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Friday, November 20, 2009
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Home > Highlights > Previous Highlights
Previous Highlights
- Payments to reduce carbon emissions could preserve habitat for endangered mammal species
New study is among first to show benefits that carbon payments could have for populations of endangered large mammals in tropical forests
The Borneo orangutan, one of the endangered mammals that could benefit from carbon payments. Photo by Daniel Murdiyarso
A recently published report provides compelling evidence that paying to conserve billions of tons of carbon stored in tropical forests could also protect orangutans, pygmy elephants, and other wildlife at risk of extinction. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Conservation Letters, is one of the first to offer quantitative evidence linking the drive to reduce carbon emissions from forests with the push to preserve threatened mammal biodiversity. more - Exponential link between fires and drought threaten REDD
Firefighting in peatland near Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo by Charlie Pye-Smith
In recent years parts of Southeast Asia have been regularly blanketed in an atmospheric haze, sometimes for months at a time. Most of it comes from the setting of fires to clear vegetation in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.
Emissions from the fires are problematic. In extreme cases, they can cause respiratory and other health problems. They can affect transportation by forcing airports to close. The fires also release enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change. more - Payments for Environmental Services: fading fad or firm future?
The Borneo orangutan, a beneficiary of well-managed payments for environmental services. Photo by Daniel Murdiyarso
A recent journal volume edited by CIFOR and partners reviewed payments for environmental services (PES) schemes worldwide. It finds large differences between public and private PES. Improvements in PES need to be tailored accordingly, if PES is to become a mainstream conservation tool.
PES schemes are an innovative effort to protect the environment. Their aim is to translate external, traditionally nonmarketed values of the environment into real financial incentives for landowners and land users to provide environmental services.
The environmental services most often covered by PES schemes are those related to carbon, watershed, biodiversity, and landscape beauty protection. These schemes have now been around for a while. Given the global interest in tackling climate change by using financial incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), now is a good time to have a look at how PES schemes are progressing. more - How decision-makers can plan for climate uncertainty
Greenhouse-gas emissions in Costa Rica. Photo by Bruno Locatelli
Predicting how the world will change as it warms is filled with uncertainty. For example, tropical rainforests could either become hotter and drier or hotter and wetter—it all depends on which climate model you consult.
Despite the uncertainties, decision makers must plan ahead and prepare for potential changes in rainfall and temperature. A new CIFOR publication, Climate scenarios: What we need to know and how to generate them, can help policy makers and non-climate specialists understand how climatic scenarios are constructed. The authors hope the information will help governments design policies that take into account a range of potential climatic changes. more - Forests as giant pumps?
Clouds form over a Central African forest, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Photo by Douglas Sheil
A study from the St Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute in Russia says vast forests generate winds through vapor pressure differences that help pump water around the planet.
If correct, the theory would explain how forested continents get as much rain inland as they do on the coast, and why Australia with its limited coastal forests has a vast, almost treeless outback.
According to the research, as reported by Mongabay.com, scientists have known for some time that forests recycle rain. Up to half the precipitation falling on a typical tropical rainforest evaporates or transpires from trees. This keeps the air above moist. more - Saying “Yes” to PES
How payments for environmental services could protect the Brazilian Amazon
Brazilian Minister of the Environment Carlos Minc (left) with CIFOR scientists Jan Börner and Sven Wunder at the PES book launch
A new report published by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment suggests that schemes promoting payments for environmental services (PES) could provide a strong incentive for protecting forests. Building on previous work at the level of the federal states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso, CIFOR’s Sven Wunder and Jan Börner from the Amazon Initiative (AI), together with colleagues Lígia Pereira of CIFOR and Marcus Rugnitz Tito of AI, were asked by the ministry to make an Amazon-wide assessment of PES options. THey calculated the opportunity costs of forest conservation for each Amazonian municipality using official statistics of deforestation and land use. The economic results were then overlaid with historical deforestation data, projections of forest use and data for services such as carbon storage and maintaining biodiversity. They also analysed land tenure data to determine where payments to legitimate landowners and forest users could be made for the conservation services provided by the forests they oversee. more - There Is Hope Yet: Conservation versus development in Kutai National Park
Watch the trailer on YouTube
Kutai National Park was established to protect one of the last remaining tracts of typical lowland tropical rainforest in Indonesia. But the park is in crisis. CIFOR with IMpro have produced a new documentary film, There Is Hope Yet, which examines the complex problems that people managing and living near this conserved area face.
Through interviews with representatives of key stakeholders, the film looks at the issues of illegal logging, encroachment, a proposal to excise an area of 23 000 hectares as an enclave and the enforcement of laws which protect the park. The film also explores solutions. The documentary concludes that policies providing the basis for a clear sense of rights coupled with attendant responsibilities are essential if Kutai National Park is to be better managed in the future. more - Has decentralised forest management worked?
Local leaders patrolling around Selimbau Natural Orchid Garden in the bufferzone of Danau Sentarum National Park, West Kalimantan
The Indonesian Environmental Information Center held a seminar in Manggala Wanabhakti, Jakarta on February 6, 2009 to launch a series of reports on decentralised forest management in the country, produced in Indonesian by researchers receiving support from CIFOR and its partners.
Participants from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, Indonesian environmental NGOs, and CIFOR discussed to what extent local government bodies had been able to manage the country’s forest resources in the best interests of both the forests and the people whose livelihoods depend on them.
More than 480 districts, called kabupaten, took on forest management responsibilities when centralised control was devolved as a part of the reform process that followed President Soeharto’s resignation in the late 1990s. more - Forest trees are getting bigger and absorbing more carbon
Estimating the height of a moabi tree (Baillonella toxisperma) in Gabon. Photo by Terry Sunderland
An international team of scientists, including researchers from CIFOR, have discovered that rainforest trees are getting bigger, storing more carbon from the atmosphere and slowing climate change.
According to the findings, tropical trees in undisturbed forests around the world are absorbing nearly a fifth of the carbon-dioxide (C02) released by burning fossil fuels. That is significantly more than the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the world’s transport sector.
The researchers estimate that remaining tropical forests remove a massive 4.8 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere each year. This includes a previously unknown carbon sink in Africa, mopping up 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 each year. more - Zambian bee farmers set to cop it sweet
CIFOR’s researchers in Zambia are confident that a new draft beekeeping policy, tailored to the context and the needs of bee keepers, will have a meaningful effect on forest communities. Photo by Fiona Paumgarten
The Zambian Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources has developed a draft beekeeping policy, which is a recognition of the sub-sector’s importance to the country’s economic and environmental prosperity.
The draft policy has been strongly supported by a research project spearheaded by CIFOR, which is focussing largely on the production, packaging and marketing of honey and beeswax products.
According to Davison Gumbo, a scientist from CIFOR’s Zambia Office, “the new policy will assist those working in the beekeeping industry to better manage the trade and to better capitalise on the opportunities that are available. Currently, bee farmers earn little more than $3000 for a tonne of honey on the international market. more - How can research inform forest management?
By Frances Seymour
Imagine a world in which forests remain high on the world’s political agenda, and people recognize their real value in maintaining rural livelihoods and the flow of ecosystem goods and services to society. In that vision, decision making affecting forests is based on solid science and principles of good governance, and reflects the perspectives of developing countries and forest-dependent peoples. Policy makers have access to the best possible information and analysis, while forest managers in government, industry, and forest communities have the most appropriate tools and methods at their disposal. more - REDD goes green
Photo by Eko Prianto
Indonesia’s globally important biosphere, Tanjung Puting National Park (TPNP), could serve as a potential site for demonstrating a range of activities for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).
