Environmental Services and Sustainable Use of Forests Programme Strategy Revised Version October 2005

Transcription

1 Environmental Services and Sustainable Use of Forests Programme Strategy Revised Version October 2005 Overall goal The overall goal of the Environmental Services and Sustainable Use of Forests Programme is to enhance sustainable use and conservation of forests and forested landscapes through the generation and dissemination of best practices for the management of forest ecosystems for the benefit of rural poor. Introduction The world's forests cover some 3,500 million hectares. About 57% of those are located in developing countries, mostly in the tropics. Between 1980 and 1995, forest clearing for agriculture, infrastructure investments such as large dams and highways, and other activities reduced forest area by about 180 million hectares, although a 40 million hectare increase in plantations partially offset this loss. The greatest habitat loss is occurring in Latin America, while Asia has suffered the largest proportional declines. Un-sustainable logging, forest fires, fragmentation, and other problems have degraded large forest areas. Changes in climatic conditions will also affect forest ecosystem productivity and their ability to supply goods and services. In addition, over exploitation of specific animal and plant species is reaching unprecedented levels. Despite effective management and certification schemes in some areas, a high proportion of the timber, wildlife, animal parts, and medicinal plants traded internationally still come from unsustainable sources, as do many of the products consumed locally. The remaining sparsely populated frontier forests will increasingly be subject to industrial logging or other extractive activities, generally followed by an influx of immigrants. This is happening in parts of the Amazon and Congo basins, the islands of Borneo and New Guinea, and the Guyana Shield. Humans benefit from forests economically, environmentally, aesthetically, and culturally. Forests provide timber, fibre, food, fuel, and medicines and forest environmental services help regulate the water cycle and climate, form soils, recycle nutrients, and pollinate plants. Demands for forest goods and services are increasing in quantity and in breadth. Future demand for wood products depends on income and population growth, technological change, changes in preferences, and institutional and political trends, among others. The Chinese market is growing particularly rapidly, creating new challenges for the forestry sectors of South-East Asia and the Russian Fareast. Recent assessments predict total worldwide industrial timber harvest will increase by 1-2% per year. Plantations and secondary forests are likely to provide an increasing proportion of wood products. The programme will consider natural and secondary forests and plantations from the forest management unit all the way to the global scale. It will also address the links between scales, e.g. the ways global markets and agreements affect forests and land use at the farm and management unit level. The programme strategy has been 1

2 specifically designed to influence global processes on forests, biodiversity, water, desertification, and climate change. It will develop integrated approaches and solutions for managing forests sustainably, conserving forest biodiversity in rural landscapes, limiting the negative effects of land use change on water, and adapting to climate change. Challenges and opportunities? As noted in the Forests and Livelihoods strategy, globalization of the markets for forest products and services brings new opportunities for smallholder and community forestry and for forest-based enterprises. The Environmental Services and Sustainable Use of Forests Program will address the challenge of the forest management requirements for producing produce value-added, high-quality products competitively for international and domestic markets and to manage forests adequately for long-term sustainability, in close collaboration with the work conducted under theme one of the Forests and Livelihoods Program..? The main threats to biodiversity come from habitat loss and fragmentation, global climate change, over-exploitation of specific species, and invasive species. The principal challenge is to integrate biodiversity conservation strategies into working landscapes, particularly in fragmented areas that dominate the developing world.? Projected changes in global climate will affect forest ecosystems, increasing their vulnerability and affecting their ability to supply goods and services. The major challenges are to develop best practices for adaptation measures to maintain ecosystem resilience and reduce vulnerability under various climate change scenarios and to find practical ways to integrate the production of multiple ecosystem services at the landscape level. Focus of the Environmental Services and Sustainable Use Forests Programme The Programme will focus on six topics: 1) Forestry as a viable option for smallholders and communities. The management of natural, secondary and plantation forests to supply forest products can offer a viable land-use option for smallholders and communities. The programme will develop tools and methods for improving smallholder and community forest management practices and forestry enterprises, to make them more competitive and make their raw material supply more sustainable. 2) Sustainable resource base for forest-based industries. Forest-based industries are expanding to meet the growing demand of timber and wood fibre. In many tropical countries, plantation and natural forest operations are not managed adequately for long-term sustainability. The programme will develop tools for analysis and modelling of the sustainability of supply of timber, fibre and other forest products. 3) Managing biodiversity balancing conservation and sustainable use. Conservation of forest diversity requires strategies for managing ecosystems in landscape mosaics to meet conservation targets. In collaboration with theme II of the Forests and Livelihoods Programme, the programme will develop methods, tools, and best practices for participatory analysis and modelling of landscapes, and for integrating biodiversity conservation of managed forests into the broader context of forest and ecosystem management. 4) Climate change and forests threats and opportunities. Adaptation to climate change requires methods and best practices for measures to maintain ecosystem 2

