Issue 1 2018

The process for 2020 data collection for the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) and the pan-European reporting on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) was launched on 5 March 2018 in Toluca, Mexico, in the presence of FRA National Correspondents and international experts from all over the world. For the first time, the global reporting will be carried out in coordination with the pan-European reporting on SFM, as a joint effort of countries in the region supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and FOREST EUROPE.

FRA is the main source of information on the state of the forests globally. FRA data on forest cover and land-use change is crucial for monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The pan-European process generates a set of essential information about forests and forest management in the region, organized according to quantitative and qualitative pan-European indicators for SFM.

The national data for the 2020 process will be reported through a new online data entry - analysis and reporting platform. The FOREST EUROPE Liaison Unit Bratislava and the Joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section, in cooperation with the FAO FRA secretariat will coordinate and support the national data collection process in the Pan-European region.

70^th anniversary of FRA
At the launch of the 2020 reporting, workshop’s participants celebrated the 70^th anniversary of the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment. A new FAO publication released in Toluca describes the history of global FRA and summarizes the achievements made.

For more information about FRA can be found at:
http://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/en/ (general, including 2015 results)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bezYtnFm8c (FRA Platform)
http://www.fao.org/3/I8227EN/i8227en.pdf  (70 years of FAO’s  FRAs)

Data and outputs from the pan-European reporting (2015) are available at:
http://foresteurope.org/state-europes-forests-2015-report/ (State of Europe’s Forests 2015)
http://w3.unece.org/PXWeb/en (interactive database).

The ECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section is conducting the mid-term review of the Rovaniemi Action Plan for the Forest Sector in a Green Economy, under the guidance of the ECE/FAO Forest Policy Network, between March 2017 and summer 2018. The work aims to promote the exchange of knowledge on the status of implementation of the Rovaniemi Action Plan and, more generally, on the contribution of the forest sector to a green economy.

The Joint Section invited all stakeholders of the Rovaniemi Action Plan to report about actions they have implemented and are in line with the RAP. In addition,  it also reviewed its own activities, where the Section was identified as leading actor. The results of this review will be presented during to the mid-term review workshop and the fortieth session of the ECE/FAO Working Party on Forest Statistics, Economics and Management on 22 - 23 March 2018.

The workshop on the mid-term review of the Rovaniemi Action Plan was held in Geneva on 13-14 February 2018. It reflected the participatory character of the RAP mid-term review. The workshop discussed the status of the mid-term review and identified priorities for the further implementation of the RAP, as well as future direction and future action for the forest sector in a green economy.

[press release] [workshop website]

The Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD) took place in Geneva on March 1-2, 2018 to follow up on and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UNECE region. Focusing on practical value-added and peer learning, the Forum creates a regional space to share policy solutions, best practices and challenges in SDG implementation and helps identify major regional and subregional trends. This year’s Forum included a number of roundtables revolving around SDGs under review by the High Level Political Forum in July 2018.

One of the roundtables, jointly organized by UNECE and FAO, brought representatives of member States, regional and sub-regional organizations, civil society and the private sector together to explore the interlinkages between sustainable forest management and the SDGs. The UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 was seen as the main tool for achieving action in this area. The strategic partnership between UNECE and FAO for the sustainable management of forests in the region was recognized and considered an effective tool to support the linkage between forests and the forest sector and other SDGs. The Roundtable further showed that forests are critical ecosystems, central to all the three pillars of sustainable development (environmental, economic, social), while forest management brings together a range of stakeholders (forest owners, businesses, local and state authorities, NGOs and others), who must work together to maintain ecosystem functions and ensure the provision of services and goods.

Among the key recommendations of the Roundtable was developing and adopting a common understanding and single approach to sustainable forest management, as well as continuing to stress the linkages between forests, forest products, green economy and SDGs. Further recommendations of the Roundtable included opening existing initiatives to all stakeholders along with better involvement of consumers in choosing sustainable patterns of consumption of forest products. Finally, participants highlighted the need to change the narrative about wood and forests and involve audiences outside the forest sector.