The finding was made in a preliminary survey by CIFOR’s Daniel Murdiyarso. It comes at a time when environmentalists have been expressing concerns about the impact of oil palm development on the 400,000 ha park.
TPNP, in Central Kalimantan, is well known for its orangutan rehabilitation centre run by the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), six hours via road and river from the district capital, Pangkalan Bun. more - Global Emissions Targets Will Not Be Met Unless Forests Are Included in the Next Global Climate Agreement
Photo by IISD.
POZNAN (8 December 2008)—With growing concern that governments will fail to reach consensus on the role of forests in the next global climate pact, an alliance of international forestry and environmental organizations today called on negotiators to include forests in mechanisms to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
“Forests are crucial to fighting and adapting to climate change,” said Frances Seymour, Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) at a press conference today following Forest Day 2 at the UNFCCC 14th Conference of the Parties (COP-14) in Poznan, Poland. “We must include forests in our strategies to deal with climate change. If we do not, we could face a nightmare scenario, a positive feedback loop, in which emissions from deforestation and degradation feed global warming, which in turn accelerates forest loss.” more - CIFOR-COP14 Online Press Room
POZNAN (5 December 2008)—The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) today released a comprehensive analysis clarifying major challenges and offering an assortment of options that could help negotiators reach a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions tied to forest destruction and degradation.
The report, Moving ahead with REDD: Issues, options and implications, is set to be released as officials from around the world have gathered here under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Negotiators are seeking to outline a new global agreement for reducing greenhouse gases, which will set the stage for final decisions scheduled for 2009 in Copenhagen. more - Forest governance and decentralization in Africa
Sharing lessons and seeking opportunities through dialogue.
Participants at a recent workshop on forests and decentralisation called for greater community involvement in forest management across Africa. Photo by Laura German
From April 8 to 11, 2008, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry of South Africa and the Federal Office for the Environment of Switzerland cohosted the “Workshop on Forest Governance and Decentralisation in Africa,” a country-led initiative in support of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).
The workshop, held in Durban, South Africa, brought together stakeholders from government, civil society and regional and international organisations to share experiences on decentralisation and forest governance from across Africa, through presentations, round-table discussions, field trips and information sessions. more - Mitigation and adaptation: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Forests contain a lot more than just carbon when it comes to their economic importance. And then there’s the social, environmental and cultural importance of forests too.
International concerns about forests and climate change have primarily focused on how to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation or improve carbon sequestration through reforestation.
These basically constitute the mitigation approach which tends to address the forests and climate change debate from the perspective of how forests affect climate.
An equally important but less prominently discussed approach is adaptation, which looks at the debate from the reverse perspective – how climate change impacts on forests and how to cope with change.
This is not to suggest that the two perspectives are mutually exclusive. more - From Conservation to Innovation: Building Capacity for Smallholder Teak Farmers in Central Java
“These farmers may need urgent cash for school fees or medical bills, yet they have no access to capital reserves while waiting for their plantation to harvest", said Dede Rohadi, CIFOR scientist.
Teak has played a vital role in Javanese culture and economy for centuries. Originally a species from Burma, Javanese teak represents 35% of the world teak supply, with logs and sawn timber sales for 2001 amounting to more than 680,000 m3, valued at nearly $AUS115 million.
Furniture production is a major industry throughout Central Java, with more than 15,000 factories depending on teak to survive. Much of this raw timber comes from smallholder plantations in and around the Gunung Kidul district.
During the 70’s, drought, civil unrest and other factors had left this area largely degraded and unproductive, yet a range of government rehabilitation initiatives over the last 30 years has meant the region is now made up of 60% productive land, the majority of this comprising teak plantations. These plantations also deliver added value as they can be combined with planting crops, traditional medicinal plants or livestock food sources. more - Poverty Environmental Network (PEN) at the 12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC)
At the IASC Conference PEN partners highlighted their study of the importance of forests to the income portfolios of rural households.
Six PEN partners (Amy Duchelle, Pam Jagger, Charles Jumbe, Shah Raees Khan, Khaled Misbahuzzaman, and José Pablo Prado Córdova), PEN Coordinator Arild Angelsen, and PEN resource person William Sunderlin participated in the 12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC), held July 14-19, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, UK. This event marked the first presentation of PEN research at a major international conference.
The role of the IASC is to contribute new knowledge to understanding and improving institutions for the management of resources that are (or could be) held or used collectively. more - New Report Says Blanket Ban on Bushmeat Trade in Central Africa Could Have Dire Consequences for the Region’s Poor
“If local people are guaranteed the benefits of sustainable land use and hunting practices, they will be willing to invest in sound management and negotiate selective hunting regimes,” said Frances Seymour, Director General of CIFOR.
Researchers Warn That Some Central African Wildlife Species Will Become Extinct Within 50 Years Unless “Bushmeat” Hunting is Controlled & Local Land Use Rights Recognized
YAOUNDE (16 September 2008) – A new report from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) and partners warns that an upsurge in hunting bushmeat—including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians — in tropical forests is unsustainable and that it poses serious threats to food security for poor inhabitants of forests in Africa, who rely largely on bushmeat for protein. more - Australian Government Puts Its Money Where Its Mouth Is
“Climate change is one of the greatest social and economic challenges of our time. It is a global problem requiring a global solution. Australia must play its part in reaching that global solution through our actions at home and abroad.” Senator Penny Wong, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water.
The Howard Government of Australia was among the first to commit significant financial support to the development of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). The Rudd Administration, which took office immediately before the Bali COP in December 2007, has followed through with this commitment and in May 2008 announced a $AUS3 million grant to CIFOR for REDD-related research.
In collaboration with a range of partners in Indonesia and elsewhere, CIFOR’s project - REDD: Research to Support Design and Implantation for Effectiveness, - will assess the relative effectiveness, efficiency and fairness of alternative approaches to REDD. more - Forest, Human Health & The Impacts of Climate Change
Climate change does impact on human health, people living in forests deal with much more immediate problems, like children dying of dysentery and malaria and other diseases. Photo by Trish Shanley
The World Health Organization (WHO) dedicated the focus of this year's World Health Day, on April 14, to “Protecting Health from the adverse effects of Climate Change”.
Though one may not readily see a connection between climate change and health, the two are inextricably linked. Studies from around the world, including from CIFOR’s Carol Colfer, demonstrate that climate and weather have a powerful impact on human life and health, especially the health of vulnerable, forest-dependent people. more - CIFOR’s African Adventure
Participants from the workshop meet with local farmers in DebreZeit, Ethiopia, some 50 km from Addis Ababa
April, 2008: A number of staff from CIFOR’s Information Services Group (ISG) gathered at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a unique opportunity to explore and experiment with knowledge sharing (KS) principles and methods. The event was the culmination of a three-phase workshop on Information, Communication and Technology – Knowledge Management (ICT-KM), involving 40 participants from CGIAR Centres, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Forum for Agricultural Research (FARA).
