Forest financing in SIDS and LFCCsBenjamin SingerUnited Nations Forum on Forests

*What is forest financing?Funds required to implement sustainable forest managementPart of broader financial flows that affect forests positively and negatively3 types: national, international and innovative

*Sustainable Forest Management is a dynamic and evolving concept and aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations.

The cross-sectoral dimension*

*A dynamic relationshipUnderstanding the cross-sectoral impact of agriculture, rural development, energy, transport, climate change and financeIn return, forests impact on the bigger picture by contributing to poverty reduction and rural development

The SIDS-LFCC ProjectThe first project of the Facilitative ProcessFunding: DFID and the GEFObjective: identify gaps, obstacles and opportunities to forest financing in small island developing states and low forest cover countries*

I. Background Papers*

II. WorkshopsIran, November 2011Niger, Jan-Feb 2012Trinidad & Tobago, April 2012Fiji, July 2012Primary objective: collect feedback and real life experiences on forest financing in participatory manner

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III. A Common StrategyCompiling all information from background papers and workshopsSeries of policy briefs aimed at different audiencesAcademic publication on forest financingA common forest financing strategy for SIDS and LFCCs*

SIDS38 countries, not only islands!Caribbean, South Pacific and AIMSGreat diversity yet common challenges and opportunitiesThis workshop: SIDS with less than 50% forest cover

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The Trinidad WorkshopStructureField TripPlenary presentationsWorking Group discussionsObjectivesDiscuss study resultsIdentify gaps, obstacles and opportunitiesInitiate stakeholder network*

Thank you for your attention!UN Forum on Forests Secretariat 1 UN Plaza, DC1-1245, New York, NY 10017 email:unff@un.org web: http://www.un.org/esa/forests

***The answer to deforestation? A package of management measures known as sustainable forest management, defined as a dynamic and evolving concept, which aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations. (source UNFF7 Report)

Whats in this definition?

First, sustainable forest management ranges the gamut of management types, from hands-off conservation to sustainable or reduced-impact logging practices where only certain individual trees are harvested and special care is taken to limit disturbance to the forest.

Secondly, in this definition we find the three main sets of forest values the ecological, the social and the environmental.

Thirdly, the concept of sustainability over time is raised by mentioning our responsibility before future generations. The relationship between forests and the broader context is two-way. Other sectors can have an impact, both positive and negative, on forests.

Likewise, forests impact on other sectors by providing water and fertile soils for agriculture, wood for energy, attractions for tourism. Forests thus contribute to broader social and economic development of entire countries by keeping rural populations out of poverty and forming the basis for the development of related sectors. *AIMS = Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea

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