In the eastern region of Ghana, a nation teeming with vibrant and robust ecosystems, sits the Apedwa Forest Reserve. This small 4 km2 expanse of wilderness serves as the heart of biodiversity in the region. At the helm of managing this critical reserve, ensuring its flourishing and safeguarding its inhabitants, is a remarkably passionate woman, Lizzie Bekoe. Hailing from the town of Segyimase in Eastern Ghana, Lizzie is the fourth among her six siblings. This dynamic 30-year-old woman has been a forest ranger with Ghana’s Forestry Commission for a year now. Her choice of profession was not a random career detour...

Would you like to support establishing and operationalizing a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) in your country? If you are nodding in agreement, then this FAO free self-paced online course is for you. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has recently launched the online course ‘Institutionalization of Forest Data’. This is a course crafted for individuals eager to support the institutionalization of forest data within a robust NFMS. Additionally, it emphasizes transparency, sustainability, and data-sharing as critical pillars for the successful implementation of an NFM strategy. Whether you are a legal expert, a government, or a ministry officer,...

Would you like to contribute to our survey on 'Needs Assessment and Engagement Survey - Assessing needs and opportunities for promoting forest positive agriculture and sustainable food systems'? Help us identify gaps and needs, and explain how the UNFSS Forests & Food Systems coalition (FFS) can support stakeholders from both public and private sectors in forestry, agriculture, and trade, in addressing the topic of forest positive agricultural value chains. Participate in the online survey before the deadline on September 15, 2023.

Would you like to contribute to our survey on 'Needs Assessment and Engagement Survey - Assessing needs and opportunities for promoting forest positive agriculture and sustainable food systems'? Help us identify gaps and needs, and explain how the UNFSS Forests & Food Systems coalition (FFS) can support stakeholders from both public and private sectors in forestry, agriculture, and trade, in addressing the topic of forest positive agricultural value chains. Participate in the online survey before the deadline on August 31, 2023. 

Forests are intrinsically linked to water because of their role in the water cycle: When forests and trees are managed sustainably, they can contribute to improving water quality, quantity and timing and in turn, reduce risks related to water such as floods, soil erosion and droughts. They also provide cooling and rainfall generation benefits, which help stabilize local and regional climate, protect human health and contribute to agricultural productivity (Ellison et al. 2017, Lawrence et al. 2022, FAO 2022). Currently, more than 2 billion people live in countries under water stress and around 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for...