Building connections and showcasing innovation: RECOFTC at IUFRO 2024

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

RECOFTC shared an exhibit with the WYSS Academy for Nature’s Southeast Asia Hub at the IUFRO2024 Congress.

RECOFTC and the Wyss Academy for Nature’s Southeast Asia Hub jointly showcased our work at the IUFRO 2024 Congress in Stockholm. This global platform provided an ideal opportunity to highlight our commitment to sustainable forest management in the Asia-Pacific region. The event brought together 4,271 delegates from 102 countries.

Our latest report, 'Assessment of forest governance in six Asian countries'

A group of people sitting at a podium

Description automatically generated — Nathalie Faure (far left) presents findings from our latest report.

Our former Senior Program Officer, Nathalie Faure, presented findings from our latest report at the IUFRO sub-plenary, International forest governance: A comprehensive global review. This comprehensive evaluation examines forest governance practices in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam from 2018 to 2023. The report reveals significant improvements in legal frameworks and community forestry programs but also highlights ongoing challenges in implementation and enforcement. It offers actionable recommendations to enhance forest governance, aiming for sustainable and equitable development.

Contributing to the scientific discourse through posters

Marina Tornorsam's poster highlighted our innovative strategies in forest fire management in the lower Mekong region. — Marina Tornorsam highlights our innovative strategies in forest fire management in the lower Mekong region during her poster presentation.

RECOFTC staff also presented two posters at the congress. The first was on ‘Integrated Fire Management within ASEAN: Approaches to include Community-based Fire Management and address climate change’, presented by Marina Tornorsam, who is regional project manager for the Community-based Fire Management in Asia (CBFiM) project. It highlighted our innovative strategies in fire management in the lower Mekong countries. Another poster, on ‘Gender justice through Climate-Resilient Green Initiatives in Nepal’, was presented by Srijana Baral, senior program officer for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. In her presentation, Baral reiterated RECOFTC’s commitment to gender equality and social inclusion, drawing attention to the critical role of women in sustainable forest management.

Srijana Baral's poster reiterates our commitment to gender equality and social inclusion, drawing attention to the critical role of women in sustainable forest management.

Contributions to science communication

The 'Communicating forest science 2024' manual, available in English, Croatian, Italian and Slovenian, provides valuable resources for scientists, practitioners, and communicators seeking to effectively share their work with a broad audience.

A case study on our Trees4All project was featured in the updated Communicating Forest Science 2024 Manual. An initiative of the IUFRO Working Party 9.01.02 – Communication and Public Relations, the manual was launched at IUFRO 2024. The manual offers updated insights and practical guidance, showcasing case studies from around the world, including on forest crime in the Lower Mekong, urban forestry in the United States, NGOs communicating forest science in Cameroon, Payment for Ecosystem Services in Costa Rica and our Trees4All project in northern Thailand.

By sharing our experiences and learnings through this platform, we contribute to the global effort of enhancing forest science communication and promoting the importance of forests for sustainable development.

Our dedicated exhibit

RECOFTC and WYSS Academy staff respond to visitor queries at the exhibit.

Our booth at the exhibition was buzzing with activity, drawing attention from a wide array of stakeholders interested in our on-the-ground actions. We showcased our regional projects – CBFiM, Explore and Regional Model Forest Network (RMFN-Asia) and our landscape work in the different RECOFTC focal countries. Our free and open e-learning courses were an instant hit and received many inquiries.

Solidifying connections with fellow model forest network representatives: (L–R) Juan Pablo Rodríguez Garavito, Latin American Model Forest Network; Peter Cutter, RECOFTC/Regional Model Forest Network-Asia; Latin American Model Forest Network and Damase Khasa, African Model Forest Network; and Fernando Luis Carrera Gambetta, Latin American Model Forest Network. — Solidifying connections with fellow model forest network representatives: (L–R) Juan Pablo Rodríguez Garavito, Latin American Model Forest Network; Peter Cutter, RECOFTC/Regional Model Forest Network - Asia; Damase Khasa, African Model Forest Network; and Fernando Luis Carrera Gambetta, Latin American Model Forest Network.

The booth helped us connect with many of our partners and our alumni, who took our courses and worked at RECOFTC. It also attracted significant interest from researchers seeking internship and career opportunities at RECOFTC, reflecting our growing reputation as a regional knowledge center and the only non-profit of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.

Peter Cutter shares a moment with Swoyambhu Man Amatya, a member of the Board of Trustees of RECOFTC Nepal.

Many visitors at our booth shared that they had taken a RECOFTC e-course and thanked us for initiating free courseware on forestry with certificates. Some also came in to say hello after having met RECOFTC at different gatherings and fora.

The event also allowed us to engage with potential prospects for the Explore Community of Practice, fostering interest and discussions on forest landscape governance. These interactions underscored the lasting impact of our programs and opened new avenues for future partnerships.

Peter Cutter mentored a student – Tonthoza Uganja from Bangor University – from the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA)-IUFRO mentorship program.

The RECOFTC delegation included Peter Cutter, director of Program Coordination and Technical Services; Srijana Baral, senior program officer for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion; Marina Tornorsam, regional project manager for the Community-Based Fire Management in Asia project; Utsav Maden, communication and engagement officer; and Nathalie Faure, former senior program officer for Forest Governance, Institutions and Conflict Transformation. The team from the Wyss Academy for Nature, Southeast Asia Hub included Horst Weyerhäuser, hub lead and Pin Pravalprukskul, program manager.

Our active participation in discussions and presentations highlighted our efforts in community-based fire management, gender equality and climate-resilient initiatives. Beyond presentations and exhibitions, RECOFTC actively engaged with the global forestry community through mentorship, networking and knowledge sharing. The congress provided a plattform to strengthen partnerships, explore new collaborations and solidify RECOFTC's position as a leading organization in sustainable forest management.