The World Bank reported that an estimated 90 percent of the poorest people rely on forests for subsistence and income. To date, forests are inhabited by approximately 1.3 billion rights holders of which 450 million people are living in the Asia-Pacific and an estimated 300 million people in the ASEAN region depend, directly or indirectly on the various benefits derived from its forests. These people and their communities can contribute to sustainable growth in the region if empowered through supportive policies and programs particularly on community economy, and assisted in developing sustainable forest and non-forest based livelihoods.
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