The concept note and list of case studies presented at the Roundtable can be found at http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/RCM_Website/Concept_note_SDG15_1.pdf.

Photos from the Roundtable can be found at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmdFebfK.

PEFC Spain, the Spanish Association for Forest Sustainability, collaborates again with the designer in the promotion of sustainable materials and support for equality between women and men.

Some of the garments presented have been made with cellulosic fibers coming from PEFC certified sustainably managed forests.

The designer María Lafuente presented her new collection SORORIDAD on January 30 in the emblematic Nave of the old Boetticher factory in Madrid,. This collection is inspired by gender equality, solidarity and sustainability, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, and closes the Madrid Fashion Week.

The fashion show began with a performance made by the flamenco group Los Vivancos in favor of its Taconeo Solidario project for the Foundation Soledad Cazorla, an initiative that fights against gender violence. After that, the models, including the top Madelaine Hjört and the presenter, model and actress Inma del Moral, showed the new collection of the designer made with cellulosic fibers, such as Lyocell, Modal and Viscosa, coming from healthy, suatainably -managed and PEFC certified forests. The garments have been made by the workshop Lal La Buya, located in Melilla, which works with women at risk of social exclusion. The shoes have been manufactured by Herce Valverde, from Valverde del Camino (Huelva) and the designer has also had the collaboration of Nina Mur with her glasses made of wood coming from reforested Finnish forests.

In the fashion show, several trucks of the Truck Art Project were set up, a cultural project that disseminates the most avant-garde art, using these vehicles as mobile canvases to promote urban art. The ceramist Mónica García Del Pino, in synergies with María Lafuente, created pieces of ceramics for the costumes and the set design. She counted with the support of the architect Tomás Alía, Ambassador of the Ceramics of Talavera de la Reina.

With this collection, María Lafuente and PEFC, offer consumers a fashion with greater guarantees in the production process, respecting the environment, ensuring social conditions and dignified and equal work, lower water consumption and less CO2 emissions, as well as sustainable management of forests.

This action led by PEFC Spain is part of the partnership agreement between PEFC and the "Forest For Fashion" initiative, developed by the UNECE / FAO which aims to promote the bioeconomy through the use of sustainable materials from well-managed forests in the fashion world. More information: http://www.pefc.es/np355-maria-lafuente.html

The Nature-Accelerator, developed by ECOSTAR and powered by Fledge, has closed its call for applications with almost 250+ potential recruits offering sustainable solutions in the agriculture (150+), forestry (20+), ecotourism (60+) and natural resource (70+) sectors.

All applications go through a tough screening process by our experts, where they are assessed based on the strength of their teams, target market, capital need, commitment, revenue and affiliation to the ECOSTAR sectors and focus.

Once the final 8 startups are selected, they enter our intensive programme where their mission-driven business direction is given a rigorous and technical sector-specific boost. The incorporation and importance given to the “mission” or positive impact and sustainable management of the resources utilized for the development of the products and services offered by the applicant ECOSTAR startups, has set this programme apart. Indeed, it is closing the “impact loop” and rising to revenues that makes ECOSTAR’s ventures attractive to our ever-growing network. ECOSTAR’s startups will be trained and prepared from start to stock and everything in between, gearing them towards a high-profile demo day. The Nature-Accelerator Demo Day, which will be held on the 19^th July will solve one of the biggest hurdles for the early-stage sustainable startups and is also one of the big pluses of acceleration programmes in general, over other or no alternatives, that is, demo days bring startups to the spotlight, where they can be noticed by who matters so that they can scale, quickly.

Stay tuned to see the final selection on Ecostarhub.com!

Bamboo is a crucial part of international collaboration on climate change mitigation, according to a new report released by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).

The report, called ‘South-South in Action: Inspiring Sustainable Development with Bamboo’, was commissioned as part of the UNOSSC’s new series on ‘South-South in Action’, designed to promote action using South-South Cooperation. It focuses on bamboo’s usefulness to a range of international sustainable development and environmental goals, including forest preservation and land restoration, and highlights how countries can learn from each other about various uses and technologies.