3 resilience and reduce their vulnerability. In climate change mitigation, cost-effective mechanisms are required for using forests to sequester carbon under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other schemes in ways that are sustainable and improve the low-income peoples livelihoods. The programme will develop methods, tools, and decision-support systems for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The focus is on developing best practices for promoting synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures and between different ecosystems services. 5) Rehabilitation of degraded landscapes. There are more than 800 million hectares of degraded forests and previously forested lands in the tropics. Restoring these areas represents an opportunity. The programme will develop best practices for rehabilitation of degraded landscapes so that stakeholders can identify which goods and services matter most and work out how best to restore them. 6) Integrated production of ecosystem services in forested watersheds. As noted previously, emerging niche markets for carbon, water, tourisms and other ecosystem services of forests are creating opportunities. The programme will develop best practices for management and decision-support systems for producing forest products and ecosystem services and promoting synergies between them in landscapes. This research will be closely linked to work on Payment for Environmental Services in the Forests and Livelihoods Programme. To support this research agenda, The Environmental Services and Sustainable Use Forests Programme is structured around three themes, Sustainable use of forests, Biodiversity in fragmented landscapes, and Forest ecosystem services. The first theme will focus on competitive production and long-term sustainability of forest-based enterprises. The second theme will focus on conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. The third theme will work towards integrated management of ecosystem services in forested watersheds to safeguard against adverse effects of global changes. Theme 1: Sustainable Use of Forests Goal To promote the sustainable use of primary and secondary forests and forest plantations and the adoption of appropriate forest management practices that allow competitive and sustainable production of goods and services. Sub-Theme Objectives 1. Best practices for forest and plantation management To promote best practices and locally adapted strategies and frameworks for managing forests so the operations will be competitive and produce timber and other goods and services sustainably. 2. Sustainability of forest-based industries To encourage actions that will ensure a sustainable supply of raw materials for forestbased industries. Geographic Focus Bolivia, Brazil, China, Congo, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, and Vietnam. 3

4 Issues and opportunities Only a small fraction of tropical forests are effectively managed to produce goods and services sustainably. Nevertheless, there are a number of success stories, both for natural forests and plantations, where the operations are sustainable, competitive, and provide decent livelihoods. Activities under this theme will help to learn from and build on those successes. The theme contributes towards achieving various CGIAR Priority Areas. It works mainly in the context of Priority Area 4 - Combining poverty alleviation and sustainable management of water, land and forest resources through the development of pro-poor sustainable forest management practices. It is also linked to Priority Areas 3, 5 and 1, through the development of: policies and policy instruments to promoting sustainable forest management; developing forest-based options for small farmers to produce highvalue forest products including often lesser-known non-wood forests products, and by incorporating the broader concept of ecosystem management into sustainable forest management at landscape level. Much of the work will involve action research that integrates target groups such as extension services, farmer groups, forest enterprises, and NGOs into the research process to ensure the relevance and uptake of research findings. The programme will also engage national and local governments, donors, and advocacy groups in a dialogue about appropriate policies, strategies, and guidelines. The first of the two sub-themes under this theme will increasingly focus on improving management practices for smallholder and community forestry, and will take into account smallholders needs and priorities. It will also address how to optimize forest management systems to achieve results that satisfy both smallholders and society, including a range of goods and services. The sub-theme activities will be targeted at government agencies, NGOs and community-based organisations involved in planning, supporting and implementing smallholder and community forestry. The other sub-theme focuses more on ensuring an adequate supply of timber and other forest products from sustainable sources and that forests are managed for both timber and non-timber products and for both products and services. This will require tools for analyzing the sustainability of supply of timber, fibre and other products, as well as for studying the tradeoffs and synergies between management objectives. Expected results Expected outcomes and impact Expected outcomes:? Practices for sustainable use and management of natural and secondary forests and smallholder forest plantations are adopted and used by forest managers.? Adoption of actions and management practices that will ensure a sustainable supply of timber and other forest products for forest-based industries. Expected impact:? Smallholders and forest companies benefiting from the management of natural forests and plantations.? Sustainable use and management of natural and secondary forests and smallholder forest plantations so that they maintain their ability to provide different products and environmental services in a competitive manner. 4

