Making knowledge work for forests and people
Together we can achieve sustainable management of tropical forestlands for the benefit of people, conservation and sustainable development.
More informationForest fires have been wreaking havoc in large parts of Indonesia, most of them set deliberately to clear land for oil palm plantations. A recent government moratorium on expanding oil palm in forest areas could help preventing forest fires in the future, but the lack of accurate spatial data is a main barrier to implement the moratorium, says Edi Purwanto.
Tropical forests are essential to our climate and biodiversity, but are under threat from overexploitation and raw material extraction. Indigenous communities are essential to the conservation of the forests. However, there was no good way to communicate with the local population about their environment and the effects of overexploitation. PhD candidate Sara Ramírez Gómez of Utrecht University worked with the indigenous communities to draw up three-dimensional maps of their living environment, thus creating a basic tool for communicating with the outside world. Ms Ramírez Gómez defended her doctoral thesis in the University Hall of Utrecht University on 27 September 2019.
Recognition is growing of the contribution that forests and trees must play in any credible global strategy to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The TBI network has members in Indonesia, Vietnam, Ghana, DR Congo, Suriname, Colombia and the Netherlands. The members share a common vision and mission, as well as a common focus and approach, while tailoring their efforts to the specific local context