As the INBAR and UNOSSC report shows, bamboo solutions to deforestation and climate change are being swapped between developing countries in the Global South. Innovative Indian technology is now helping communities in Ethiopia, Ghana and Madagascar to use a renewable, low-carbon alternative to traditional wood fuels. In 2014, INBAR’s 40 Members pledged to use bamboo to reforest 5 million hectares of land. And for 20 years, INBAR has helped countries to use bamboo as an alternative to timber in a huge range of products: from paper and packaging to houses, furniture and flooring.

At its launch ceremony at the UN Convention on Climate Change COP23 in November, the report was commended by representatives from the Food and Agricultural Organization, UNOSSC. According to INBAR Director General Hans Friederich: “Bamboo is an under-used but very strategic resource for forests, which grows across the tropical and subtropical world. As countries look to put into action their Nationally Determined Contributions, bamboo can be a vital part of the solution.”

The report can be downloaded at: http://www.tinyurl.com/BambooSouthSouth

Lack of information about bamboo resources – their distribution, varieties and characteristics – has long prevented countries from making more use of this strategic plant.

The Global Land Cover Mapping project aims to address these knowledge gaps. Land cover mapping uses the latest remote sensing technology to build a comprehensive, worldwide inventory of bamboo resources. It is led by INBAR, in partnership with researchers from the Center for Earth System Science at Tsinghua University, and forms an important starting point for the Global Assessment of Bamboo and Rattan (GABAR): an initiative established in 2016 to create a robust evidence base to support decision making about bamboo and rattan.

Currently, the project is creating national assessments for Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, in partnership with the Dutch-Sino project on East Africa. Unlike traditional assessments of bamboo stocks, which are often based on assumptions about local growing conditions or out-of-date information, the Land Cover Mapping project uses GIS technology to pinpoint exactly where bamboo is growing. Results are then uploaded to an online portal, where they can be easily accessed, shared and added to by local researchers and practitioners on an ongoing basis.

The project is also training staff and practitioners from national forestry services, environment ministries and research institutes in how to use the Mapping portal to collect, share and analyze data effectively to inform decision making. The data and experiences gathered through land cover mapping in East Africa form an important first step in GABAR’s aim for accurate, global mapping of bamboo resources. and

For more information, read: http://www.inbar.int/gabar and http://www.inbar.int/project/dutch-sino-east-africa-bamboo-development-project/

Research and innovations for the services that forests provide to society are the focus of a new European project funded under Horizon 2020.

Responding to society’s demands for services such as recreation, biodiversity provision and carbon storage, the project will look at innovative ways to value and implement such “forest ecosystem services” in Europe and beyond.

Spurring INnovations for forest eCosystem SERvices in Europe (SINCERE) is a four-year project funded through the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme. SINCERE will develop novel policies and new business models by connecting knowledge and expertise from practice, science and policy, across Europe and beyond.

An international Learning Architecture will facilitate continuous collaborative learning from the project’s innovation actions, located in nine regions in Europe and two international cases in Peru and Russia. Innovations developed through SINCERE will be intentionally varying in nature but will, as a whole, aim to explore new means to enhance forest ecosystem services in ways that benefit forest owners as well as serving broad societal needs.

SINCERE’s research will also contribute to the development of a coordinated European policy framework to maximise the value to society of forest ecosystem services and their sustainable provision.

The European Forest Institute coordinates the project of 22 partners from 11 countries. SINCERE receives ca. 4 Mio Euro in funding from the European Commission’s H2020 programme through the RUR-05-2017 call,  Novel public policies, business models and mechanisms for the sustainable supply of and payment for forest ecosystem services. More information

Four years after the successful event of "Forests for Fashion - Fashion for Forests", the topic was brought to the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region on 1 March 2018. A side event on "Fashion and the SDGs: what role for the UN" was organised to gather a wide variety of stakeholders from different UN organisations, civil society and the private sector. The objectives were to highlight the multiple opportunities for the fashion industry to help reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to discuss how different UN organisations could best coordinate their efforts. For more information on the event and the follow-up process, click here.