5 International processes, organizations, and donors: The theme will work with international organizations and processes, such as UNFF, CPF, ITTO, and FAO, and international and local NGO s, and other partners to develop best management practices for different types of forests and to disseminate the results and promote up-take. Key policy makers and donors will be targeted to illustrate how it can be economically viable for smallholders and communities to manage natural, secondary and plantation forests to supply forest products and how forest-based industries can sustainably meet the growing demand of timber and wood fibre. Global thinking: The theme will target the scientific community through publications, presentations at key international forums and involving them in joint research projects. The theme will maintain and further develop regional and global networks, such as the Site Management and Productivity in Tropical Forests Plantations, and South-East Asian Network of Permanent Sample Plots. Regional and national policies and processes: The theme will engage key stakeholders in CIFOR s priority regions in policy dialogue and regional capacity building programmes. Results at specific locations: The theme builds on past and on-going experiences with enhancing the long-term sustainability of large-scale forest plantations in Indonesia and China, and will expand that to other countries. The Levelling the Playing Field project will produce a set of criteria and indicators for sustainable plantation development and determine how to improve plantation practices to meet international standards in six locations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Capacity building The theme builds capacity in two main ways: a) by involving young scientists and other national and local partners in joint research projects, and b) through regional and national networks and joint research sites developed together with regional, national, and local actors to address new and emerging topics. A new capacity building network on forest monitoring and information management will be initiated, covering the three continents. Major Projects Sub-theme: Best practices for forest and plantation management In natural forest management, studies on the adoption of sustainable forest management will be continued in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, and expanded to cover other Latin American countries. In the future, the sub-theme will give more emphasis to smallholder and community forestry and focus on how to optimize the outputs of the forest management systems to achieve results that satisfy smallholders. In research on plantations, the main activities are related to improving partnerships for local development and improved forest sustainability (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines). This project will develop approaches and tools that help private companies and governments manage forest resources over the long term in partnership with communities and other stakeholders. In the future, best practices and technical tools for 5

6 smallholder plantation management will be developed, including both pure and mixed stands. The focus will be on high-value commercial species for international markets such as teak and on lesser-known native species with high potential for local and regional markets. Sub-theme: Sustainability of forest-based industries The sub-theme will develop tools to analyze and model the long-term sustainability of the supply of timber, fibre and other forest products. The work will cover both natural forests and plantations and aspects such as site management of plantations, biodiversity considerations in natural forest management, and methods for monitoring the long-term sustainability of forest use. The current work has been aimed at identifying opportunities resulting from the rapid growth of China s pulp and paper industry, as well as reducing the adverse impacts of that growth on natural forests in South-east Asia. The work on plantation sustainability includes a global network on the long-term sustainability of fast-growing pulp plantations ( Site Management and Productivity in Tropical Forests Plantations ), which has operated in Brazil, China, Congo, India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia since That network will continue and expand its research agenda and the number of countries involved. Theme 2: Biodiversity in Fragmented Landscapes Goal To contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity through generation and diffusion of improved knowledge about biodiversity in forested rural landscape mosaics. Theme Objectives? To promote the integration of biodiversity conservation into improved management practices for managed natural forests and forest plantations.? To contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity through the collection and use of better information regarding biodiversity in landscape mosaics for priority setting and problem diagnosis. Geographic Focus Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Gabon, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines, Vietnam, Zimbabwe Key issues and opportunities The theme aims at: (a) providing better scientific information for biodiversity management in landscape mosaics; (b) developing best practices for biodiversity management in managed forests, (c) influencing global and national biodiversity policies, and (d) building capacity and developing resource materials for training in biodiversity management and conservation. The theme contributes towards achieving various CGIAR Priority Areas. The project works mainly in the context of Priority Area 4 - Combining poverty alleviation and sustainable management of water, land and forest resources. This is achieved through generation and diffusion of improved knowledge about biodiversity in forested rural landscape mosaics, thus contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of forest biological diversity. It is also linked to Priority Areas 1 and 5, through development and 6

