Integrated Community Forest Management: Protecting people and the planet

As a source of air, water, food, shelter and medicine, Forests are critical to the survival of every living thing on Earth and provide livelihoods for 1.6 billion people. Forests are also a powerful natural climate solution. As they grow, trees absorb more carbon than they emit and release pure oxygen. In fact, conserving forests could cut an estimated 7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year—the equivalent of getting rid of every car on the planet. Yet, alarmingly, deforestation and degradation are still ongoing, in particular in the tropics—triggering a global chain reaction of increased greenhouse gas emissions, rising temperatures, and devastating forest fires.

During this session, the Rainforest Alliance will discuss how community forests can contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation and vice-versa, and how to strengthen this linkage to achieve greater resilience for nature and local communities.