[press release] [pictures] [event flyer]

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) recently announced 18 community grants that will advance the quality of life in communities, and five conservation grants that will advance our shared understanding of the conservation benefits associated with well-managed forests, across the United States and Canada. The community grants bring together a diverse range of people from 102 organizations to support community engagement projects such as youth outreach, forest education programs, supporting tribal and Indigenous values, and green building projects for low-income families. Grant project leaders include environmental education and forest-sector non-profit organizations like the Pacific Education Institute, the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center, Forests Ontario, Earth Rangers, the Mississippi Forestry Foundation, Michigan State University, the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Forest Association, and the Inside Education Society of Alberta.

The conservation grants feature collaboration between SFI and a diverse range of partners and experts from 45 organizations to advance SFI’s Conservation Impact Project. This year’s grants focus on key natural resource sustainability issues, such as investigating climate resilience and carbon storage, improving water quality and quantity in forests, and enhancing biodiversity. Grantee organizations represent leading research institutions and conservation organizations and include University of Alberta, Virginia Tech, University of Maine, Fraser Basin Council, fRI Research, and American Forests.

How do forests make a difference to your life? How do you experience the many benefits that forests provide? Whatever forests mean to you, we want to know. Express yourself through your photos and compete for the 2018 PEFC Photographer of the Year Award!

Based on the tremendous success of the 2017 contest, which received more than 11.000 photos, our members have come together to run a photo contest that spans the world. Taking place in 17 countries, these national contests all run at the same time: from Earth Day (22 April) to World Environment Day (5 June). 

Your chance to win national and international prizes

As well as getting the chance to win a fantastic national prize, the best photos from all the national contests will enter the international contest.

The winner of international contest, the 2018 PEFC Photographer of the Year, will receive a trip to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the 2018 PEFC Forest Certification Week or a cash prize of 3000 CHF. The top 12 photos will also be publicly exhibited during PEFC Week and be featured in the 2019 PEFC ‘Experience Forests, Experience PEFC’ photo calendar. Find out more at https://pefc.photo/

On the International Day of Forests 2018 «Silviculture Information» magazine is  celebrating its 50th jubilee. Through all these years the magazine has been providing silviculture specialists and all other interested parties with updates on the latest scientific results of forest studies. This magazine contains current information on Forest Research and Silviculture, Forest Use, Protective afforestation, Forest Zoning, Forest Assessment and Inventory, forest climate change adoptation studies, forest biodivercity preservation, bio-economy etc.

The magazine is published periodically, each quarter and since 2009 in purely electronic format.

The magazine is established by the Federal State institution «All-Russian Research Institute for Silviculture and Mechanization of Forestry (VNIILM)».

The «Silvicalture information» magazine is registered in the Centre International de l'ISSN with the index number: ISSN 2304 – 3083. It is also listed in the Russian scientific reference index and is also offered for public access through the Electronic Library for Science at www.elibrary.ru.

You can find additional details about the magazine published annually by the international periodics catalogue "Ulrich's Periodicals directory".

Please feel free to browse previous issues of «Silviculture Information" online at http://lhi.vniilm.ru. You can reach us at [email protected].

Moscow, Russia. – February 15-27, 2018

The Wood Housing Association, with the support of the Ministry of the Industry and Trade of  Russia, conducted the XI Congress on Wooden Construction. The Congresshas become a major event and the main meeting point for architects, manufacturers, structural engineers and various specialists in the field of wooden construction.  

This year, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation became the event’s venue and hosted over 300 participants. Participants had a chance to discuss benefits and state supportive measures for enterprises operating in the field of wooden construction; financial instruments, mortgage and insurance mechanisms; improvements in the regulatory framework.

Nowadays, wooden structures accounts for the 12% of the all new dwelling construction in Russia. However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade aims to increase this share up to 20% by 2025. Seeing a great perspective in the market, several large-scale local productions of LVL-timber and OSB were recently put in operation. Moreover, "SOKOL" WPM company confirmed its plan to start the local CLT production.

Summing up, this year’s Congress demonstrated a huge step forward taken by the sector. Now it is clear that wooden structures decisively win positions in urban and multi-story construction.

Such tendency shows that in the nearest future wooden projects will become a common practice of housing construction in Russia.

