Forests

More than 100,000 fires ravaged the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan throughout September and October 2015, producing a noxious haze that affected tens of thousands of people. Seasonal rains began in November, but 2015/16 are El Nino years, so the threat of new fires is far from over. The problem is complex but it can […]

Recent years have seen an expansion of commitments by forest country governments, corporations, donors, and investors to reduce deforestation and land-use emissions. However, these commitments have proven difficult to implement owing to the complex challenges of shifting from business-as-usual to a forest-friendly model of rural economic growth. At our session at the Global Landscapes Forum, […]

By Patrick Fortyr, Forest Finest Consulting GmbH – CO2OL People love chocolate. Last year’s global consumption of this delicious and timeless treat was approximately 8 million tonnes, as more and more people can afford it. In particular, demand is rising sharply in in the new middle classes of China and India. The chocolate industry is […]

Originally published on CIFOR’s Forest News. By Harry Pearl. For hundreds of thousands of rural families eking out a living in Brazil’s Amazon estuary, living with flooding is a daily reality. But with climate change tipped to hasten sea-level rise, tidal inundation is set to worsen. How can local government help smallholders—known locally as caboclos—to […]

By Hans Friederich, Director General, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). Bamboo can be a powerful ally for land restoration. This strategic resource thrives on problem soils and steep slopes, helps to conserve soil and water, and improves land quality. Its potential is significant – if its benefits are recognized by decision makers and […]

In Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan province, the peat areas are burning and emitting a toxic smoke causing untold damage to the environment, wildlife and human health. Most of the fires in Central Kalimantan are blazing in former peatland forests, which have been drained, cleared and burned for oil palm and agriculture, large and small. The dried-out […]