| Sustainable forest management is required for any country for which forest products significantly contribute to the national economy. In 1990, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) developed a set of guidelines with criteria and indicators which had to be met if sustainable forest management was to be achieved. This study was designed to analyze Indonesian forest policy in terms of the ITTO guidelines. The hypothesis was: "Indonesia's national forest management policy will not lead to a sustainable flow of forest products". The objectives of this study were: (a) To analyze current Indonesian forest policies to determine their effectiveness in achieving sustainable forest management; (b) To analyze and critique the ITTO guidelines on sustainable forest management; (c) To assess Indonesian forest policy using the criteria and indicators provided by the revised ITTO guidelines. (d) To introduce and develop a prototype expert system application for assessing the sustainable practices of Indonesian forest management policies. The ITTO guidelines were analyzed, critiqued, and revised specifically for Indonesia. The hypothesis was tested by tabular analysis, the expert system, and the responses to a questionnaire instrument. The results of the three tests resulted in the hypothesis being accepted. Under several criteria, current Indonesian forest management policy, does not support sustainable forest management. Considering the results of this study, recommendations are made to improve parts of the policy that would satisfy the criteria and indicators specified under the revised ITTO guidelines. |
