Landscape approach and cooperation in forest management

As part of the sub-theme 6 on partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities that deliver sustainable forest management in fragile ecosystems at the World Forestry Congress, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is organizing a session at the World Forestry Congress on how local communities and Indigenous Peoples are the custodians and managers of forests in many parts of the world. Their livelihood systems often consist of a combination of forestry, crop production and livestock rearing and, accordingly, local communities have been practising sustainable forest management with a landscape approach for centuries. However, they face challenges around climate change, resource overuse, unclear tenure rights, market forces, pressure from timber companies and political marginalization, among others.

This session will discuss how local communities and Indigenous Peoples can be supported to address these challenges and increase the resilience of their livelihoods by diversifying forest management and enhancing the landscape approach. 

The discussion will focus on vulnerable ecosystems such as mountain areas, drylands, coastal (mangrove) systems and peatlands. Forests in these ecosystems are particularly important for their rich biodiversity and the important ecosystem services they provide. They also provide essential food, goods and services for local communities.  

In Session 1: Landscape approach and cooperation in forest management, RECOFTC, Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) join FAO to have a high-level and strategic reflection on forests in the broader landscape context.

Moderator

• Thomas Hofer, Senior Forestry Officer at FAO

Keynote

• Tony Simons, Director General at International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
• Frank Rijsberman, Director General at Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Panel

• World Resources Institute (WRI)
• Sheam Satkuru, Executive Director at International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
• John Parrotta, President at International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
• Chris Buss, Director at International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Lightening Talks

• Lightening talk for session 2: (UNEP, CIFOR, SIWI)
• Lightening talk for session 3: Nathalie Faure, Senior Program Officer on Governance, Institutions and Conflict Transformation at RECOFTC
• Lightening talk for session 4: (UNFF, AFoCO)
• Lightening talk for session 5: FAO, KFS