Secretariat Notes

Special event and presentations  

FO:EFC/2010/2.2 Adaptation of European Forests to Climate Change

FO:EFC/2010/2.1 Implications of the Copenhagen Outcome for the Forest Sector

Combating Climate Change - A role for UK forests

Forests and Climate Change in Russia under Current and Future Climate Regimes

Implications of the Copenhagen Outcome for the Forestry Sector

Writing a LULUCF Decision - How hard can it be?

The Commission recommended that FAO and UNECE facilitate regional networking on climate change, using existing regional forest networks, with a view to providing inputs to a global framework on climate change adaptation. It further requested that FAO and UNECE help address information

needs related to forests and climate change and communication gaps in information and policymaking between the climate change and the forestry communities.

The Commission requested FAO and UNECE to continue to play active roles in generating and disseminating information on forests and climate change adaptation and in facilitating the exchange of related experiences among Commission members.

The Commission recommended that its members assess the adequacy of their forest resource assessment systems for the purpose of monitoring climate change risks and impacts. It suggested that regionally adopted criteria and indicators used for assessing and reporting on SFM should not be revised until the assessment of needs for additional data and the costs of data collection had been evaluated.

The Commission requested that the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Policy in Eastern Europe and Central Asia continue to address the needs of this group of countries with regard to the implementation of sustainable forest management, including climate change adaptation measures, and to seek means to assist them in capacity strengthening.

The Commission further requested that FAO and UNECE raise awareness of the need to create an enabling policy environment for forest adaptation measures by small forest owners in Europe and to facilitate the sharing of country experiences in overcoming constraints to implementing SFM and climate change adaptation.

The Commission noted the achievements and the value of work by FAO in the area of forests and climate change and requested that the Organization consider developing a network and support service at the global level to assist countries in implementing international commitments related to forests and

climate change. Such a network could be supported by the establishment of a working party or similar arrangement to enhance the linkage between scientific and technical work and the political level, where regions were well represented. It further requested FAO to strengthen its capacities in forests and climate change.

 Secretariat Notes  

Special event and presentations

None                        

Pre-session Workshop on Climate change and African forests and wildlife

The Commission endorsed sustainable forest management as the basis for the forest sector’s ability to make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation. It further recognized that national forest programmes (nfps) constitute an important instrument for achieving SFM and thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change. The Commission therefore urged its member countries to develop their nfps into effective platforms for coordination of national and international initiatives related to forests, thus allowing nfps to play their principal role of integrating the interests, needs and initiatives of other sectors in order to better serve society as a whole.

Note: many other needs (information, capacity strengthening, research, etc) were identified in the pre-session workshop, but not reflected in the main report as recommendations or requests to FAO. 

 Secretariat Notes

Special event and presentations

FO:APFC/2010/6-Heads of Forestry Dialogue

The Commission requested FAO to take a leading role in supporting technical aspects of REDD-plus in collaboration with UNEP and UNDP.

(While the HoF Dialogue noted many needs related to forests and climate change and FAO’s strategic role in providing related support, no specific requests for action by FAO were made.)

 Secretariat Notes

Special event and presentations

FO:LACFC/2010/6 Forests and Climate Change - with a special focus on climate change adaptation

The Commission requested FAO to take a strong role in the coordination of efforts in the region related to forests and climate change adaptation. It further requested FAO to work with Commission members and with other partners to identify needs for forests and climate change adaptation in Latin America and the Caribbean and to develop proposals and seek funding to support regional or sub-regional activities and cooperative action on forests and climate change adaptation.

The Commission requested FAO to synthesize and disseminate information on forests and climate change, with the objectives of raising awareness of the contributions of sustainable forest management to climate change adaptation and mitigation, disseminating country experiences and successful outcomes, providing guidance to countries for practical action, and strengthening country knowledge and capacity as relates to forests and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

 Secretariat Notes

Special event and presentations

FO:NEFC/2010/7 In-session seminar: Assessing the risks of and vulnerability to climate change of forests and range in the Near East

The Commission noted with concern the high vulnerability of the Near East region to climate change and recommended that FAO assist countries, through the provision of information and capacity building, to (i) access climate change funds and strengthen their activities on mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and (ii) raise awareness among decision-makers of the pivotal role of forests and rangelands in climate change adaptation.

The Commission noted that, in order for climate change adaptation measures to be effective and sustainable, they must address livelihood needs. It urged its members to take into account climate change dimensions when they elaborate national strategies, plans and programmes in the forest and rangelands sectors

Furthermore, the Commission recommended that FAO provide opportunities for exchange of experiences among countries in the region on impacts of climate change and actions for adaptation in the forest sector.

The Commission suggested that the FAO Regional Office for the Near East take the lead in developing the concept of regional or sub-regional networks or support mechanisms on climate change, possibly under an umbrella network encompassing various technical areas.

 Secretariat Notes

Special event and presentations

FO:NAFC/2010/3 Communicating the role of forests in climate change adaptation and mitigation

The Commission agreed on the pressing need to communicate effectively that the impacts and long-term costs of no forestry action on climate change are much greater than the costs of mitigation and adaptation efforts. In this regard, the USA suggested that there should be incentives to generate and provide information and data, while stressing the importance of working on ecological restoration to increase the resistance and resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. Canada highlighted the importance of knowing the level of the average citizen’s understanding of climate change issues.