society Organisations and individuals working in implementation of CFRs, observations from CFR case studies undertaken with support from Oxfam and inputs of participants in the National Consultation on CFRs. The National Consultation was organised by Kalpavriksh and Vasundhara on March 10‐11, 2012 in Delhi, in collaboration with Oxfam and with support from FES and GEF‐SGP.

This Bangladesh outlook report reflects on problems faced by the country’s forestry sector. By 2020 there will be a big gap between supply and demand for wood while people’s expectations of forestry will have increased in many new directions. To create a brighter future for forestry there are needs to establish a national-level forestry forum, initiate mass awareness-raising programmes, bring unclassified state forests under proper management and strengthen the Forest Department.

The Teak Resources and Market Assessment 2010 (TRMA 2010) is a special study of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA2010). It aims to present updated country level information on teak (Tectona grandis), which is one of the emerging hardwood resources in the world. The assessment was conducted through a standardized questionnaire sent to 69 countries, which used the existing networks of FRA national correspondents and the members of Teaknet, an international teak information network managed by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), India.

Forest sector governance is not always easy to define and is even harder to measure. This report, commissioned by LFP, has tried to quantify transparency in Nepal’s forest sector in a way that follows an internationally recognised system as developed by Global Witness. This is the first attempt to measure forest sector transparency in Nepal and doing it has highlighted some important achievements and issues for future consideration.

The report of the working group on forests and sustainable management of natural resources is a collective effort to introduce and explain the concerns and challenges faced by the sector and the strategy to address them in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. Forests can no longer be considered as nature’s factory that produces wood alone. The focus of the report is the contemporary relevance of the forests, its immense potential and relative neglect.