People and Forests Forum: Carbon Financing and Community Forestry

Hosted in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 18 to 20 August 2009, the First Regional People and Forests Forum on Carbon Financing and Community Forestry brought together more than 80 people from 12 countries, including key government, civil society, private sector, and international organization participants. During the three days, participant learning and discussion was stimulated through case study and topical presentations, expert panel discussions, a film viewing, group work sessions, and a field visit to Vietnam’s only afforestation/reforestation Clean Development Mechanism (A/R CDM) site. This People and Forests Forum explored how carbon financing and community forestry could be strongly and positively connected. This colorful new report covers the speeches and key discussion points from the event, including: How might forest carbon financing initiatives impact local communities and indigenous peoples? What would be the role of these peoples in climate change mitigation initiatives? The Forum was organized by RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and the Forest Sector Support Partnership under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.