6 April 2016: The World Bank Group has released the ‘Forest Action Plan FY16-20,’ which aims to integrate the sustainable management of forests more fully into the Bank’s development priorities over the next five years.

The Forest Action Plan was developed jointly by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and builds on the 2002 Strategy ‘Sustaining Forests: A Development Strategy.’ It focuses on two priority areas: investments in sustainable forest management; and “forest-smart” interventions in which the World Bank Group will aim to take a landscape approach, addressing forests along with other sectors including agriculture, transport and energy. The Action Plan’s cross-cutting themes address: climate change and resilience; rights and participation; and institutions and governance. It acknowledges that good forest governance and strong institutions are core conditions for sustainable forest management, along with clear ownership, access, and management rights over forests.

A key aspect of the Forest Action Plan is to streamline interventions across the World Bank Group and forest-related funds, such as the BioCarbon Fund, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the Forest Investment Program and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Its implementation is envisaged at both the strategic and the operational level, and addresses strengthening monitoring systems, strengthening the knowledge and evidence base, streamlining institutional arrangements and procedures, and partnerships. [World Bank Press Release] [Forest Action Plan FY16-20] [2002 Strategy]