Dina Satrio and Yuan Oktafian, from the Computer Services Unit and Library Unit, attended a series of sessions designed to improve the participants’ understanding and appreciation of the role and value of KS in research and institutional arenas; to increase their capacity to apply KS concepts and approaches; and to foster interaction among CGIAR staff and research partners. more - Improving Livelihoods through Landscape Management in West Africa
The success of the LAMIL project in Guinea has created enormous interest in integrated landscape management in neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The implementation of an integrated approach to landscape management, combining agroforestry innovations and a review of participatory natural resource management process, has brought about greater interest and provided incentives for subsequent involvement of rural communities in conservation activities. Dr. Mahmoud Camara, Guinean Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Environment, Water and Forests
In response to global concerns regarding the social, environmental and economic consequences of poor landscape management, CIFOR and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) launched the Landscape Management for Improved Livelihoods (LAMIL) project in September 2005. more - Forest Conservation: What Is The Demand For Landscape Approaches?
"The problems that affect these complex landscapes are not just biophysical, but social and cultural as well," stated Jeffrey Sayer from IUCN, at the UN CBD COP-9 in Bonn, Germany.
Bonn, Germany, 22 May, 2008 - At the Ninth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, representatives from leading conservation and research organisations debated the importance of landscape approaches to forest conservation and management. At the centre of this discussion was the question of whether landscape approaches, which have been presented as potential solutions for mediating the trade-offs between conservation and development, are relevant and effective, and if so, for whom?
The host of the event – CIFOR - asked of the speakers what should research on landscapes address and who should be the recipients of the outputs of that research? more - Forest Day Central Africa a Huge Success
Denis Koulagna, Secretary General of the Cameroonian Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) delivered the opening speech on behalf of the Minister, Dr. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, at the inaugural Forest Day Central Africa
Over 150 forest experts and enthusiasts - representing government, research institutes, universities, civil society, forest communities and donors - participated in the inaugural Forest Day Central Africa, held on 24 April in Yaounde, Cameroon. The event, organized by CIFOR’s Regional Office for Central Africa, saw lively discussions and timely presentations about issues related to forests and climate change mitigation.
The significance and success of the event was reflected in the high-level participation, featuring representatives from the Cameroon Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, the Vice-President of the National Assembly, and several Members of Parliament. The event also attracted considerable media interest, as well as a number of participants from countries outside of Cameroon. more - Cameroon: Officials Seek CIFOR Advice on Timber Verification
The Cameroon Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Finance will participate in a workshop about verification of legal timber, co-hosted by CIFOR
From 9 to 11 July, CIFOR will assist in a workshop for forestry officials in Cameroon, "Capacity Building on Forest Activities Control". The workshop - organized in conjunction with the World Resources Institute (WRI), German Cooperation (GTZ), the Independent Observer for forest operations (REM) and the Cameroonian Ministry of Forests (MINFOF) - will train and update staff of MINFOF and the Ministry of Finance (MINFI) on techniques to verify and control forestry activities.
The workshop will draw on lessons learnt from VERIFOR, a project about verification of legal timber, that is carried out by CIFOR in Central Africa. The training will also see participants share on-going experiences with the implementation of forest management plans. more - Food, Fuel and Forest: A Seminar on Climate Change, Agriculture and Trade
IPC Chairman Piet Bukman, HS Dylan, Her Excellency Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Trade of Indonesia, and Ms. Frances Seymour, CIFOR’s Director General attend a media conference in conjunction with the IPC seminar
Bogor, Indonesia, May 12, 2008 – The International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC) hosted a seminar on Climate Change, Agriculture and Trade, which addressed issues surrounding global demand for food, fuel and forests. With the international spotlight on Indonesia to take the lead in sustainable forest management, it was particularly appropriate that the seminar took place in Bogor.
Organized in collaboration with CIFOR and the Asian Latin America Agrifood Research Network (ALARN), the seminar convened key Indonesian agriculture and trade government officials, academics, private sector representatives and other international experts. more - CIFOR Strategy, 2008 - 2018: Making a Difference for Forests and People
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, CIFOR is proud to present its new strategy, "Making a Difference for Forests and People" ( PDF, size 0.7MB).
In 2006 CIFOR's Board and Management agreed to develop a new strategy to better respond to current and future challenges, and remain a relevant source of timely analysis and knowledge on tropical forests and the people who depend on them. CIFOR's External Programme and Management Review (EPMR) in 2005-6 also recommended that the Center should develop a new strategy as a priority. more - Adaptive Research, Adaptive Management: Research Thrives in Nepal Despite Conflict
Local forest users groups in Nepal that adopted ACM introduced more women and the poor into the decision-making processes, thereby creating more livelihood opportunities for them. Photo by: Bishnu Pandit
Field work in developing countries can be challenging at the best of times, but with Nepal in the grip of a Maoist insurgency, a research project into community forest management became an exercise in ingenuity and courage for all involved.
CIFOR's three-year research project, "Improving Livelihoods and Equity in Community Forestry in Nepal: the role of adaptive collaborative management (ACM)", started out ordinarily enough in 2004. more - International Dialogue on Timber Trade, Forest Law Compliance & Governance
AFP Media conference featuring representatives from: Dr. Boen Purnama, MOF Indonesia; Dr. David Cassells, TNC; Mr. Hoai, MARD Vietnam; Hoeke Woerner, GTZ; Mr. Nguyen Ton Quyen, Vietnam Timber Association, Tran Kim Long, MARD Vietnam; Mr. Hugh Speechly, DfID; Ms. Frances Seymour, CIFOR. Photo: Yani Saloh
Tough policy issues surrounding the global timber trade were again under the spotlight recently, as forestry experts from around the world gathered in Hanoi to attend the Asia Forest Partnership's Dialogue on Timber Trade, Forest Law Compliance and Governance. As one of the highlight events at Asia Pacific Forestry Week in Vietnam, the AFP Dialogue brought together over 500 forestry stakeholders to discuss sustainability in the trade of timber and forest products, and to develop strategies for success in an increasingly regulated environment.
The dialogue was organized in collaboration with CIFOR, DfID, IGES, TNC and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. The Indonesian Ministry's Secretary General, Dr. Boen Purnama, opened the discussion, followed by the BBC's Rico Hizon, who's lively and professional moderator skills catalyzed a passionate and productive debate on policy solutions, industry incentives and practical on-the-ground initiatives. more - Deer-breeding research center opens near CIFOR
Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, Mr. MS Kaban, launched a deer breeding project in the Dramaga research forest that surrounds CIFOR's campus in Bogor, Indonesia. Guests of honour at the launch were members of CIFOR's Board of Trustees (BoT), CIFOR's management and staff. Photo by Eko
May 16, 2008: Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, Mr. MS Kaban, today launched a deer breeding project in the Dramaga research forest that surrounds CIFOR's campus in Bogor, Indonesia. Guests of honour at the launch were members of CIFOR's Board of Trustees (BoT), who were in Bogor for the week to attend CIFOR's annual board meeting. Accompanying the BoT were CIFOR's management group and a number of CIFOR staff. more - Forest dwellers can earn money from conservation but only with clear land rights
"Extremely rich biodiversity and extreme poverty are both striking elements of the Congo Basin landscapes. With a rapidly growing population and countries hungry for development, the challenge is to find a balance between economic growth and forest conservation.” Cyrie Sendashonga, CIFOR
Yaounde, Cameroon (22 April 2008) - Experts from forestry institutions say that to ensure equity in the implementation of a new plan to reduce deforestation, it is essential to clarify land rights in and around forests.