7 dissemination of techniques that help to conserve biodiversity in ways suited to meet the needs of poor rural families. The theme will develop pragmatic approaches to help managers plan and implement more biodiversity friendly management activities. The research will help select preferred scenarios and generate procedures that managers and other stakeholders can use to evaluate how to bring about those scenarios under local conditions. The activities related to biodiversity in managed forests will focus on large-scale plantations in Indonesia and Brazil and on managed natural forests in Indonesia and the Congo and Amazon Basins. The results of this research will be used in the work of the Sustainable Use of Forests theme. The theme also seeks to develop and disseminate assessment techniques that help to conserve biodiversity in ways suited to meet the needs of poor rural families. This compliments the work of the Managing Landscapes for Sustainable Livelihoods theme of the Forests and Livelihoods Program, so the two themes will coordinate their activities. CIFOR s previous work on biodiversity assessment, multidisciplinary landscape surveys, and forest restoration make it well placed to work in this area. The programme expects to influence major governmental and non-governmental conservation and development agencies by partnering with them and advising them on institutional mechanisms and tools for monitoring and evaluating biodiversity strategies. All three CIFOR programmes will coordinate their biodiversity research with ICRAF through a joint CIFOR-ICRAF Biodiversity Platform, outlined in the CIFOR CCER titled The Matrix Matters. The next step will be the articulation of a shared set of deliverables for the MTP using the new Science Council priority structure. Expected results Expected outcomes:? Adoption of better plantation management strategies at the landscape scale for improved biodiversity conservation, while maintaining economic profitability of plantations.? Adoption of assessment techniques that help to conserve biodiversity in ways suited to meet the needs of poor rural families. Expected impact:? Biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable forest use at multiple scales in fragmented landscapes.? The livelihoods of smallholders and rural forest communities enhanced due to sustainable use of local biodiversity and sustainable forestry. International processes, organizations, and donors: CIFOR s work on biodiversity can influence the United Nations agencies and processes, the World Bank, the regional development banks, the European Commission, the major international environmental NGOs that implement field projects, and the main biodiversity donors. CIFOR has strong, working partnerships on biodiversity issues with the CBD secretariat, FAO, ICRAF, IUCN, ITTO, UNFF, WWF, WCS, and CI, among others. The theme will work with these and other partners to develop best forest management practices for biodiversity conservation and disseminate its results and to illustrate biodiversity conservation options in fragmented landscapes. 7

8 Global thinking: The theme will produce publications, models and innovative concepts for managing biodiversity at the forest stand and landscape scales. Regional and national policies and processes: The theme, in collaboration with partners such as regional networks and national members of the International Model Forest Network, will contribute to policy change by demonstrating results at key network sites and sharing information with regional institutions and processes and in national meetings. The theme also provides technical information and analytical support for the Asia Forest Partnership and for the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. Results at specific locations: The Theme will provide research results to local audiences in Indonesia and Cameroon through an iterative dialogue designed to identify the most effective forms of presentation and ensure the engagement of local decision-makers. CIFOR s work at the Malinau site (Indonesia) will demonstrate the potential of Multidisciplinary Landscape Assessment methods for developing management recommendations for producing both goods and environmental services in tropical forest ecosystems sustainably. Capacity building: Capacity building is central in the theme. It uses research activities to build capacity in several countries with strong emphasis on Central Africa, where this is very much needed. The research always involves young researchers from host countries (Indonesia, Cameroon). In Central Africa, several donor funded projects (ITTO, French Aid, EC) targeted at building forest research capacity are currently running (Makokou, FORINFO) or in preparation. Major Projects The theme will develop better plantation management strategies at the landscape scale for improved biodiversity conservation, while maintaining economic profitability of the plantations. This includes analysing and providing knowledge on the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of corridors and other areas set aside from plantation production. A pilot study will be carried out in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. In addition, a GIS-based tool for incorporating biodiversity conservation strategies into large-scale plantations will be developed and tested in case study sites. The loss of forest wildlife, generally through hunting, has been called the empty forest syndrome. Some authors claim such forests are ecologically dead. The theme will carry out studies on the long-term impacts of animal loss in Bulungan research forests (Indonesia), in Makokou research forest in Gabon, and in selected sites in the Amazon Basin. Although the sub-theme will address these issues with a biophysical emphasis, the work will consider likely social and economic implications of these changes. The aim is to develop guidelines for more biodiversity friendly logging by incorporating ecological concerns in RIL as well as to contribute to the international policy dialogue about the bushmeat crisis. A multidisciplinary team in the CIFOR Research Forest in Malinau is working on how to determine what factors in the tropical forest landscape matter most to local stakeholders and why? CIFOR and its partners are seeking to provide a better understanding of the environmental values of the Bulungan landscape from a local and 8

