Guangxi Integrated Forestry Development and Conservation Project

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The overall project development objective of the Guangxi Integrated Forestry Development and Conservation Project is to improve the effectiveness of forest management and institutional arrangements in timber production, watershed protection and nature reserves management in selected areas of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR). The global development objective of the project is to improve the conservation of the globally significant biodiversity of the GZAR by ensuring effective in-situ protection of threatened and globally important forest habitats and rare and endemic species. The project will have four components: firstly, expanding timber plantations by financing: (a) the establishment of approximately 200,000 ha of fast-growing, high-yield timber plantations; and (b) the improvement of nursery management, including the establishment of four central nurseries and facilities to produce high-quality planting materials to enable the introduction o f superior genetic materials and management technologies; secondly, increasing ecological forest cover, which will contribute to the objectives of this government program by developing and demonstrating models that would combine economic, environmental and social benefits; thirdly, strengthening management of nature reserves in order to enhance the management of existing nature reserves; increase management capacity and knowledge of biodiversity resources (particularly in the little-known limestone ecosystems); and strengthen cooperation between local communities and nature reserve staff to address areas of mutual interest; and fourthly, enhancing institutional and management capacity to implement an integrated institutional and management capacity-building program.