The scientists warn that the plan might aggravate deforestation and poverty if forest communities are left out of negotiations and lack rights to forest land. more - Illegal Logging: Need to Look Behind the Chainsaw
"What is the impact of small-scale logging operations on the national economy? On urban and rural livelihoods? On biodiversity?” asks CIFOR’s Paolo Cerutti, in Cameroon. Photo: Marieke Sandker
Since the nineties, global concern over illegal logging in tropical forests has mounted. Numerous initiatives have been established and agreements signed to promote the sustainable use of forest resources and combat illegal forest practices.
The European Union's Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious attempts of timber-consuming countries to reduce illegal logging.
However, a lack of understanding of what causes illegal logging jeopardizes the success of any action against illegal forest activities, according to CIFOR researcher Paolo Cerutti. more - CIFOR at Asia-Pacific Forestry Week
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. more - CIFOR Touches the Grassroots
"Through this cooperation and support from CIFOR and ICRAF, we will e able to establish a library at LAHO. These books will be hugely beneficial in adding knowledge to our staff and trainees," said Alfredo
A unique project in Timor Leste has provided a tangible demonstration of CIFOR and ICRAF impacting at grassroots level.
Through the Defense Cooperation Program of Australia (DCP), CIFOR and ICRAF, the World Agroforestry Centre, recently donated 53 books on agriculture to LAHO, a local community organization in Timor Leste.
LAHO runs a silk production program and a training center for mulberry and silkworm cultivation, as well as broader agricultural and horticultural programs, including forestry and propagation of fruit trees.
Alfredo Jeronimo Guterres, Project Manager for LAHO, spoke of his gratitude to CIFOR, ICRAF for their crucial support. more - Forests and Trade: the Challenge of Selling Tree Products in Central Africa
In Central Africa many factors prevent local communities from maximizing the income potential of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), like Njansang (pictured)
In our globalized world, products can be produced in one country and sold at the other end of the world, often with huge profits. In Central Africa, these profits can hang in trees, but often stay there because they can not reach the market. And so fail to bring in badly needed income for rural families. CIFOR and the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) recently joined forces to advise rural households how to better take advantage of these hanging profits.
In Central Africa, poor roads, the seasonality of products, limited knowledge of markets, inadequate networking and lack of education about storage and processing capacity means that income from the sale of tree products often fails to outweigh the costs.
The Farmer Enterprise Development (FED) project seeks to improve farmer household incomes through training in marketing and domestication. more - Managing conflict over natural resources
Compensatory facilities provided by logging companies such as clean water are often delayed and unsatisfactory, and promises are continually postponed
Conflict over natural resources can be a catalyst for constructive change, but needs careful management, according to Dr. Yurdi Yasmi from the Bangkok-based Regional Community Forestry Training Centre (RECOFTC).
Yurdi, whose interest in conflict and natural resource management issues includes several years research for CIFOR, says conflict emerges when a stakeholder is harmed or impaired in some way and involves far more than a mere difference of opinion.
Anxiety and frustration are the initial signs of an escalating conflict. These are generally followed by debate, lobbying and protest, with the issue sometimes capturing national or international attention.
Commodity and Conflict
Yasmi experienced conflict first hand when undertaking research for his PhD in Bulungan, East Kalimantan, when he looked into allegations that local communities suffered water and air pollution caused by logging companies. According to Yasmi, they were excluded from negotiations and denied rights to use wood from the forest for their houses and churches. more - Bamboo And Poverty Reduction In China
Classified as a 'non-timber forest product' (NTFP), bamboo is one of the most utilised forest resources in the world. Photo by Widya Prajanthi
Perhaps never before in history has a nation seen such rapid economic development and social change as China has in the past 25 years. This spectacular economic growth has contributed to an unprecedented rise in living standards, and yet China still has well over 100 million people living in poverty.
Since October 2006 Australia's Nick Hogarth has been based in China, seeking to understand the relationship of forests and forest-products to the livelihoods of the rural poor.
His research is part of CIFOR's Poverty and Environment Network (PEN) project and focuses specifically on the case of bamboo in Tianlin County, Guangxi Province, with the aim to determine its potential as a natural resource for economic development and poverty alleviation. more - Illegal Logging In Indonesia - Causes, Progressto Date And Further Steps
Opinion piece by Krystof Obidzinski, CIFOR Forests & Governance Programme
An ongoing imbalance between supply and demand is the key underlying structural problem driving illegal logging in Indonesia.Photo by Agus Andrianto
Quo vadis Indonesian forestry?
Indonesia's forestry sector is in deepening crisis. Once among the world's leaders in round wood and plywood production, today the country's logging and woodworking sectors are in steep decline. During the last three years, the export of plywood decreased by nearly 75% while the export of sawn timber products fell by nearly 50%. Production and export reductions of such magnitude have had significant economic and social impacts in terms of shrinking foreign earnings and employment loss.
The reasons for this situation are many, but they start with the uncontrolled expansion of timber processing industries in Indonesia in the 1980s and the subsidized promotion of pulp and paper mills in the 1990s - all without ensuring a sustainable supply of timber. The resultant supply - demand imbalance has continuously been dogging Indonesia's forestry sector and is the key underlying structural problem that drives illegal logging and the movement of illegal timber within and out of Indonesia. more - CIFOR's Sven Wunder Discusses How REDD Can Learn From PES
REDD can finance improved command-and-control systems: more forest guards, better remote-sensing monitoring, and more efficient judiciary systems to prosecute and convict offenders. Photo by Sven Wunder
With so much talk lately about Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), CIFOR's Sven Wunder - Principal Scientist with the Forests and Livelihood program - draws on his extensive experience with Payments for Environmental Services (PES) to discuss some of the key issues that will need to be addressed if REDD is to be successfully implemented.
1. "The ideal PES recipient is the guy who has enough capital to buy a chainsaw, and is on the verge of putting it to work" (POLEX). May that also happen with REDD schemes?
SW: Indeed! Most REDD compensations will need to pay people that are seriously planning to deforest, and leverage a tightly monitored change in their 'business plan'. Otherwise, REDD risks becoming another 'feel-good' market, producing PR for buyers, yet achieving no real reduction in emissions.
more - Journalist Interns Learn About Forestry Issues at CIFOR
Clare Rawlinson, an Australian journalist intern, will work with CIFOR’s Communications Unit, assisting with writing and media liaison, while further expanding her knowledge of forestry issues.
On January 17th, 2008, 25 Australian communications interns, who will be working as journalists and other media professionals across Indonesia, visited the CIFOR headquarters in Bogor to improve their knowledge of forestry issues, such as illegal logging, climate change, biodiversity, forest fires and livelihoods.
The large group of communication interns were led by Louise Williams, a senior Australian journalist and long term foreign correspondent in the Asia-Pacific region, and were supported by the ACIJ (Australian Centre for Independent Journalism), a non-profit organization based at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). more - PEN: The Long Walk to Impact
Forty five PEN partners and resource persons descended upon Barcelona - the beautiful capital of Catalonia, in north east Spain - from 8-12 January to launch the second phase of the Poverty Environment Network (PEN) project.
Forty five PEN partners and resource persons descended upon Barcelona - the beautiful capital of Catalonia, in north east Spain - from 8-12 January to launch the second phase of the Poverty Environment Network (PEN) project.
