Participants at the Forests Asia Summit 2014 committed to promote a landscape approach in forestry management, research and education.
Summit participants also supported strategies to promote green growth policies, strengthen law enforcement in relation to land tenure, land use and trade, develop a low-carbon economy and reaffirm the potential for REDD+.
6 May 2014: Participants at the Forests Asia Summit 2014 committed to promote a landscape approach in forestry management, research and education. Summit participants also supported strategies to promote green growth policies, strengthen law enforcement in relation to land tenure, land use and trade, develop a low-carbon economy and reaffirm the potential for REDD+.
The summit addressed themes related to the landscape approach, which integrates the land-based sectors of forestry, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, mining and urban land use as elements of an overall sustainable development agenda. The meeting addressed five main themes: governance and legal frameworks to promote sustainable landscapes; investing in landscapes to promote green returns; climate change and low-emissions development on the ground; forest landscapes for food and biodiversity; and changing communities, sustainable landscapes and equitable development.
Speaking at the summit, the President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, called on governments in Southeast Asia to develop a regional strategy to promote adaptive capacity and to advance low-emission development policies. He reiterated his commitment to strengthen forestry governance and drew attention to Indonesia’s moratorium prohibiting the clearing of primary forests, newly-commissioned REDD+ Management Agency and efforts to reduce slash-and-burn agricultural practices that increase peatland fires and forest degradation.
Over 2,700 people took part in the summit, including environment ministers from Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Peru and Singapore, high-level government officials from across Asia, and leaders from the agriculture, banking, oil palm and timber-related industries. The event’s online live stream drew an additional 5,500 participants.
The Forests Asia Summit 2014 took place in Jakarta, Indonesia from 5-6 May 2014. The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia, organized the conference. CIFOR is part of the CGIAR Consortium. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [Conference Website] [Holmgren Statement] [Yudhoyono Statement] [UN-REDD Press Release] [CIFOR Press Release]