12 March 2014: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has released a discussion paper, titled ‘Tropical Dry Forests – The state of global knowledge and recommendations for future research,’ which presents recommendations for further research on tropical dry forests based on CIFOR’s strategic goals.

The publication considers five themes: climate change mitigation and adaptation; food security and livelihoods; energy demands; sustainable forest management (SFM) in dry forests, and policies and institutional support for SFM. The discussion paper identifies research priorities for each region with significant tropical dry forests, citing the need for deforestation data in Africa, livelihoods research in Latin America, and a broad range of research for Asia and the Pacific, and the Caribbean.

For all regions, the paper cites the need for greater SFM and an analysis of forest policy as well as policies in related sectors. The paper also calls for a clear definition of tropical dry forests, a global inventory of forests, and additional research on trade and investment as well as carbon sequestration. Finally, the publication highlights the importance of better understanding how forests will be impacted by global and societal change.

CIFOR is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Publication: Tropical Dry Forests – The state of global knowledge and recommendations for future research]