PEN is an ambitious, tropics-wide collection of uniform socio-economic and environmental data at household and village levels. The project was launched by CIFOR in 2004. While data collection is still ongoing in many sites across the tropics, the second phase of PEN is about how to make sense of the 300 000-odd questionnaire pages collected from 9 000 households in 26 countries. more - Government of Burkina Faso and CIFOR sign Host Country Agreement to Help Forests and People
Of all the states in West Africa, Burkina Faso has the highest percentage of its population living in rural areas, and will remain the base for CIFOR’s work in both dry and humid areas of the region. Photo by Daniel Tiveau
The signing of a host country agreement with the government of Burkina Faso significantly reinforces CIFOR’s work in West Africa.
Signed in December 2007, by the Burkina Faso Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, Mr Djibrill Yipènè Bassolé, and CIFOR’s Director General, Frances Seymour, the agreement formalises the partnership and sets the stage for CIFOR to build on its vital research aimed at reducing poverty through improved management of forests and woodlands in West Africa. more - A New Dawn For Community Forestry In Bolivia
Bolivia’s so-called “agrarian revolution” has set out to institutionalize community forestry, but under models developed by community-based organizations. CIFOR has been strongly involved in informing and facilitating public debate. Photo by Peter Cronkleton
Bolivia is moving forward on agrarian and forest reforms aimed at facilitating access to land and forest resources for indigenous people and rural communities. These reforms will enhance their livelihoods while promoting the sustainable use of forest resources in keeping with land-use potential. The focus is on consolidating community-based forestry management, a process in which CIFOR is playing an important role informing the public policy debate.
Susana Rivero, Bolivian Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Environment
In early 2006, a leftist government was carried into office in Bolivia on a wave of popular disenchantment with neo-liberal reforms that dated back to the mid-1980s. These policies had failed to achieve the promised economic growth and poverty alleviation, but they did bring some changes for the nation’s forests. more - Forest Animals: Eat and/or Protect? - The Bush Meat Dilemma in Central Africa
The Bush Meat Dilemma in Central Africa
Bush pig, antelope, and monkey, Makokou bushmeat market, Gabon. Researchers estimate that the current harvest of bush meat in Central Africa is more than 1 million tonnes annually, the equivalent of almost 4 million cattle.
It’s a common view along roadsides that border forests in Cameroon: dead monkeys and other wild animals hanging from a stick, for sale. The meat of forest animals - bush meat - is a common dish in many tropical countries, especially in West and Central Africa. For many forest dependent people of the Congo Basin, bush meat is their primary source of protein and of income. But for how long?
The scale of bush meat hunting has become so large that some species are now threatened with extinction. Researchers estimate that the current harvest of bush meat in Central Africa is more than 1 million tonnes annually, the equivalent of almost 4 million cattle. more - Looking beyond the forests to save them – livelihoods and biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes
The platform was launched in recognition of the role that multifunctional landscape mosaics have in preserving biodiversity, both within and outside of protected areas. Photo by Manuel Boissiere
As more of the world’s forests rapidly disappear and become increasingly fragmented, conservation efforts have focused on establishing protected areas to conserve these key ecosystems that support a diverse array of flora and fauna. More recently, conservationists and scientists have observed that protected areas are necessary but not sufficient for the conservation of biodiversity. In this context, the role of multifunctional landscape mosaics, especially those surrounding protected areas, has become increasingly important. more - Collaborative Partnership on Forests presents recommendations to UNFCCC Executive Secretary
Forests are a key issue for climate change discussions. Yvo De Boer, speaking at the first Forest Day held parallel to the COP
Media release, Bali Dec 8, 2007: The Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Mr. Yvo de Boer, was presented with a set of key recommendations on the role of forests in combating climate change for consideration at the 13th Conference of the Parties in Bali (COP 13).
Mr. de Boer welcomed the contribution that the many world-leading experts and forest organizations attending Forest Day could make in influencing forest and climate policy at the global level.
more - Failure to understand deforestation’s causes may jeopardize REDD: CIFOR Report
Fire burns on degraded forest peat land near the city of Palangkaraya, on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. Photo by Charlie Pye Smith
BALI, INDONESIA (7 December 2007)—A new study by one of the world’s leading forestry research institutes warns that the new push to “reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation,” known by the acronym REDD, is imperiled by a routine failure to grasp the root causes of deforestation. The study sought to link what is known about the underlying causes of the loss of 13 million hectares of forest each year to the promise—and potential pitfalls—of REDD schemes. more - Forests earn poor farmers more money left standing than if they’re cut down for planting crops
Deforestation offers little income compared with potential post-Kyoto carbon deals.
With the European carbon market last week paying 23 Euro per ton of CO2 and some emissions in Indonesia receive as little as 0.23 Euro per ton of CO2, there is a very real opportunity for the country to benefit from a carbon market which compensates for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). Photo by Ryan Woo
BALI, INDONESIA (5 December 2007)—Deforestation in tropical countries is often driven by the perverse economic reality that forests are worth more dead than alive. But a new study by an international consortium of researchers has found that the emerging market for carbon credits has the potential to radically alter that equation. more - CIFOR and ICRAF’s Female Staff Dig In for 10 Million Trees!
A nationwide program for planting and preserving trees has been facilitated by the Indonesian Women's Alliance and will enable women from all over Indonesia to demonstrate their support for the global fight against climate change and to take genuine, practical action to prevent global warming.
More than 750 Indonesian women will participate in signing the Declaration of Planting and Preserving Trees, on November 28 in Jakarta. This declaration will be followed by the planting of 10 million trees all over Indonesia, between December 1 – 22 2007.
Those signing the Declaration will represent a range of Women's Associations, including the Indonesian Woman’s Alliance for Sustainable Development (IWASD), Kongres Wanita Indonesia (KOWANI) and Solidaritas Istri Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu (SIKIB). more - Balancing Conservation with Livelihoods in Vietnam
A resettled community in the buffer zone of Cat Tien National Park, South Vietnam. The settlement was built in 2003 when the government enforced strict regulations that prevent utilisation or habitation in the forest. Photo by Widya Prajanthi
It is often perceived - particularly by conservationists - that the human struggle against poverty is a major cause of biodiversity loss. On the other hand, human rights activists see conservation efforts to stop biodiversity loss as limiting human access to vital resources.
What is often missed in such an argument is that biodiversity conservation can actually contribute to livelihoods by helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem, which can then improve productive capacity and general human well-being. more - Indonesian scientist shares in the kudos of UN Climate Change Panel’s Nobel Prize
Says Indonesia must prepare now for climate change
Dr. Daniel Murdiyarso says awarding the Nobel Prize to the IPCC, helps to increase not only people's awareness of climate change but also people's commitment to address it.
31 Oct 2007: As Indonesia’s forests assume an increasingly significant position in the global fight against climate change, it is fitting this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is shared, in part, by an Indonesian scientist dedicated to ensuring his country’s forests are managed sustainably.
