A small rice farm on the edge of a protected forest, Vietnam. Photo by Enrique Ibarra.
As regional staff in Cameroon put the finishing touches on what promises to be a huge Forest Day for Central Africa on April 24, CIFOR scientists in South East Asia are explaining how their research is helping people and forests to decision-makers and other key stakeholders in Hanoi, Vietnam, at the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week (APFW), 21 – 26 April 2008.
APFW will bring together over 600 participants from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research institutions, regional and international networks, UN agencies, the private sector and the media.
It promises to be a busy week for CIFOR, co-hosting two plenary sessions, launching a number of publications, and staff involved in various other events and activities.
In conjunction with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CIFOR will co-host a key session on Forests and Climate Change, Wednesday, 23 April.
This event will provide the platform for a range of experts, enthusiasts and decision-makers to raise key issues in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation. CIFOR’s Dr Daniel Murdiyarso will deliver one of two keynote presentations - on Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD): A Readiness Index for Full Implementation – while Markku Kanninen, Director of CIFOR’s Environmental Services program, will participate in the panel session to follow.
In its capacity as host of the Secretariat of the Asia Forest Partnership (AFP), CIFOR will also co-host Thursdays’ Dialogue on Timber Trade, Forest Law Compliance and Governance. This event has been organized in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), the Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia (MoF).
The Dialogue will bring together a variety of stakeholders from government, business and community to discuss sustainability in the trade of timber and forest products, and provide the opportunity to advance policy solutions, industry incentives and practical on-the-ground initiatives that address concerns about forest governance and legal compliance.
Mr. Rico Hizon, BBC Asia Business and Finance Correspondent, will chair the Dialogue, and Dr. Boen Purnama, Secretary General, Ministry of Forestry Indonesia, will provide introductory remarks. Presentations from a range of key players will follow, setting the stage for a wide-ranging and provocative open forum.
Thursday will also see the launch of two CIFOR publications – “Lessons from Forest Decentralization”, by Carol Colfer, Ganga Dahal and Doris Capistrano; and “Managing Forest Resources in a Decentralized Environment”, by Petrus Gunarso, Titiek Setyawati, Terry Sunderland and Charlie Shackleton.
Frances Seymour, CIFOR’s Director General, will be a particularly ubiquitous figure during APFW, providing introductory remarks for the opening plenary session, Forestry in a Changing World, and making a presentation at the Tuesday plenary, People, Forests, and Human Well-being: Managing Forests for People in a Period of Rapid Change, as well as participating in a media conference during the Dialogue on Timber Trade, Forest Law Compliance and Governance.
CIFOR will wrap up Forestry Week with a Saturday seminar on IFAD supported forestry-related programs. IFAD has also collaborated with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
So, a busy time for CIFOR, but indicative of the international attention that tropical forests are currently receiving, and the need to ensure that decisions regarding their future are informed with the most relevant, up-to-date and thorough research possible.