Despite increasing recognition of the wide range of environmental and social benefits of forests to our planet’s well being, unsustainable forest and land-use practices continue to destroy and degrade millions of hectares of forests in Asia and the Pacific each year. In various locations across the region, renewed efforts are being made to restore forests to previously degraded sites. Approaches range from large-scale forest plantation development, to agroforestry, to passive natural regeneration. Assisted natural regeneration (ANR) is a forest restoration approach based on concepts of enhancing ecological succession processes, including regeneration and growth of indigenous species. Experiences with ANR demonstrate that this approach is particularly successful in engaging local communities, reducing the risk of forest fires and creating new income-generating opportunities. ANR also significantly reduces the costs of forest restoration, making it a particularly attractive alternative to costly plantation establishment. This publication presents the proceedings of the regional workshop, convened in Bohol, Philippines from 19 to 22 May 2009, on advancing the application of assisted natural regeneration for effective, low-cost forest restoration. It includes selected papers presenting ANR experiences in the Philippines – where ANR has been practiced for over three decades – and related forest restoration initiatives throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO

Region
Asia Pacific

Biome
Tropical

Forest Type
Degraded forest

Primary Designated Function
All