Why local communities are critical to protecting the world’s forests

18 Mar 2022 05:00 PM

EXPERT COMMENT

It’s been 10 years since the International Day of Forests was first celebrated in 2012 but, with forest loss continuing apace, more must be done to empower local communities.

COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland last year, saw a range of commitments on forests. In addition to agreeing to halt forest loss and land degradation, significant resources were pledged to facilitate a transition to sustainable production and land-use models, as well as to support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC). The challenge now is to translate these pledges into transformative action, however, this must not be at the expense of civic engagement. Forest and land economies need to be rebuilt around principles of equity, sustainability and regeneration.

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