Community forestry-based climate change adaptation

Forestry has long been viewed as the domain of mitigation efforts. Without a doubt, the world will be hard-pressed to meet the targets of keeping the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius without including the carbon-sink role played by forests. However, viewing forests as just carbon sinks misses further vital contributions they can play in supporting adaptation. As the search begins for frameworks and models where adaptation and mitigation are jointly addressed, the contributions of approaches such as community forestry are being seen with fresh eyes. While community forestry has proven a compelling model for sustainable forest management in the region for several decades now, its potential to bridge ecological and social dimensions in responding to climate change provides it with a new appeal.

This training manual is designed to provide a simple and structured methodology that can assist trainers to design and deliver trainings that can promote integrated local level adaptation – specifically in the context of community forestry. The manual is developed based on RECOFTC’s extensive experience with community forestry and community forestry-based adaptation in Asia and the Pacific. It aims to assist trainers to build the capacities of government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs) and other service providers with a view to supporting a more integrated, comprehensive approach to building resilience in rural landscapes.