This working paper presents the preliminary outcomes of a project that FAO has been conducting in a collaborative effort with IEA Bioenergy and with the financial support of GIZ, to promote “International dialogues on Forest Landscape Restoration and wood energy” worldwide. It focuses on the outcomes of three dialogues organized in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) at International (Global Landscape Forum Accra 2019) and at National level (in Togo and Ghana) on “Wood Energy and FLR”. The three events, whose organization and implementation benefited from the active contribution of various teams of work within FAO (e.g. GBEP, FFF, Forestry Department) and with other international organizations (e.g. IRENA, GIZ), brought together relevant stakeholders of the two realms, raised their awareness on the activities currently on-going on the same thematic area and spatial context, and created a network among them to enable synergies, thus accelerating the achievement of common goals (e.g. SDGs, NDCs). The dialogue approach proved extremely constructive and efficient. It provided Togo and Ghana with a cross-cutting analysis of their wood energy and FLR sectors, which resulted in tailor-made suggestions and targeted take home messages, ready to be incorporated in their wood energy- and climate-related strategies (e.g. NDCs), which are currently in the process of being reviewed/updated. We strongly hope that this work will encourage other SSA countries, primarily the ones that have committed to the AFR100 initiative, to replicate this experience, thus setting a more structured and solid basis for the development of sustainable FLR-modern bioenergy integrated systems.

Restoration ecology, as a scientific discipline, developed from practitioners’ efforts to restore degraded land, with interest also coming from applied ecologists attracted by the potential for restoration projects to apply and/or test developing theories on ecosystem development. Since then, forest landscape restoration (FLR) has emerged as a practical approach to forest restoration particularly in developing countries, where an approach which is both large-scale and focuses on meeting human needs is required. Yet despite increased investigation into both the biological and social aspects of FLR, there has so far been little success in systematically integrating these two complementary strands. Bringing experts in landscape studies, natural resource management and forest restoration, together with those experienced in conflict management, environmental economics and urban studies, this book bridges that gap to define the nature and potential of FLR as a truly multidisciplinary approach to a global environmental problem. The book will provide a valuable reference to graduate students and researchers interested in ecological restoration, forest ecology and management, as well as to professionals in environmental restoration, natural resource management, conservation, and environmental policy.

This book, published in cooperation with WWF International, integrates the restoration of forest functions into landscape conservation plans. The contents represent the collective body of knowledge and experience of WWF and its many partners - collected here for the first time. This guide will serve as a first stop for practitioners and researchers in many organizations and regions, and as a key reference on the subject.

The second phase of the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) aims at supporting forest and farm producers and their organizations (FFPOs) to enable climate-resilient landscapes and improved livelihoods, through the approval of small grants for producers organizations, training and exchanges, and the documentation and dissemination of good practices. The mid-term evaluation highlights the uniqueness of the FFF and its potential to influence global forestry narratives and practices, beyond the sum of its achievements in core countries, and recognizes that the FFF is broadening FAO’s corporate narrative and global positioning on forestry and its interface with agriculture, livelihoods and the environment. The FFF is highly relevant to national contexts with its outcomes well-matching national policies, and to FFPOs priorities and needs; it has effectively applied adaptive management from the onset of Phase II; and it has also contributed to strengthened and expanded partnerships among FFPOs and APEX organizations. The programme achieved satisfactory to highly satisfactory progress towards three of its four outcomes with limited resources, demonstrating high levels of cost-effectiveness. The monitoring and learning system is highly organized and well-coordinated around letters of agreement tracking, but it could improve with the inclusion of an internal results-based monitoring and evaluation system to track the evolution of longer-term results beyond the letter of agreement grant cycle. The FFF is responsive to gender in all countries and to indigenous producer organizations, while the strategy to include youth could be improved.