Dr Daniel Murdiyarso – a climatologist at the Bogor-based Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) - is a member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was recently awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, alongside US global warming crusader and former Vice President Al Gore. more - Former President Clinton welcomes forests-climate commitment
CIFOR, Indonesia and partners launch global initiative
Bill Reilly (right) former Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, presents CIFOR Director General, Frances Seymour, and Wahjudi Wardojo, the Director of Dephut’s Research and Development, a certificate signed by former President Bill Clinton. The certificate was presented at the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meting in New York. It was given in recognition of multi-million dollar commitment by the Government of Indonesia, CIFOR and partners to address the role of forests in climate change.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has recognized a commitment by the Government of Indonesia and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) to address the role of forests in climate change. The commitment was featured at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York. The September 27th event attracted hundreds of international leading figures from government, industry, academia, philanthropy and civil society. more - Sowing The Seeds Of Gender Equity
Rural women in developing countries make significant contributions to forestry and agriculture. Still, cultural and organizational barriers prevent them from taking up leadership positions in natural resource management. Photo: Marie-Claude Simard
They are every day images of rural Asia or Africa: women working hard in a field or rice paddy, collecting kindling for a fire, pounding grain into flour, selling crops by a dusty road, or taking them home in a string basket for the family meal. According to the FAO, women account for more than 50 per cent of the workforce necessary to produce the food consumed in developing countries.
They are involved in every facet of agriculture.
Except one: making the decisions. more - Sustainable Forest Management Project assists Asia Forest Partnership
Aerial view is very useful for monitoring forests, but it cannot provide all the information that good forest management needs. Photo by Gen Takao
Sustainable forest management (SFM) is almost always the product of good planning. And good planning is almost always the product of reliable data, intelligence, and sufficient detail about the current situation.
Remote sensing technology, with its use of satellite imagery and aerial photos to cover wide areas of landscape, is an extremely valuable tool in monitoring forest cover and providing the data. more - Forests and Human Health Closely Linked
A recent seminar in Belem, Brazil, organized by CIFOR and the Government of Sweden, has brought the important role forests play in community health to the attention of senior policy makers and forest stakeholders.
Forests are a vital source of food and medicines for many people around the world. They also provide important environmental services, such as filtering drinking water, that contribute to good health. more - Andiroba - First Aid from the Amazon
Quiandeua women learn to make medicine from forest plants. Workshops based around CIFOR publications are bringing information to life for forest communities. Photo by Flavio Contente
"Are you watching your badly sprained ankle swell and turn purple? Are you nervously swatting the dengue-carrying, white striped mosquito to avoid disease?" The questions are posed by Patricia Shanley, a researcher at the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), to researchers working with local communities living in the Amazonian forests of northern Brazil.
Traditionally, Amazonian communities use oil from the andiroba tree (Carapa guianensis) to repel insects such as mosquitoes and to relieve skin problems, fever and sprains. But increasingly, this member of the mahogany family, which can grow to over 80 feet tall, is being targeted for its valuable red-tinted timber. more - Science key to better environmental decisions
A CIFOR researcher is assisting local informants to draw a natural resource map, informing about local perception and uses of the landscape. Photo by Nining Liswanti.
An opinion piece by CIFOR’s Douglas Sheil and TNC’s Erik Meijaard published in the Jakarta Post July 30 argues that improving Indonesia’s science and research capacity will lead to better environmental policy. The authors call on international donor agencies and Indonesian institutions to implement a range of initiatives. These include translations of cutting-edge environmental and forest texts into Indonesian, making texts available for free on-line, and improving the library and digital services available to scientists. more - Media Release: Deforestation & Climate Change
Frances Seymour, Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research, in the small forest surrounding the center’s headquarters in Bogor, Indonesia. Photo Eko Prianto, 2007.
International efforts to assist developing countries fight climate change by reducing deforestation can succeed, but will require time, money and a willingness to take often politically difficult decisions, according to the head of a leading international forest think-tank. Frances Seymour, Director General of the Indonesia-headquartered Center for International Forestry Research, is an invited speaker at the Australian Government’s international High-Level Meeting on Forests and Climate, Sydney, July 23 – 25. more - Women for Change
Helene Eboto understands the challenges women face in the forests of Cameroon. Helene divides her time between her children, working the fields to feed her family, charity work and leading the Platform of Rural Women of Campo Ma’an. Photo by Marie-Claude Simard.
In their village of Akom II on the border of Cameroon’s Campo Ma'an National Park, the women leave home six days a week to dig in the fields, forage in the forests, and feed their families.
Among them is Mrs. Helene Eboto. When she has time, Helene writes about environmental, social and women’s issues for the theater. But time is a scarce commodity for Helene, a dynamic individual forever busy with her community and her family.
One of Helene’s more demanding tasks is fulfilling the duties expected of her as the President of a rural women’s group.
When she is not helping the women in her community, Helene is likely to be helping the younger people in Akom II through the agency she established to support children born out of marriage. more - DRC Government seeks CIFOR’s advice on forest tax scheme to reduce poverty
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is planning to redistribute forest taxes to improve local livelihoods. Photo by Abdon Awono
The importance of good governance in implementing forest-related poverty reduction schemes has been highlighted in a recent report on Cameroon forestry tax initiatives aimed at helping local people.
According to CIFOR's Paolo Cerutti a co-author of the report, Forest Taxation in Post 1994 Cameroon*, using forest taxes to reduce poverty have shown mixed results in Cameroon.
"If forest taxes are to reduce poverty, a large amount of redistributed money is not enough," Cerutti says.
Cerutti discussed the findings of the report during a forestry workshop in Kinshasa for the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is considering implementing a similar scheme. more - Biofuels: putting out fire with gasoline?
Biofuel plantations promise to be an important energy source, but they must be developed with close consideration of local environmental and social needs. Photo by Hari Priyadi
The promise biofuel holds as an alternative to petroleum based products has received considerable attention this past 12 months from industry, scientists, environmental organizations and governments. It seems likely oil palm development will be on the minds of more than a few delegates attending the Conference of the Parties (COP) on Climate Change in Bali later this year.
One of the big questions is whether biofuel production is the panacea that many of it proponents often claim. Or will extensive plantation of biofuel crops help solve only one problem while opening up a Pandora’s Box of other environmental and social issues. more - Paying Countries To Save Forests
On Ecuador’s Palachuro River, residents in the town of Pinampiro pay farmers living upstream to protect the local watershed. This helps ensure they receive clean drinking water. Photo by Sven Wunder
One of the key issues at the Conference of the Parties (COP) on Climate Change discussions in Bali later this year looks set to be payments to countries for protecting their forests. More correctly known as payments for environmental services, such measures have long been earmarked as a potentially high-impact low cost tool in the international fight against climate change.
But what is meant by the term ‘payments for environmental services’ (PES)? In technical terms, a PES scheme is an arrangement where a well-defined environmental service is “bought” by one or more external service buyers from one or more local service providers. more - Government Overseeing Malinau Research Forest Wins Environmental Prize
Malinau Regent, Dr. Marthin Billa (2nd left), was awarded the Kalpataru prize for his efforts to make Malinau a conservation district. Accompanying Dr. Billa at the Presidential awards ceremony were CIFOR’s Kresno Dwi Santosa, Mrs. Yuari Itun Billa, and Ir. Junus Poddala from Indonesia’s Environmental Impact Agency (BAPEDALDA)
Malinau Regency head, Dr Marthin Billa, has been awarded Indonesia’s highest environmental prize in recognition of his efforts to establish Malinau as a conservation district.
