RECOFTC, Sweden sign USD 7 Million Grant for Community Forestry in the Asia-Pacific Region

Bangkok, Thailand - The Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok, on behalf of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) today signed an agreement with RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests to support enhancing capacities for stronger rights, improved governance and fairer benefits for local people in sustainable forested landscapes in the Asia-Pacific region. The five-year grant of SEK 60 million (USD 7,012,100) supports RECOFTC programmes from October 2016 to September 2021. RECOFTC is the first partner to sign an agreement of support under Sweden's newly launched strategy for regional development cooperation in Asia and the Pacific region 2016-2021. 

Ms Anne-Charlotte Malm, Head of Regional Development Cooperation Section, Embassy of Sweden, Bangkok, said “As the world contemplates the future direction of international development with continuing challenges such as climate change, poverty, conflict and inequality, water, energy and food scarcity, there is a compelling need for local and indigenous people along with forests to be part of the solution.”

Welcoming the support, Dr Tint Lwin Thaung, Executive Director, RECOFTC, said, “With the support of Sweden, RECOFTC can scale up its program to achieve results at a time when urgent action is needed before it’s too late. Together with Sweden, our goal is to empower an increasing number of the hundreds of millions forest-dependent people—especially women and other marginalized groups—across Asia and the Pacific to effectively and equitably engage in the sustainable management of forested landscapes, in order to support efforts in poverty reduction and sustainable development with just and egalitarian means, and thereby contribute to the realization of the new Sustainable Development Goals.”

The support from Sweden is strengthening community forestry in the region, contributing to local people’s rights over forestlands, improved forest governance and a fairer share of the benefits from forestry to local people.