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8
RUSSIA’S FORESTS AND FORESTRY SECTOR
Figure 1: Timber stock and timber harvest, 2013
INTRODUCTION
Russian forests cover 891 million hectares of land, approximately
50 per cent of the country’s territory and comprise over one-
fifth of all the world’s forests.
1
Russia’s forest landscape is
more than just a natural resource – it forms the heart of the
country’s vast territory (Figure 1).
According to estimates from the Russian Federal Forestry Agency
(
Rosleshoz
) in 2013, Russian forest resources had an economic
value of as much as US$ 28 trillion. By comparison, the country’s
oil andgas reservesarevaluedat US$ 19 trillionandUS$7 trillion,
respectively.
2
As of 2012, about one-fifth of Russian forests have
been leased, including some 15 per cent directly for timber
harvesting, and this value is still growing. In 2014, nearly half of
Russian standing stock of timber – 43 billion m³ of the country’s
total of 83 billion m³ – was suitable for timber harvest. That year
203 million m³ were removed. This was slightly up on the figures
for 2013. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), in 2013 Russia was the world’s second leading producer
of industrial roundwood (Figure 2). Nevertheless, the Russian
share of the world timber trade is below 4 per cent.
3
The forest sector’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP)
is modest: 1.3 per cent in 2012,
4
and since the introduction of
the Russian Forest Code in 2007, total forest revenues have
been lower than the cost of forest management (Figure 3).
5
The manufacture of paper products is a significant element of
the Russian economy and comprises between 10 and 50 per cent
of total industrial production in 45 regions of Russia. Logging,
however, has recently become an unprofitable and low-wage
Central
Moscow
Southern
Northwestern
Far Eastern
Siberian
Ural
Volga
North
Caucasian
Barents
Sea
Norwegian
Sea
Baltic Sea
Laptev
Sea
Chukchi
Sea
Bering
Sea
Sea of
Okhotsk
Sea of
Japan
East Siberian
Sea
ARCTIC OCEAN
Kara
Sea
Caspian
Sea
Azov
Sea
Standing timber stock
< 500
500 - 1,000
1,000 - 3,000
3,000 - 6,000
> 6,000
Timber harvest
< 1
1 - 5
5 - 10
10 - 15
> 15
Federal district border
Oblast border
Source:
??
Graph by Manana Kurtubadze, GRID-Arendal, 2015.
500 km
0