The Kalpataru environmental prize was presented by the President of Indonesia President, Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in conjunction with World Environment Day, June 6. Each year the Government of Indonesia awards the Kalpataru to communities and individuals who show leadership in protecting and preserving the environment. more - Small Communities See Big Future In Teak
Dr. Michael Blyth from ANU’s School of Resources, Environment and Society (left), meets with CIFOR’s Ani Nawir, Parman, a tree grower from Gn. Kidul, and Dr. Nunung Nuryartono from IPB’s InterCAFE to discuss the Australian funded project, Improving Economic Outcomes for Smallholders Growing Teak in Agroforestry Systems in Indonesia. Photo by Widya Prajanthi
CIFOR headquarters in Bogor was proud host to several major forestry organisations from May 28 - May 30. The reason for the presence on campus was the launch of a new Australian supported initiative to develop profitable smallholder teak plantations in Indonesia.
Known as ‘Improving Economic Outcomes for Smallholders Growing Teak in Agroforestry System in Indonesia’ and funded by ACIAR (the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) the project's key objectives include: more - New World Bank Forest Alliance
Andrew Bennett, Chair of CIFOR’s Board of Trustees, addresses the Seventh Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, New York, late April 2007.
The World Bank is currently developing a new Global Forest Alliance to tackle many of the challenges facing the world’s forest sector, according to the World Bank’s Environment Director, Warren Evans, in an address to the recent 7th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF7).
During a panel discussion with members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF),* an affiliate organization of the UNFF, North said the Alliance aims to achieve challenging but achievable goals by 2015 in poverty reduction, sustainable production-forest management, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. more - 2011 Year of Forests a Proud Achievement
Celebrations for the International year of Forests in 2011 should help increase public awareness of forests’ important ecological, economic and social functions. Photo by Manuel Boissiere
The United Nations Forum on Forests officially launched the 2011 International Year of Forests at its Seventh Session in April. The launch followed a resolution initiated by Croatia and passed by UN General Assembly in December 2006.
In adopting the Croatian resolution the UN said dedicating 2011 to be the UN international Year of Forests would be a celebration of the importance forests play in everyday life. more - Farmer to farmer exchanges strengthen conservation in Amazonia
Community members of Baiao, Brazil, participating in a “Local Knowledge of the Forest” workshop conducted by CIFOR researcher Flavio Contente. Photo by Flavio Contente
In eastern Amazonia, along the Capim River, João felt he’d made a good deal when he accepted a company’s offer of an outdoor stove in exchange for logging 25 hectares of his pristine forest. Not far away, Pedro traded five 35 meter trees of excellent timber so his sick son could get an injection. In Curumi’s village, a logger offered about US$2 a tree for six month’s of timber extraction. They logged the forest, but neglected to pay Curumi’s village. more - Training Workshop On Climate Change Sparks Strong Media Interest
Journalists increased their understanding of global warming at a training workshop presented by CIFOR and WWF. Indonesia will be the focus of international media when it hosts the COP 13-UNFCCC meeting in December. Photo by Widya Prajanthi
CIFOR & WWF prepare for COP 13-UNFCCC in Bali, December 2007
A training workshop in Indonesia has helped journalists identify some of the key issues they face when reporting on climate change and forests. The CIFOR-WWF workshop was held in early May in Jakarta with the aim of enhancing the media's knowledge and reporting of the often complex issues surrounding climate change. It also presented scientists and communication specialists working on climate change issues with an opportunity to better understand the needs of journalists when producing stories about this often complex topic. more - UN Adopts Proposal To Fight Illicit Timber Trade
A vessel carrying illegal timber from Indonesia heads for Sarawak, Malaysia. Photo by Agus Andrianto
Indonesia plays key role
International cooperation in combating the illegal timber trade has received a significant boost following the adoption of an anti-timber trafficking resolution at the meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESC) in Vienna, April 23-27, 2007.
Put forward by the UNESC subsidiary body, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), the resolution is entitled ‘International cooperation in preventing and combating illicit international trafficking in forest products, including timber, wildlife and other forest biological resources’. more - CIFOR Paper Suggests Changes to UNFF’s Works Programme
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Director of CIFOR Forests & Governance Programme, Doris Capistrano, presents her jointly-authored paper, “Revitalizing the UNFF”, at the Indonesian and German organized Country Led Initiative in Bali, February, prior to the UNFF’s 7th Session in April. UNFF chairman Pekka Patosaari observes the meeting in the background. |
One of many agenda items for discussion at the 7th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-7), New York 16 -27 April, is the UNFF's Multi-Year Programme of Work, which sets the agency’s global priorities for forest related actions for 2007-2015.
During the lead up to the 7th Session, the Governments of Indonesia and Germany in collaboration with 12 governments and international organizations, including CIFOR, organized a Country-Led Initiative (CLI) in Bali, Indonesia, 13-16 February. more - Australian Environment Minister Visits CIFOR
CIFOR Assistant Director General, Yemi Katerere discusses forests with the Australian Minister for the Environment and Water Services, Malcolm Turnbull. Photo by Widya Prajanthi
$167 million ‘Global Initiative on Forests and Climate’
CIFOR recently hosted a visit from Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull. Mr. Turnbull and senior government officials visited CIFOR following meetings with Indonesia’s Minister for Forestry, MS Kaban, and Minister for the Environment, Rachmat Witoelar.
Mr. Turnbull was in Indonesia as part of a tour to several countries to promote the ‘Global Initiative on Forests and Climate’, a new international endeavor to combat deforestation and its impact on climate change, kicked off by Australia with a contribution of AUD$200 million (US$167 million).
Two day’s earlier Mr. Turnbull met with senior US officials, leading to a joint statement from the Australian and US Governments committing to work together on the global initiative. more - Living on the edge: Central Africa’s crossborder trade
Moving goods from the trans-border region of Sangha to Douala port in Cameroon is costly and sometimes deadly. Often local officials levy unofficial fees on drivers and rugged forest tracks exert a heavy toll on trucks. Photo by Julius Tieguhong
“Trade not aid” is often championed as the best solution to Africa’s problems. It’s usually said in reference to thedifficulties African countries face in exporting their products to Europe or America. The unfortunate irony, however,is many African countries find it difficult to trade with each other. Tariffs, custom duties and other barriers seriously hamper intra-African trade. And have for a long time.
The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa States (CEMAC) has been trying since its establishment in 1994 to improve trade relations between the Central African countries of Cameroon, the Central Africa Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad. more - Full Steam Ahead For African Dry Forest Project II
Women producing shea butter in Ouagadougou. Photo by Henri-Noël Bouda
Forest-based enterprise development: from local action to national policy reform
Following the positive outcomes of CIFOR's dry forest research in West Africa between 2003-06, the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) is now funding a second phase of the project.
Titled “Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in African Dry forests: from local action to national policy reform” the three year project will focus on action oriented research in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Zambia. In addition, where appropriate, CIFOR will use the Sida project to develop links with institutions doing similar research in neighboring countries through other donor agencies. more - Enhancing the role of forests in Ethiopia
Staff of Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources and CIFOR's Habtemariam Kassa discuss their experiences of a water harvesting project for a home garden in the Langano area of southern Ethiopia with a woman who says her family has benefitted significantly. Photo by Douglas Sheil.
Ethiopia’s tropical, subtropical and temperate climate allows it to produce a diversified range of products to support rural livelihoods. Some of the most significant products for local livelihoods are found in the country’s forests. These are largely dry forests, not the lush green forests normally associated with the tropics, though there are also patches of evergreen forests in the highlands of Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the survival of Ethiopia’s forests is severely threatened. more - New Brazil Forestry Policy Process Speaks for All People
Successful changes to Brazil's transportation laws covering Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) are attributed to improved multi-stakeholder discussions. This could benefit hundreds of traders at Belem's frenetic Ver-o-Peso market. Photo by Trilby MacDonald.
