PROFOR remained relevant, technically strong and innovative over its 18 years at the World Bank. From 2002 to 2020, it received $52 million from its donors and implemented over 270 activities across its four themes of livelihoods, governance, finance and cross-sectoral collaboration. These activities in turn leveraged approximately $1.6 billion of World Bank lending, a significant achievement in influence for a knowledge program. This…
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John Spears, known to many readers of this journal, passed away in September 2018. John’s long career and his influence on much of the international discourse in many areas of forest policy are well known and widely appreciated. The International Forestry Review acknowledged this by publishing a remembrance of Spears and his life’s work in the March 2019 issue (Lele et al. 2019). As that article noted, Spears’ contributions to thinking about forests, trees and sustainable development were extensive and influential. They resulted in significant actions taken both by the…
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This blog by Amanda Robbinse and Mily Kallaur was originally published on Governance for DevelopmentSince 1990, the area of primary forest in the…
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Photo: Shutterstock / Nico JacobsThis blog by Karin Erika Kemper was originally published on …
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In recent years, wildfire seasons have become longer and harsher, causing significant ecological, economic and social damage. In 2019 and into 2020, fires burned across the globe—in the Amazon, Alaska, Australia, California, Europe, Indonesia and Russia—ravaging ecosystems, communities and economies. For the most part, such extreme wildfires are the result of policy, planning…
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This blog by Karin Erika Kemper was originally published on Voices.Planes are grounded, streets are eerily empty, while schools, factories and businesses deemed non-essential are closed. With more than a third of the planet’s population locked down because of the deadly coronavirus, there is a disquieting hush across the world. Over 2.4…
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68% of Liberia’s land surface is covered by forests, making it the most forested country in West Africa; and the forests have a high biodiversity and commercial value. Liberia’s forest sector contributes 10% to the national economy and serves as an important source of livelihoods and employment for more than a third of Liberia’s population that lives…
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This piece by Meerim Shakirova and Nalin Kishor was originally published by the Climate Investment Funds.Improving governance is key to addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and ensuring overall sustainable forest management. This is especially true in Côte d’Ivoire, where forest governance is complex and includes processes and…
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Geothermal resource is one of Indonesia’s largest potential sources of renewable energy with an estimated capacity of 29 gigawatts (GW) per year. The development of the geothermal power sector provides a significant opportunity to address Indonesia’s power shortages and extend access to electricity, especially in remote parts of the…
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Forest-dwelling communities and people who live in forests and depend on them for their livelihoods are often among the poorest and politically most marginalized population in their countries. About 22% of the income for the rural poor living near forests comes from timber and non-timber forest resources. This economic…
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