9 environmental perspective. A parallel study has started in Mozambique and further developments are planned in West Africa and South America. MLA activities will continue in Malinau and the method will be further tested and validated in Bolivia, Cameroon, Gabon, others parts of Indonesia and in Mozambique. Theme 3: Forest Ecosystem Services Goal To increase resilience and reduce vulnerability of forested landscapes by developing tools and best practices for the management of ecosystem and their environmental services in an integrated manner enhancing synergies between different forest ecosystem services. Sub-Theme Objectives 1. Sub-theme: Integrated planning and management of forest ecosystem services To promote synergies between environmental services and to develop integrated approaches for the production of forest products and environmental services by trough new methods, tools and best practices for planning and managing forest ecosystem services. 2. Sub-theme: Forests and Climate Change To promote pro-poor climate change mitigation and adaptation schemes involving forest ecosystems and to articulate the role of forest ecosystems in adaptation to climate change. 3. Sub-theme: Rehabilitating Degraded Forest Landscapes To promote the rehabilitation of degraded forest landscapes and integrate rehabilitation into national and regional environmental conservation strategies by developing best practices and appropriate activities. Geographic Focus Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe. Key issues and opportunities To keep ecosystems resilient in the face of changing climates and social and economic pressures one must understand how ecological and social systems interact to generate particular land use patterns. Often there will be trade-offs between what is globally optimal and what is locally desirable. Therefore, the research under this theme will consider different scales and address the links between them. The theme aims at contributing to the Millennium Development Goals on water and to adaptation to climate change. This will include research on conserving watershed functions in forested catchments, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, and on finding how to produce forest goods without compromising ecosystem services. The theme contributes towards achieving various CGIAR priority areas. It works mainly in the context of Priority Area 4 (Combining poverty alleviation and sustainable management of water, land and forest resources) through increased resilience and reduced vulnerability in target countries. It is also linked to Priority Areas 1 and 5, through development and dissemination of policies and techniques that 9

10 help to integrate these services into land-use planning in the contexts of forest landscape, watershed and ecosystem management. The theme will develop methods for integrated assessment of environmental goods and services in forested upper catchments. It will study the interactions between biophysical and socio-economic properties of catchments to better understand the cause-impact chains at patch and landscape scales and the ecological and socioeconomic variables affecting land-use. The main target groups are: local and national organizations involved in developing and implementing forest management guidelines, national governments, and international policy processes on forested watersheds and climate change adaptation and mitigation. The theme will develop methods, tools, and decision-support systems for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The focus is on developing best practices for promoting synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures and between different ecosystems services in landscapes. It will assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to climate change, and how global change, forest management and other land use practices affect ecosystem functions and environmental services. It will examine how people regard environmental services and how changes in these services affect their wellbeing. In collaboration with the Forests and Livelihoods programme, it will also look at how payments for environmental services and other incentives can encourage people to adopt more sustainable and resilient land-use systems and avoid possible conflicts between local, national and global actors. The theme s activities also includes the development of best practices for rehabilitating degraded landscapes following an approach where various stakeholders identify which goods and services matter most and work out how to restore them. Expected results Expected outcomes and impact Expected outcomes:? Methods integrating forest ecosystem services into ecosystem management are used in forest management and land-use planning.? Options for pro-poor climate change mitigation and adaptation schemes are adopted by international and national policy makers and used by forest and land-use planners.? Increase in forest cover and productivity of degraded forest lands. Expected impact:? The forest and ecosystem management systems are designed and implemented in a way that provide sustainable resource use in forested landscape mosaics without excluding the poor.? Increased resilience and reduced vulnerability of tropical forests to climate change.? Production of multiple environmental benefits and improved local livelihoods through rehabilitation of degraded lands. International processes, organizations, and donors: The theme will work with international organizations and processes, such as UNFCCC, UNCCD, UNFF, ITTO, and FAO, and international and local NGO s, and other partners to develop and disseminate best practices for integrated planning and 10