To stay updated on the news and the upcoming events please visit www.woodcongress.ru

No country in the Caucasus or Central Asia prior to 2016 had developed indicators to monitor progress towards sustainable forest management at the national level. Two years later, thanks to a United Nations Development Account (UNDA) project implemented jointly by UNECE and FAO, five countries – Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan – are developing national forest monitoring systems.

Representatives of all five countries met in Tbilisi, Georgia, 20-23 February 2018, to share experiences and take stock of progress during a regional interim workshop. The workshop was organized in conjunction with a meeting of the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Monitoring Sustainable Forest Management to allow mutual support and exchange among experts.

“The Team of Specialists on Monitoring Sustainable Forest Management considers criteria and indicator sets as a strong monitoring and forest policy tool, and we are glad they will now be applied in the Caucasus and Central Asia as well,” said Dr Stein Tomter of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, leader of the Team of Specialists. “This workshop in Tbilisi provides a fertile soil for cooperation, and we do hope to gain some perspectives and identify new members for the team here.”

[press release] [workshop website] [pictures]

The consumption of forest products continues to increase across the UNECE region, driven by the use of wood as a “greener choice” in building and energy use, and supported by favourable economic growth. However, trade restrictions are a growing challenge for the sector.

Wood products
The UNECE recorded a continued increase in forest product consumption in 2016. This rise was led by sawnwood (+4.0), with the other two major primary product categories, panels, and pulp and paper also rising by 2.5% and 0.9% respectively. Market trends for 2017 point to continued growth across the region’s economies, particularly in Europe, where growth is accelerating.

Trade developments
The UNECE region accounts for 60% of world trade in forest products although its share of export markets has been decreasing over the last decade. One of the major barriers to growth is the increasing level of restrictions on trade. As a recent example, a number of traditional log suppliers have imposed export restrictions designed to develop their domestic industry.
Wood products are subject to substantially more non-tariff measures than other manufactured products, which can have significant effects on their international trade. Examples include non-tariff measures intended to prevent insect infections, to assure the legal sourcing of timber, and to protect domestic producers. Such measures tend to increase costs for exporting countries in favour of domestic producers.

Certification
The two major certification schemes – the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – reported a combined global total of 497 million hectares of certified forest in May 2017, a year-on-year increase of 35 million hectares (7.5%). Nearly 69 million hectares are now certified under more than one scheme.

To read more please see
Forest Products Annual Market Review, 2016-2017: http://www.unece.org/forests/fpamr2017
Press Release for Annual Market Review: http://www.unece.org/?id=47053

The European mink is one of the most critically endangered mammalian species. In Russia, the European mink is included in almost all regional Red Data Books, where it once lived. Preserved populations are known only for several regions of Central Russia, where its distribution is heavily fragmented and the number of individuals in the country is extremely low. Despite the mentioned facts, this the European mink still belongs to the species for which hunting is allowed in Russia.

Estimation of the actual size of the European mink population is almost impossible - it can be several hundred or several thousand individuals.

This article summarizes information on the current situation of a critically endangered European mink in Russia and describes efforts of the Breeding Center of the European mink in the Ilmen Nature Reserve (east slope of the southern Urals) to preserve the species in Russia. Read the full manuscript here.

N. V. Kiseleva, Ilmen State Reserve, Miass, 456317, Russia, e-mail: [email protected]

In its latest position paper “Sustainable Forestry for Rural Livelihoods” EUSTAFOR shares seven policy recommendations to enhance rural development policy post-2020 in light of the EU objectives in relation to “Jobs, Growth and Investment” and “Energy Union and Climate.” The EU’s Rural Development Policy is the main tool to support the implementation of sustainable forest management and, thus, enable contributions of forests to improve competitiveness and job creation, while ensuring the delivery of ecosystem services to the society at large. EUSTAFOR General Assembly on 26/2/2018 has adopted a position paper, which identifies seven priorities in relation to rural development: https://www.eustafor.eu/why-forests-should-stay-at-the-core-of-eu-rural-development-policy/

The ECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission emerged from the International Timber Conference held in 1947 as the key elements of the United Nations tasked with working on matters related to the forest sector in Europe.

