Stream 2 of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2019

The Center for People and Forests co-leads "People and forests living in harmony" at this year's Asia-Pacific Forestry Week in Incheon, the Republic of Korea.

 

Songdo Convensia Convention Center | 17-21 June 2019

From 17-21 June, forestry practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific will gather in Incheon, the Republic of Korea for the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2019 to discuss and share views on the most pressing challenges in the forestry sector. The Korea Forest Service and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are co-organizing this event. The Asia-Pacific Forestry Week is one of the largest and most important forestry gatherings in the region for 2019.

The Center for People and Forests is an integral part of this year’s Asia-Pacific Forestry Week as one of two leads of Stream 2. The Center will explore the topic “People and forests living in harmony,” with the ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF).

Stream 2 “People and forests living in harmony” focuses on people-centered forestry, an approach to forest landscape management based on the rights, interests and needs of local communities. It is organized with four other parallel streams, each with a wide range of events. We expect 100 participants from government institutions, development organizations, investors, academics, civil society, media and the private sector.

Stream 2's main message: inclusive, equitable people-centered forestry builds resilient landscapes and thriving communities in the Asia-Pacific

Stream 2 consists of seven sessions that emphasize the social dimensions of forestry such as tenure, equity, gender and community participation when building and protecting dynamic, resilient forest landscapes. This stream will highlight and improve mechanisms by drawing on the experience and expertise of diverse participants, generating an important network for sharing best practices and examining issues in the field. The results, through these collaborative methods, will be mutually beneficial for both human and forest ecosystems.

As reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the social dimensions of natural resource management is necessary to develop a world that has both resilient landscapes and thriving communities. Stream 2 seeks to replicate this discussion within the forestry sector, providing APFW 2019 with an understanding of how people-centered forestry is best suited to achieve the overall theme of the Fourth APFW: Forests for peace and well-being.

APFW 2019 acknowledges the need to integrate forestry into a wider context that includes the environment, society and sustainable development practice by considering these social dimensions of the sector. Stream 2 begins this dialogue in an important way.

In the Asia-Pacific, inclusive and equitable cooperation is crucial to providing solutions to the most pressing challenges in the forestry sector and successfully integrating forestry into the larger model of sustainable development.

Objectives of the Stream:

1. Review and reflect on the development of people-centered forestry in the Asia-Pacific Region

2. Understand the fundamentals for people-centered forestry to be successful

3. Facilitate discussions and innovative thinking to strengthen people-centered forestry in the Asia-Pacific Region

Key messages of the Stream: 

1. Local and indigenous communities contribute to achieving the SDGs by sustainably managing their forests

2. Secure community land tenure rights and inclusive and equitable governance structures are essential to addressing the climate emergency

3. To protect our forests, we need solid partnerships, long-term commitments, and strong learning networks