The Contribution of the Forest Sector to the National Economy and Human Welfare in the Republic of Moldova – An Argument for Sustainable Ecosystem Management

Abstract

The Republic of Moldova’s initiatives for institutional and regulatory framework reform triggered the need for updating the approaches to natural resources management. In this process, the valuation of the ecosystem services provided by the forestry sector is of major interest for policymakers to anticipate the future effect of the envisaged reform measures. Using Sector Scenario Assessment, a method based on “business as usual” and “sustainable ecosystem management” scenarios comparison, this paper presents the value of provisioning services of the forestry sector. The analysis concluded that continuing to implement present policies and practices will create important economic losses in a long term.