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16 December 2020 General
At the beginning of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, this 60th issue of ETFRN News is very timely, reflecting a focus on drylands that cover some 40% of the world’s land area and contain some of the most severely degraded landscapes on Earth. They are also home to a third of the world’s population and a disproportionate number of the poorest people, along with unique ecosystems and biodiversity. And these issues are more acute in Africa than in any other continent.
14 December 2020 the Netherlands
A landmark 1,193,652 submissions to the EU's public consultation on deforestation were handed over to the European Commission this afternoon, all of which demanded a strong EU law to protect the world's forests and the rights of people who depend on them. The one million+ submissions have made this the largest public consultation on environmental issues in the history of the EU, and the second largest ever.
11 December 2020 DR Congo
For forest dependent communities, securing rights to forests and lands that they hold by tradition and customs is a prerequisite for local development. Introduced by the Congolese forest code for natural resources management, this ensures protection against expropriation with land titles issued by the provincial governor.
11 December 2020 Colombia
Corpoamazonia, the environmental authority in the Colombian Amazon, reports that 75,000 hectares of forest was lost in the first trimester of 2020, the same as in the whole of 2019. Participative productive restoration of forest landscapes aims to restore deforested land and improve livelihoods of those living in these areas. But most involved institutions approach this process from a very technical perspective, promoting the planting of trees species not always aligned with local conditions, and rely on ‘standard’ species, nurseries, cultivation patterns, management procedures and follow-up. But local communities have the capacity to build their own reforestation programmes based on traditional forest management, leading to truly participative productive restoration.
11 December 2020 Indonesia
Villages in Indonesia that have obtained a social forestry permit are allowed to develop enterprises, called social forestry business units (KUPS), so they can benefit from the forest while also protecting it. For further development after being established, with the village government’s decision letter the KUPS can access Bangpesona grants from the Directorate General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnership, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
11 December 2020 Suriname
Taking part in the storytelling training in June 2020 run by RNTC Media Training Centre as part of the GLA programme, inspired us to share research-based information from Tropenbos Suriname projects. This enables us to connect with our audience on a more personal level. We decided on sharing the story of agricultural development in Pikin Slee village, in the Upper Suriname River area, to demonstrate the benefits of agriculture to other villages in the region and promote the involvement of youth. This story also motivates the other villages of the potential benefits for their communities if they adapt new farming techniques.