Kazakhstan - Forest sector in transition: the resource, the users and sustainable use

Kazakhstan is a large country with limited forest resources relative to its overall land area. Forests areas account for a mere 4.2 percent of Kazakhstan's territory. However, the 11.5 million hectares of forest cover still make Kazakhstan the third largest forest country in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region, after Russia and Turkey. In the traditional measure of forest abundance - total growing stock of timber - Kazakhstan with its 383.7 million m3 of standing timber ranks low compared to other ECA countries (only one-third of Romania), although in the same league with South Africa, Vietnam or the Philippines. Its limited forest production on the major part of Kazakhstani territory is partly a result of the desert climate and low precipitation.