CHALLENGE

The potential for the forest sector to contribute to addressing global development challenges must be communicated to those in a position to tap that potential through policies, laws and investment decisions. However, the right information doesn’t always get to the right people in the right place at the right time to influence forest sector and development outcomes.

RESPONSE

PROFOR is finding new ways to engage with scientists, technical decision makers and policymakers around evidence and policy options for using forests to deliver on the national and international post-2015 development agendas. By participating in high profile forest events, PROFOR isdisseminatingknowledge and tools, engaging with key audiences to learn directly how PROFOR knowledge and tools are being used and what more is needed, and influencing policy making in sustainable forest management.

RESULTS

At the XXIV IUFRO World Congress in October 2014, PROFOR convened a side event on “Enabling Productive Uses of Forests That Reduce Poverty, Create Jobs, and Build Resilience.” At the event, a diverse panel of representatives from governments and from research and conservation organizations shared their views on how to respond to the growing demand for wood and wood products in a manner that helps to reduce poverty, diversify rural economies, improve forest governance, support employment creation, and protect ecosystem services. Discussion centered on how productive uses of forests can grow local, national, and regional economies, as well as the role of both natural and planted forests in meeting the growing demand. The blog “Can growing demand for forest products create jobs, build resilience, and fight poverty?” invited a broader audience to engage in the discussion.

In December 2014, PROFOR helped convene the 2014 Global Landscapes Forum as an implementing partner for the event led by CIFOR. PROFOR also co-hosted (with IUCN and CIFOR) a discussion session on the role of knowledge products and tools in achieving sustainable management of landscapes and convened a high-level session on adaptation-based mitigation. At the session on knowledge products and tools, PROFOR shared experiences from implementing a decision-support tool for sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture in Brazil.

At the high-level session, government and private sector experts shared their experiences and views on the challenges and opportunities for adaptation-based mitigation. Key points that emerged were that adaptation-based mitigation is an imperative for developing countries, that landscape restoration is a bridge for adaptation and mitigation, and that securitization of private financing is essential to make financing accessible to smallholders. The blog post “Climate smart management for farms, forests, and everything in between” provides further details.

In June 2015 at GLF: The Investment Case” in London, the session “Public-private Partnerships: What Can Public and Private Resources Achieve Together?” aimed to identify success stories, highlight analytical research findings, and map the way forward. The session content drew heavily from PROFOR knowledge work on private forest financing and business climate for forests investments, providing an opportunity for further dissemination of that work to target audiences in including private finance actors. The blog “The Case for Investing in Landscapes” offers a window into what was discussed at the event.

At the World Forestry Congress 2015, PROFOR supported a number of presentations and dialogues intended to help disseminate PROFOR tools and analysis to help inform policy makers. PROFOR played a role in the following WFC events: “Sharing benefits equitably: Learning from experience; “Benefit-sharing arrangements for REDD+” (side event); “Better information for better forest governance: The role and potential of forest governance assessment and monitoring” (side event); “Using evidence-based engagement and communications to inform global forestry policies and practice” (side event); “Improving data on socioeconomic benefits of forests”; and “Improving governance and financing for forests” (side event).

At the GLF Paris 2015, PROFOR co-organized an exhibit with TerrAfrica and the World Bank Group. PROFOR used the exhibit to promote findings from work on benefit sharing, how forests contribute to climate change adaptation, predictive proxy indicators, and much more. PROFOR co-hosted a high-level discussion on resilient landscapes to reduce fragility, conflict, and migration.For stories and updates on related activities,follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or subscribe to our mailing list for regular updates.