During their first 70 years of joint activity, the Committee and the Commission have contributed to post war reconstruction, to the expansion of the forest sector, to meeting the major challenges of the sector and to promoting and monitoring sustainable forest management.

This paper chronicles the history of the Committee and the Commission’s work, in the context of the 2017 celebrations of the 70th anniversary of ECE and to mark the 70th anniversary of the fruitful cooperation of ECE and FAO on forests in the region. Read more.

Edited by John L. Innes, Anna V. Tikina

Sustainable Forest Management provides the necessary material to educate students about forestry and the contemporary role of forests in ecosystems and society. This comprehensive textbook on the concept and practice of sustainable forest management sets the standard for practice worldwide.

Early chapters concentrate on conceptual aspects, relating sustainable forestry management to international policy. In particular, they consider the concept of criteria and indicators and how this has determined the practice of forest management, taken here to be the management of forested lands and of all ecosystems present on such lands. Later chapters are more practical in focus, concentrating on the management of the many values associated with forests.

Overall the book provides a major new synthesis which will serve as a textbook for undergraduates of forestry as well as those from related disciplines such as ecology or geography who are taking a course in forests or natural resource management.

www.routledge.com/Sustainable-Forest-Management-From-Concept-to-Practice/Innes-Tikina/p/book/9781844077243

This report outlines more than 30 ecosystem services from the Swedish forests and society’s large and diverse impact on these services. Furthermore, The Swedish Forest Agency assessed their status. The status of ten services were categorised as good, while seven services were identified as having an inadequate status. Thirteen services were classified as moderate, neither good nor inadequate.

Ecosystem services are benefits that humans freely gain from the natural environment and from properly-functioning ecosystems. The ecosystem services from forests are of great importance for humanity’s well-being. They can be categorised as follows:

•  provisioning services, tangible services such as timber and pulpwood,
•  regulating services, such as prevention of storm damage,
•  cultural services, for example the contribution to physical and mental well-being,
•  supporting services, those that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, e.g. photosynthesis.

The forests ecosystem services are of great importance for human well-being and their contribution to the economy is extensive. However, the contribution from different ecosystem services varies greatly and the benefit of several services are indirect by sustaining properly-functioning processes for the production of all other ecosystem services.

Our society has a great impact on the forests long-term ability to generate ecosystem services. The impact is both direct, through promotion of certain ecosystem services, and indirect, since the promotion of some ecosystem services have a negative impact on other services.

Read more: http://www.skogsstyrelsen.se/globalassets/om-oss/publikationer/2017/rapport-201713-skogens-ekosystemtjanster---status-och-paverkan.pdf

Since the 1980s, companies in the planted tree industry have been committed to researching and adopting best management practices in order to help maintain and regulate bodies of water, especially in the regions where these companies have a presence. For example, over the last 40 years, this sector has reduced the amount of water it uses throughout its entire manufacturing process by 75%.

This research is detailed in the new version of the infographic "Planted Trees and Water Resources," with updated data about the use of these resources, particularly those related to forests. For example, the sector is responsible for monitoring more than 50 watersheds in five regions of the country, which include areas planted with eucalyptus, pine, and teak trees, forests of native species, and pastures.

In this material released in March, the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) explains how the water cycle works in forests and how correct management of planted trees helps regulate water flow. In this industry, only 0.3% of all the water used in the production process remains in the final product; 80% of the remaining water is returned to its point of origin, and 19.7% goes back to the atmosphere as steam. In other words, 0.3% remains in the product and 99.7% is returned to the environment.

Commercial forest plantations occupy 7.84 million hectares, and include eucalyptus, pine, and other species such as acacia, araucaria, paricá, and teak. The forest sector protects 5.6 million hectares of natural areas in the form of permanent preservation areas (APP), legal reserves (LR), and private natural heritage reserves (RPPN). Moreover, in 2016 it recovered approximately 45,000 hectares of degraded areas. So for each 1 hectare of planted forests, the forest sector protects 0.7 hectares of natural area.