In recent years CIFOR’s research has placed considerable emphasis on ensuring National Agricultural Research Centres (NARS), policy makers and the development community have access to advanced analyses and techniques in the areas of policy making and public management. One example of facilitating policy processes is in Brazil.
According to CIFOR scientist, Dr. Patricia Shanley, the Government of Brazil recently showed great foresight by deciding on a the use of a multi-stakeholder seminar to formulate transportation policies for non-timber forest products (NTFPs). more - Government of Cameroon and CIFOR sign Host Country Agreement to help forests and people
Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Mr. Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara and CIFOR’s Director-General Ms. Frances Seymour hand over the signed documents. With the signing of the Host Country Agreement, CIFOR and the Government of Cameroon have become official partners in protecting Central Africa’s forests and reducing poverty. Photo by Patrick Nyemeck.
Yaoundé, March 9, 2007: The future of Central Africa's forests in supporting millions of livelihoods and providing a vital habitat for much of the world's rich biodiversity was significantly enhanced today with the signing of a Host Country Agreement between the Government of Cameroon and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). more - New World Bank Report on Indonesia’s Forests
A new World Bank report released and produced in partnership with six other institutions, including CIFOR, examines the challenges facing Indonesia in optimizing the management of the nation’s significant forest resources to better assist economic development, rural livelihoods and environmental protection. Launched on February 20, the report is aimed at helping both the private and public sectors and civil society implement sustainable and equitable forest governance and management programs. more - Fundación Natura Bolivia and CIFOR: Partners in winning CGIAR Award
CGIAR Chairman and World Bank Vice-President, Kathy Sierra (right) and USAID's Franklin Moore (left) congratulate Fundacion Natura Bolivia's Maria Teresa Vargas and CIFOR's Michael Hailu for winning an Innovative Market Place Award at the CGIAR Annual General Meeting in Washington.
CIFOR and its research partner Fundación Natura Bolivia (Bolivian Nature Foundation) were winners of one of four Innovative Market Place Awards presented at the December 2006 CGIAR Annual General Meeting in Washington. The $30,000 awards recognize successful and innovative partnerships between Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) and CGIAR centers. more - Outgrower Tree Schemes Growing Up
One of the more significant changes to the global forestry sector in recent times has been the shift away from centralized to local forest management. In at least 60 developing countries, forest management responsibilities now rest in one degree or another with local councils and authorities. more - Stern messages on forests and climate
The 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 2nd meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol wrapped up in November with forest issues rising in prominence. An important outcome of the meetings in Nairobi was the elevation of adaptation to climate change to its rightful place on the global climate agenda more - Conflict and Illegal Logging in Papua
Sound information and constructive engagement will help reduce the potential for conflict in Papua’s forestry sector and reduce differences between stakeholders. This is the underlying logic of a current CIFOR project in Papua called ‘Mitigating conflict and strengthening the capacity of civil society groups to limit illegal forest activities in Papua.’ more - CIFOR’s new DG meets with Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry
In her first formal and public meeting with the Ministry of Forestry since being recently appointed CIFOR’s new Director General, Frances Seymour, met with the Indonesian Minister of Forestry, M.S. Kaban on 14 November 2006 at the Ministry’s Manggala Wanabakti headquarters in Jakarta. more - Sharper eyes watching the Amazon
If loggers in the Peruvian Amazon know they’re going to be audited they’re more likely to follow the rules,’ according to CIFOR scientist, Cesar Sabogal. This could be the key to better managing timber extraction in these important environmental areas for years to come. more - Turning publication into practice along a tributary of the Amazon
When CIFOR research assistant Flavio Contente first visited the community of Quiandeua in Pará, Brazil José was a tired and listless little boy, sapped of energy by persistent anemia. By the time Contente returned five months later, José was up and about, running and playing with the other children. The boy’s dramatic recovery shows what can happen when good science meets good communication. more - Haze Solutions Must Not Overlook The Rural Poor
They appear every year just like Santa Claus. Except they’re unwelcome, stick around too long and bear unwanted gifts. Fires. The fires in Indonesia that each year apply a long and slow torch to thousands of hectares of farming and forest lands, send tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere and hang a hazy shroud across much of South East Asia. more - External review gives thumbs up to CIFOR
'CIFOR is the leading international forest research centre within its mandate… its research and policy oriented outcomes are significant and in many cases outstanding.' These were the words Niels Elers Koch used in summarising the findings of CIFOR’s most recent External Programme and Management Review (EPMR). As Chair of CIFOR’s second EPMR, Mr. Koch led a team of independent experts widely acknowledged for their skill and experience in research. more - CIFOR’s New Director General on the Job
 CIFOR’s recently appointed Director General officially commenced duties on August 20. Frances Seymour, former Director of the Institutions and Governance Programme at the World Resources Institute, takes over the reins from David Kaimowitz, now with the Ford Foundation. Frances’ arrival coincided with CIFOR’s Annual Staff Meeting, which took place 28 August – 1 September. The Meeting brought together staff from around the world and provided a valuable opportunity for discussion and interactions with the new DG. more - New CIFOR book launched
CIFOR’s new publication, ‘Beyond Timber: certification of non-timber forest products,’ is off to a flying staff, with over 200 people attending its launch at the 2nd Brazilian Fair of Certified Products in São Paulo, Brazil. more - Forests and Environmental Services
But what exactly are Payments for Environmental Services (PES)? Is it a feasible concept? And how successful are they so far?
A PES scheme is an arrangement where a well-defined environmental service, or a resource-use likely to provide the service, is “bought” by one or more external service buyers from one or more local service providers. more - Our Forests: A two-part film series based on voices from Malinau about the future of one of Asia's richest rainforests
The forests of Malinau, East Kalimantan, are amongst the most species rich in Asia. Logging, mining and plantation developments are reducing these forests day-by-day. How are these changes viewed by local people?
How can local people have more say in decisions about the forests on which they depend? How can competing needs and visions for these rainforests be balanced?
Local communities have legitimate needs and visions about forest that can be quite diverse. Yet local governments often do not acknowledge this legitimacy or diversity. They are usually more concerned with “modernization” and income generation at cost of traditional livelihoods, conversion of forest, and risk of increasing economic dependency and vulnerability. more - Biotropica award
CIFOR scientists, Douglas Sheil and Agus Salim have been awarded the highly regarded Biotropica Award for Excellence in Tropical Biology and Conservation. The award is from the Editorial Board of Biotropica magazine for Doug and Agus’s article, "Forest tree persistence, elephants, and stem scars". more - CIFOR successfully launches DfID Sponsored Book in Hanoi
CIFOR and Vietnam’s Forest Sector Support Program Coordination Office successfully launched “Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Vietnam” on March 14 in Hanoi. Funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID), “Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Vietnam” provides useful guidelines on how future research into forests and livelihoods can best be used to improve national poverty alleviation programs. more - Do Forests Really Prevent Floods?
Every year, the media is dominated by stories about floods in Asia - floods that bring death, misery and poverty to millions of people, and economic havoc to developing nations. and every year the floods are blamed almost universally on upland farmers and loggers clearing and degrading forests. But in reality, the direct links between deforestation and floods are far from certain. more
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