18 March 2014: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has published the eighteenth edition of InFO News, which highlights the importance of addressing water scarcity and climate change in forest management in the Near East.

The featured editorial by Issa Al Shobaki, Chair, 21st Session Near East Forestry and Range Commission, Under-Secretary-General for Forests and Range, Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan, draws attention to recent forestry meetings held in Jordan. With regard to sustainable drylands, forests and rangelands, the piece highlights the need to account for the value of the goods and services provided by forests and rangelands ecosystems; and develop guidelines tailored to the context of the region.

The newsletter also addresses the meeting of the steering committee of the Committee on Forestry (COFO), at which the agenda for the 22nd meeting of COFO and fourth World Forest Week were agreed. The publication also presents FAO efforts to assess damage from typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and to support the design of rehabilitation activities promoting the use of trees and forests to increase resilience.

The bulletin also announces: the launch of a German-funded project to implement the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in Sierra Leone; the release of a video message for the celebration of the International Day of Forests; and publications on the evolution of tropical wood markets in Africa, and sustainable mountain development and watershed management. [Publication: InFO News No. 18]