Forests are vital to our way of life, but they are under threat. Converted to agricultural land, cattle ranches and palm and soy plantations – but what is the solution? At PEFC, we believe we need to use our forests, but to use them responsibly. How can you help? Buy PEFC-certified products! Watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmyO4lrBGfw

Using wood is great, and it actually helps to protect our forests. This is where PEFC certification comes in, safeguarding our forests. PEFC-certified products come from forests that are managed sustainably. How can you help? Buy PEFC-certified products! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTqhDj_F7iQ

We believe the solution is to manage our forests sustainably. Certification promotes sustainability. PEFC is the world’s leading forest certification system, and we care passionately about forests. We help safeguard biodiversity and support forest owners and communities. How can you help? Buy PEFC-certified products! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5DZlyhHQqo 

In the value chain, forest products represent opportunities in the competitiveness and sustainable development. The role of certification in the sustainable development internationally and nationally is significant. Synergy between the policies is highlighted in the European Union. Innovations and quality are important in competitiveness. Private investments and stakeholder collaboration are highlighted in the EU Bio-economy Strategy. CSR is in a remarkable role enhancing the sustainable development and competitiveness in the policy framework. This is a qualitative research based on literature. Read more.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Forests is Forests and Sustainable Cities. Forests are indeed key to making cities greener, healthier and happier places to live. Vertical forests, vertical farming, and high-rise wooden skyscrapers: the denser our cities become, the greater the need to address the lack of space available for plants and trees, and to think about innovative ways of integrating natural systems into our urban spaces – where the sky is the only limit. This year, the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section joined forces with the UNECE Housing and Land Management Unit and the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva to organize a series of short lectures, which showcase unique ways in which forests have gone 'vertical'. Eminent speakers will be presenting innovative ideas on urban farming, wood construction and architecture, showing how technology and ingenuity have no limits. The event will take place on 21 March 2018 from 1.00 - 3.00 p.m. in Room VIII (A Building, 3^rd floor). Sandwiches and light drinks will be provided. For more information about the event and registration, please click here. If you have any queries, please contact Leonie Meier ([email protected]) or Pavitra Raja ([email protected]).

Forest fires have become an increasingly important environmental and economic global challenge. In southern Europe, the cumulative effects of global warming, fire-prone landscapes, changes in urbanisation patterns, as well as the lack of perceived value of forests for local populations, create the favourable conditions for catastrophic forest fires. The cost of fire mitigation and control amounts to several billion euros each year, as well as jeopardizes forest policy implementation in Southern Europe.

Currently, most of the forest fire funding, e.g. in the national budgets and EU CAP, is going to fire distinguishing, restoration and afforestation after fires have destroyed forests. However, in recent years, science has advocated for a new vision to address the root causes of forest fires, and put forward long-term cost-effective strategies and measures. These include e.g. shifting the focus towards enhancing the resilience of forests to climate change and enhance resource management to reduce fuel loads in forests. This change can be supported by creating and enhancing the incomes and employment that forest can generate, such as through producing wood products and bioenergy, non-wood products, agroforestry and ecosystem services.

This ThinkForest event helps to provide a better science-policy understanding of the problem of forest fires, as well as discusses the opportunities that forest bioeconomy and new policy incentives and measures, for example, under CAP, could offer.

More info www.efi.int/policysupport/thinkforest/forestfires

Bamboo and rattan are versatile, fast-growing plants, which are used across the world to make low-carbon products, reduce poverty, protect our forests, mitigate climate change, and restore degraded land. This year, INBAR and China's State Forestry Administration are hosting Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018 (BARC2018): the world's first international, policy-focused conference on how these green tools can benefit sustainable development. The conference will take place in Beijing, China, on 25-27 June.

The Congress looks at 'Enhancing South-South Cooperation for Green Development through Bamboo and Rattan's Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals'. Participants can expect three days of vibrant discussion by leading lights from sustainability and green growth. They can also see development in action, by taking guided tours to the heartlands of China’s global bamboo industry.