11 management of forest ecosystem services. CIFOR also continues to support global, regional and national initiatives on climate change and forests (IPCC, ITTO, UNEP, FAO etc.). The results will provide guidance and methodologies for measuring and monitoring carbon in LULUCF CDM projects. In addition, the CarboFor web service aims at proving technical information and tools for CDM project developers. The results will also provide an analytical frame to assess the impacts of climate change on forested landscapes and help orient response measures towards maintenance of ecosystem resilience under the most likely climate change scenarios. Global thinking: The theme s work will contribute to the research agendas of national and international researchers related to the role of forests in adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. This will be done by writing articles for the top scientific journals and presenting findings in selected forums and through the development of user-friendly tools for quantifying and monitoring of carbon sequestration in landscapes. Regional and national policies and processes: The theme will organize workshops and seminars for policy makers on climate change and ecosystem services. The main regional forum for disseminating the results of the rehabilitation work will be the Asia Forest Partnership (AFP), where CIFOR is a key actor. In this partnership, the theme aims to identify and disseminate promising rehabilitation approaches through articles, seminars, workshops, policy briefs, website postings and networking activities. CIFOR will advise the Government of Indonesia in relation to UNFCC and Kyoto Protocol. Results at specific locations: Studies on vulnerability and adaptation to climate change will be carried out in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana), Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras), and Indonesia.. The Theme will develop baseline and project scenarios for carbon sequestration in a LULUCF CDM project in Indonesia. The case study results about rehabilitation in Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Peru and Brazil will be disseminated to local stakeholders through publications, seminars and workshops to increase the efficiency of rehabilitation efforts in these locations. The fact that partners are doing much of the research makes it more likely the results will be adopted. Capacity building: The theme will collaborate in the organization of a Latin-American training workshop (CATIE/UNDP) on the LULUCF CDM s, and plans to expand these activities to Sub- Saharan Africa. Major projects Sub-theme: Integrated planning and management of forest ecosystem services The sub-theme will develop models and decision-support systems for the provision of environmental services, particularly carbon sequestration and water at the landscape level. Work has been initiated in Burkina Faso and conducted in three steps: a) critical review of knowledge on processes in upper catchments; b) analysis of water use / 11

12 production (amount and quality) from key landscape elements; and c) testing and validating models linking hydrology and land-use in landscape fragments to larger basin situations. Parallel to the previous point, GIS-based tools for incorporating environmental services into a landscape-level planning tool will be developed in collaboration with CATIE and other partners. These tools will then be tested and validated in different locations, including Central America, Burkina Faso, and Indonesia. Sub-theme: Forests and Climate Change In a large 4-year project on tropical forests and adaptation to climate change the Subtheme will develop tools for adaptation of tropical forest ecosystems to climate change. Based on the results of the climate change impact assessments, key vulnerability indicators will be geographically mapped. On the basis of these, adaptation measures will be developed. Pilot studies will be carried out in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana), Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras), and Indonesia. The Sub-theme will be launching a web-site CarboFor as a platform for information exchange on carbon in topical forests and CDM s. In addition, a computer-based tool for cost-effective measuring and monitoring of carbon in LULUCF CDM project will be developed jointly with CATIE. The Sub-theme is planning workshops on strategies for adapting to climate change in the forestry sector and on frameworks for carbon markets and is developing landscape level models for simulating carbon flows. CIFOR and ICRAF are jointly engaged in a project on baselines and forestry CDMs in Indonesia. Sub-theme: Rehabilitating Degraded Forest Landscapes Since 1996, CIFOR has implemented projects on Rehabilitation of Degraded Tropical Forest Ecosystems and Review of Rehabilitation Initiatives - Lessons from the Past. The second is ongoing and is reviewing current and past rehabilitation initiatives together with national partners and disseminating the lessons learned. The project focuses on Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Peru and Brazil. Participants include governments, research and development agencies, NGOs, local communities, industries and donors. This activity is expected to be completed in early