Encyclopedia of Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Four Volume Set comprehensively covers all renewable energy resources, including wind, solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal energy, and nuclear power, to name a few. In addition to covering the breadth of renewable energy resources at a fundamental level, this encyclopedia delves into the utilization and ideal applications of each resource and assesses them from environmental, economic, and policy standpoints. This book will serve as an ideal introduction to any renewable energy source for students, while also allowing them to learn about a topic in more depth and explore related topics, all in a single resource.Instructors, researchers, and industry professionals will also benefit from this comprehensive reference. - Covers all renewable energy technologies in one comprehensive resource - Details renewable energies' processes, from production to utilization in a single encyclopedia - Organizes topics into concise, consistently formatted chapters, perfect for readers who are new to the field - Assesses economic challenges faced to implement each type of renewable energy - Addresses the challenges of replacing fossil fuels with renewables and covers the environmental impacts of each renewable energy

Large areas of the world’s forests have been lost or degraded and landscapes everywhere are being simplified by current land-use practices. In this publication, Lamb and Gilmour present approaches to restoring and rehabilitating the vast areas of degraded, fragmented and modified forests which cover much of the world. They argue that by applying best practice at the site level it is possible to enhance socio-economic and ecological gains at the landscape level. This book provides an important contribution towards the objectives of the Forest Landscape Restoration approach and is essential reading for practitioners and decision makers involved in forest restoration.

Nearly three years ago, world leaders agreed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the central framework for guiding development policies throughout the world. This edition of The State of the World’s Forests is aimed at enhancing our understanding of how forests and their sustainable management contribute to achieving several of the SDGs. Time is running out for the world’s forests: we need to work across sectors, bring stakeholders together, and take urgent action. The State of the World’s Forests 2018 identifies actions that can be taken to increase the contributions of forests and trees that are necessary to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It is now critical that steps be taken to work more effectively with the private sector, and the informal forest sector must be transformed in order to bring broader economic, social and environmental benefits. Seventy years ago, when FAO completed its first assessment of the world’s forest resources, the major concern was whether there would be enough timber to supply global demand; now we recognize the greater global relevance of our forests and trees. For the first time, The State of the World’s Forests 2018 provides an assessment of the contribution of forests and trees to our landscapes and livelihoods. The purpose of this publication is to provide a much wider audience with an understanding of why forests and trees matter for people, the planet and posterity.

This is the 7th edition of the FAO's biennial report on the state of global forest resources, recent developments and emerging issues in the forest sector. This edition focuses on progress towards sustainable forest management at the regional and global levels, with each regional report structured according to seven thematic elements: the extent of forest resources; biological diversity; forest health and vitality; productive functions of forest resources; protective functions of forest resources; socio-economic functions; and legal, policy and institutional frameworks. These summaries are based on the most current information available, including new data from the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 (FRA 2005). The report goes on to consider 18 key issues in the forest sector, including: climate change, forest landscape restoration, forest tenure, invasive species, wildlife management and wood energy. The overall conclusion is that whilst progress is being made, it is very uneven with those regions with developing economies and tropical ecosystems continuing to lose forest area whilst lacking adequate institutions to reverse this trend. The biggest limitation for evaluating progress is weak data, with many countries lacking the financial resources to undertake national forest assessments.

A global assessment of potential and anticipated impacts of efforts to achieve the SDGs on forests and related socio-economic systems. This title is available as Open Access via Cambridge Core.

Many countries around the world are engaged in decentralization processes, and most African countries face serious problems with forest governance, from benefits sharing to illegality and sustainable forest management. This book summarizes experiences to date on the extent and nature of decentralization and its outcomes - most of which suggest an underperformance of governance reforms - and explores the viability of different governance instruments in the context of weak governance and expanding commercial pressures over forests. Findings are grouped into two thematic areas: decentralization, livelihoods and sustainable forest management; and international trade, finance and forest sector governance reforms. The authors examine diverse forces shaping the forest sector, including the theory and practice of decentralization, usurpation of authority, corruption and illegality, inequitable patterns of benefits capture and expansion of international trade in timber and carbon credits, and discuss related outcomes on livelihoods, forest condition and equity. The book builds on earlier volumes exploring different dimensions of decentralization and perspectives from other world regions, and distills dimensions of forest governance that are both unique to Africa and representative of broader global patterns. The authors ground their analysis in relevant theory while drawing out implications of their findings for policy and practice.