Report on
Discussion Forum on Information Services in the Asia-Pacific
and
AGRIS/CARIS in the 21st Century
an Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation

Edited by Michael Ibach and Yvonne Byron

AGRIS/CARIS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

REPORT ON THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONSULTATION

4 - 6 NOVEMBER 1996

BOGOR, INDONESIA

List of Acronyms

[Chapter 1]
Recommendation

[Chapter 2]
FAO, WAICENT, AGRIS, CARIS Forestry Information Services for the 21st Century

[Chapter 3]
Activities of the Forestry Department of FAO in Relation to Research and Information

[Chapter 4]
Principles of Abstracting and Indexing as applied by CAB International

[Chapter 5]
Can We See the Forest for the Trees?

[Chapter 6]
Improving Access to Forestry Information: the Experience of FORSPA

[Chapter 7]
IUFRO and Collaboration Possibilities of Enhancing with AGRIS/CARIS

Country Reports:

Bangladesh

China

India

Indonesia

Japan

Pakistan

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Phillippines 2

SEAMEO

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Western Samoa

[Appendix 1]
List of Participants

FORESTRY RESEARCH INFORMATION IN BANGLADESH

Dr. M. Zahangir Kabir

Agricultural Information Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council,

Dhaka, Bangladesh

THE COUNTRY

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries of the world, which has implications for the forestry sector. Pressures on the forest resource have led to serious depletion and associated ecological and environmental damage. A number of research and development projects are being implemented to address the problems, e.g., ADB-aided Thana Afforestation and Nursery Development Project; the World Bank-funded Forest Resources Management Project; Agro-forestry Research and Demonstration Project.

The deforestation rate is projected to be 3% annually to the year 2000 causing serious ecological imbalance and recurrent natural disasters. Strengthening multi-dimensional research will help to arrest further deforestation and replenish denuded forest land. Access to forestry-related information is important in this research.

INSTITUTIONS CONDUCTING FORESTRY RESEARCH AND GENERATING FORESTRY INFORMATION IN BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) which conducts forest management and forest products utilisation research, is able to cater to the current information needs of the nation with the database it has created and the technologies generated. Although administered by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, BFRI is a component of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) and has strong collaboration with international forestry organisations and networks. BFRI maintains the richest forestry library and documentation facilities in the country.

An internationally abstracted forestry journal, Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science, is published from BFRI twice a year. In addition, research results are published and disseminated as research papers in local, regional and international journals, as well as bulletins, working papers, folders and leaflets.

The Institute of Postgraduate Studies in Agriculture (IPSA) has opened a new department of Agroforestry and Environment for MS/PhD degrees. Although the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences of Chittagong University does not carry out research activity related to forestry, the students review forestry studies. The Institute is now offering both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. The Forestry and Wood Technology Department of Khulna University and the Department of Agroforestry of Bangladesh Agricultural University carry out partial forestry research as part of their academic activities.

OTHER INSTITUTIONS RELATED TO FOREST RESEARCH AND INFORMATION

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) is the apex body of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS). It plans, supports, co-ordinates, implements and evaluates various sub-sectors of agricultural research including forestry, fisheries and livestock. The Forestry Division of BARC is responsible for planning, co-ordinating, monitoring and evaluating forestry research programmes. It also co-ordinates agroforestry research and training activities. BARC supports multi-disciplinary, inter-institutional co-ordinated research programmes and funds BFRI to facilitate forest research and assists in manpower development and technology transfer. The Forestry Division of BARC has a role to facilitate, monitor, evaluate and co-ordinate forest research.

The Bangladesh National Herbarium (BNH), currently a part of BARC's Forestry Division, provides an information service on flora. The Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARRSO) acts as the national focal point for all remote sensing activities and space research in the country. Of particular interest are the activities using remote sensing technology in the field of forestry.

The Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) Laboratory at Chittagong conducts research on cultivation and bio-chemical aspects of medicinal plants to determine optimal conditions for planting and harvesting and to develop appropriate agro-post harvest and chemical technologies along with the pharmacopoeia of the plants.

The Forest Department (FD) is implementing a study entitled Integrated Resource Development of Sundarbans Reserved Forest which is expected to provide baseline information for formulation of an integrated resource management plan for the development of the Sundarbans Reserved Forest. Involvement of BFRI in the study project will enhance its capability to conduct research on natural mangroves. Ford Foundation is supporting a Pilot Project for Agroforestry Research and Demonstration in the Sal forest zone. The project is being implemented by the FD. The FD has developed a computerised database for resources information management. The system is capable of updating resources information as new data become available and can simulate and forecast changes in resource status under various scenarios.

BARC-WINROCK AGROFORESTRY AND PARTICIPATORY FORESTRY RESEARCH AND TRAINING SUPPORT PROGRAMME

The objectives of the programme are to strengthen co-ordination and support collaborative research, training, dissemination of research results and networking in the field of agroforestry and participatory forestry in Bangladesh. BARC is the implementing agency for this programme. It is supported by grants from the Ford Foundation and PACT Bangladesh and publishes the Agroforestry Information Series to disseminate agroforestry and participatory forestry research results and development experience.

OTHER MEDIA FOR FORESTRY RESEARCH INFORMATION

• An Agroforestry Newsletter is published by the National Agroforestry Working Group (NAWG) with financial support from Asia-Pacific Agroforestry Network (APAN) of Bogor, Indonesia. This quarterly Newsletter is designed to disseminate agroforestry information on technologies, research and development efforts at the national as well as international level.
  
• Agroforestry in Bangladesh is edited by Prof. Md. Abdul Haque, Head Department of Agroforestry, Bangladesh Agricultural University. The book gives elementary information on agroforestry with special reference to Bangladesh.
  
• Annotated Bibliography on Agroforestry in the SAARC Region (published by SAARC Agricultural Information Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh) presents an annotated bibliography of 1125 research works on agroforestry in the SAARC region of which 93 are in Bangladesh.
  
• Database on Forestry, developed by the Agricultural Information Centre (AIC) of BARC, provides detailed information on agriculture and allied areas including forestry on national, regional and world basis. The database contains valuable data on forestry information and it is growing rapidly.

AGRIS INPUT

About 12 000 records have been prepared so far by AIC of BARC and sent to AGRIS Processing Unit, APU, Vienna. Approximately 5% relate to forestry information from Bangladesh. However, there has been a declining trend in the AGRIS input from Bangladesh in recent years due to the following problems:

• Inadequate and inappropriate computer facilities.
• Non-functioning CD-ROM player.
• Scarcity of funds for literature collection from the National Agricultural Research System.
• Lack of professional personnel.

We are in favour of wider participation in the International Information System for the Agricultural Sciences and Technologies (AGRIS) in the coming years. We need help and co-operation to solve our problems in achieving this goal.