To emphasize the important role of forests in providing water-related services and their significance for resilient food systems, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the United States Forest Service, and the National Forestry Institute (INFONA) of Paraguay co-organized the event “Cool Forests: Forest-Water-Climate Linkages for Resilient Food Systems”. 

The session, held on July 24th, took place in the context of the 27th Session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO), which ran from July 22nd to 26th at FAO Headquarters. The 9th World Forest Week (WFW) was held in conjunction with COFO27, under the theme “Accelerating Forest Solutions through Innovation.”  

You can view the recording here, using the passcode COOL2024+.  

Spotlighting the climate regulation functions and water related benefits of forests for resilient food systems and communities 

The resilience of food systems and communities relies on the climate regulatory functions and water-related benefits provided by forests. This interactive event aimed to take participants on a journey from the headwaters to the areas downstream to demonstrate the important need for sustainable forest management that focuses on water. It also aimed to highlight how advancements in science and technology are playing a key role in informing decision making within existing strategies.  

The event began with inspiring opening remarks from H.E. Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy for the Republic of the Congo; Mr. Lifeng Li, Director of FAO's Land and Water Division; and Mr. Randy Moore, Chief of the United States Forest Service. This was followed by a keynote on the latest science on the forest-water nexus by Mr. Carlos Nobre, from the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research and Co-Chair of the Science Panel on the Amazon.  

After his address, a rich discussion ensued, with the following esteemed panelists sharing innovative practices and experiences from their respective countries:  

• Mr. Sitwala Wamunyima, Director of Zambia’s Forestry Department of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment 

• Ms. Aida Bargués-Tobella, Researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 

• Ms. Haruni Krisnawati, Senior Advisor to the Minister for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia 

• Ms. Cristina Goralewski, President of the National Forestry Institute (INFONA) of Paraguay 

Ms. Tiina Vähänen, Deputy Director of FAO’s Forestry Division, concluded the event with a crucial message: “It is imperative that water receives much more attention in forest management, so that together we can tackle the multiple planetary crises which we face which significantly impact our food and water security.”