We invite the participation of everyone working in international development, government, forestry and the private sector. To find out more information and register for BARC2018, click http://www.barc2018.org/en/

The First World BioEconomy Forum at Ruka, Finland, September 11-13, 2018

The inaugural World BioEconomy Forum, to be held in the famous Ruka resort, will bring professionals from the leading edge of the bioeconomy face to face with one of the world’s most exquisite areas of outstanding natural beauty.
 
Public and private sector bioeconomy stakeholders will meet amidst bio-diverse forests and cascading rapids. The event will explore innovative ways of harnessing the unique bio-resources of Europe’s northern region in pursuit of a sustainable and economically meaningful bioeconomy. Many of the lessons from Ruka will be relevant to, and valuable for, other environmentally delicate regions.
 
Register and view the full programme here.

The critical role of boreal and mountain ecosystems for people, bioeconomy, and climate
IBFRA18 - 17-20 September 2018, IIASA, Laxenburg (Vienna), Austria

The International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA) has the pleasure to inform you that - in collaboration with IIASA, PEEX and IUFRO - the IBFRA18 "Cool Forests at Risk? The critical role of boreal and mountain ecosystems for people, bioeconomy and climate" conference will be held in Laxenburg (Vienna), Austria.
First information on IBFRA18 is now available on https://ibfra18.org/

The Cool Forests Conference (IBFRA18) promotes the critical role of boreal and mountain ecosystems for people, bioeconomy, and climate. It will bring together and support the dialogue of academia and decision makers from policy, business and civil society.

This is the start of a collective effort to raise awareness, maintain and promote the multiple values of those ecosystems and create sustainable pathways for this important part of our earth system. It is initiated by IBFRA, the Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX), and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), supported by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).

Call for Ambassadors

The Cool Forest Ambassadors’ Call for Action supports this effort. It is a wake-up call to the world, to raise awareness of boreal and mountain forest ecosystems for people, bioeconomy, and climate.

Sign up to be an Ambassador for Cool Forests and join the collective effort to work together to create solutions for a sustainable future for boreal and mountain ecosystems for people, bioeconomy, and our climate. Sign up here!

For more information about the conference please visit the IBFRA18 website: https://ibfra18.org/ and follow us on Twitter: @ibfra18

EFI 2018 Scientific Seminar, 27 September in Alghero, Sardinia

Mark your calendar! Come to discuss the need for systemic change to build a sustainable future within the new framework of the Sustainable development goals (SDGs), and how forests, sustainable forestry and forest-based solutions can connect the SDGs to action. Furthermore, we will address how to create a compelling forest narrative as basis for sustainable development in a context of growing urbanization.

Registration will open in May.  Further info: https://www.efi.int/membership/ac/2018

The Biocities Forum will facilitate international science-policy-business dialogue on the potential of forests and circular bioeconomy solutions to build sustainable and resilient cities.

The Forum will focus on the following key topics:

• Holistic views on the future of cities and their role in leading sustainable change
• Wood engineering products for building construction and architecture solutions
• Forest-based textiles for sustainable clothing and inspiring fashion 
• Connecting cities and regions for a resilient rural-urban interface

The Biocities Forum takes place during the same week as the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. Synergies between the two events will be explored and efforts will be made to invite relevant participants from Smart City Expo to the Biocities Forum.

More info at www.efi.int/biocities

Palacio de lasConvenciones

November 26, 2018 – November 30, 2018

The Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana "José Antonio Echeverría", Cujae, is pleased to call for the scientific, academic and professional community to the 19th edition of the SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE ( CCIA  to be held from November 26th to 30th, 2018. The  conference will take place at the Havana International Conference Center, Cuba,  within the framework of the activities of our 54th ANNIVERSARY.
Among the conferences, symposia and workshops in session under the Convention, is the X Ibero-American University Symposium on the Environment  (X SUIMA).
As previous editions of the Symposium, the tenth SUIMA will be an appropriate framework to initiate or strengthen professional and academic contacts  and to establish ways of international cooperation between specialists, institutions, organizations and universities in the area of environment and sustainable development .

For more information about the X Ibero-American University Symposium on the Environment (SUIMA), visit the web site: http://suima.cujae.edu.cu