Forests cover nearly half of Kosovo’s territory, playing a crucial role in shaping the country’s landscapes, livelihoods, and long-term development. They provide essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, climate buffering, biodiversity support, and soil protection. For rural communities, forests supply firewood, non-wood products, and employment opportunities, while also underpinning tourism and wood processing. Recognizing their strategic importance, the European Union and Sweden have supported Kosovo’s forestry sector to promote sustainable natural resource management, rural development, and environmental protection.
Kosovo faces significant challenges in implementing sustainable forest management. The Kosovo Forest Agency operates with limited technical capacity and outdated infrastructure, creating gaps in planning, monitoring, and enforcement. Informal and illegal harvesting pressures ecosystems, undermining regeneration, biodiversity, soil stability, and watershed health, while climate change increases risks from fires, pests, and extreme weather events.
The EU- and Sweden-supported Forestry Programme implemented by FAO has advanced reforms to strengthen Kosovo’s forestry sector. It helped develop the Forestry Strategy 2022–2030 and Action Plan, upgraded institutional transparency through the Kosovo Forest Information System, and introduced ecosystem-based forest management approaches. The programme enhanced monitoring and law enforcement using drones, GPS, and cameras, launched the third National Forest Inventory, and improved forest health through biological pest control, afforestation with native species, and fire-response training. These measures aim to build a modern, resilient forestry sector that balances environmental, social, and economic outcomes.
Illegal logging remains a major threat, causing habitat loss, reducing state revenue, and exacerbating rural inequalities. Effective forest management requires consistent enforcement, better coordination among institutions, increased technical staffing, adequate funding, and greater public engagement. Public trust and shared responsibility are critical for long-term sustainability.
Kosovo’s forests hold significant economic potential when managed for multiple purposes. Pilot initiatives supported by the programme, such as demonstration plots, restoration of degraded areas, community forestry, and promotion of non-wood products, show that sustainable forest management can generate environmental and economic benefits over time. Analysis indicates that strengthening forestry-based value chains could create 8,500–13,500 jobs and contribute EUR 60–100 million annually to Kosovo’s GDP, illustrating the sector’s potential for rural development and green economic transition.
Institutional reform is essential to achieving sustainable forestry. Strengthening the Kosovo Forest Agency with sufficient staffing, budgets, and coordination, combined with new Forestry Law regulations aligned with EU standards, provides a foundation for transparency, enforcement, private-sector development, and community involvement.
The future of Kosovo’s forests depends on current decisions and collective responsibility. Greater government commitment and consistent implementation of secondary legislation, resourcing of the Forest Agency, and use of the tools and methodologies developed through the EU- and Sweden-supported programme are crucial. Integrating these reforms into national policy will enable Kosovo to protect nature, support livelihoods, and promote long-term resilience, establishing forestry as a strategic sector for sustainable, EU-aligned development.
