ABSTRACT
This chapter justifies the fact that society's acceptance of the complex reality of humans/nature enables measures to be adopted that are conducive to sustainable development. It discusses the use of both sustainability indicators and quantitative techniques as a means of incorporating public participation in forest management. From an ecological perspective, sustainability is the capacity of biological systems to remain diverse and productive over time. This is an essential precondition for the long-term maintenance of human well-being (global sustainability). The history of the sustainability problem reveals that most of environmental protection legislation appears as a reaction to a catastrophe. The assessment of forest sustainability indicators is carried out through the development and use of computer models, which include a geographic information system component. The combination of communication, education, participation, and environmental action causes change. Most of the current methods for the sustainable use of natural resources allow different levels of public participation.
