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GHG Mitigation Potential, Costs and Benefits in Global Forests: A Dynamic Partial Equilibrium Approach

Background

In this article, the authors discuss the global mitigation potential for greenhouse gas carbon sequestration in forest plantations. They estimate the land area that land users would plant or prevent from being deforested above the reference scenario of no carbon prices. Their economic analysis suggests that billions of dollars are gained through carbon sequestration.

Open access copy available

National Forest Policy of Malawi

Background

In Malawi, there has been extensive forest degradation, estimated at an annual loss of 2.8%. The degradation is caused by a variety of factors, including agriculture expansion, human settlement, fire use, timber and non-timber over extraction. The 2016 Forest Policy of Malawi outlines a policy-approach to stop and revert these trends. 

Open access copy available

Malawi State of Environment and Outlook Report: Environment for Sustainable Economic Growth

Background

Although Malawi’s rich natural resources – forests, fertile soils, water resources, and fisheries – offer opportunity for sustainable development, mismanagement of these resources and poverty-related resource exploitation pose a risk for resource degradation. This periodic (2010) State of the Environment and Outlook report discusses trends, threats and opportunities in the environmental, health, demographic, industrial and agricultural sectors.

Open access copy available

Land Degradation, Less Favored Lands and the Rural Poor: A Spatial and Economic Analysis.

Background

Open access copy available

Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture: Contributing to Food Security and Sustainability in a Changing World

background

This report identifies challenges in current agricultural production and argues for the incorporation of biodiverse agricultural practices to best realize sustainable development goals.

Open access copy available

Maintenance of Hydropower Potential in Rwanda Through Ecosystem Restoration: World Resources Report Case Study

Background

Rwanda’s rapidly expanding electricity production is highly reliant on hydropower. However, hydropower as a sole source presents risks during changing global and regional hydrological conditions.

Open access copy available

What does it take? The role of incentives in forest plantation development in Asia and the Pacific

Background

The Asia-Pacific region has a significant amount of diverse forest cover. While many countries have experience deforestation, the remaining forests are still valued for their ecosystem services and timber products. To protect these two benefits, severa government have promoted forest plantations as a forest management strategy. This reports  assess the impact of incentives on forest plantation development.

Open access copy available

Modelling Deforestation in Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, Lilongwe, Malawi: Using Multi-agent Simulation Approach

Background

The Dzalanyama Forest Reserve is a 90,000 + hectare area in Lilongwe, Malwi. There has been an increase in charcoal production in the area leading to land cover transitions in the reserve, particularly that forest cover decreased by 22,000 ha over a twenty year span between 1990 and 2010. 

Open access copy available

Agroforestry Solutions to Address Food Security and Climate Change Challenges in Africa

background

Many parts of Africa face food insecurity and land degradation, challenges which will only be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. The article proposes that agroforestry has the potential to improve the resilience of small farmers by enhancing soil fertility and providing food and fuel sources. However there has not been widespread adoption of agroforestry strategies across Africa.

Open access copy available

Vulnerability and Impacts of Climate Change on the Forestry Sector

Background

Open access copy available

The Effect of Deforestation on Water Quality: A Case Study in Cienda Micro Watershed, Leyte, Philippines

backgrouNd

Forests and water are important resources that provide both socioeconomic and ecological benefits. They also are connected, meaning that deforestation has a negative impact on the quality of water flowing through a watershed. This paper seeks to present the detailed effects and relationship between deforestation and water quality.

Open access copy available

Dipterocarp Forest Ecosystems: Towards Sustainable Management

Background

This book describes the difficult problem of sustainably managing the valuable resources of Dipterocarp forests in Southeast Asia. It highlights the social, economic, and forest management challenges associated with Dipterocarp governance and attempts to reconcile the often disparate roles of forest scientists and local community managers. 

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Land Cover Dynamics in the Kirisia Forest Ecosystem, Samburu County, Kenya

background

Throughout Africa, forest ecosystems play a significant role in supporting local livelihoods. In Kenya specifically, these ecosystems contribute to economic development while also improving watershed dynamics. Yet, these ecosystems have experienced significant changes over the decades. This study aims to quantify these land changes in the Kirisia forest ecosystem from 1973 to 2015. 

Open access copy available

Analysis of Drivers and Underlying Causes of Forest Cover Change in Various Forest Types of Kenya

BACKGROUND

Open access copy available

Assessing Forest Degradation: Towards the Development of Globally Applicable Guidelines

background

This FAO report defines forest degradation and provides guidelines for assessing levels of degradation with the purpose of influencing policies and forest management plans towards restoration. The report provides directions on how to measure four markers: 1) growing stock and biomass, 2) biodiversity, 3) production of forest goods, and 4) soil erosion. 

Open access copy available

Prioritization of Target Areas for Forest Restoration

BAckground

This is a report on target areas for forest restoration written by World Conservation Monitoring Centre and submitted to WWF International. The purpose of the report was to provide recommendations for prioritization to WWF International and WWF field programs.

Open access copy available

Misreading the African Landscape: Society and Ecology in a Forest-Savanna Mosaic

  • The authors of this book investigate how societies interact with their forested environments through a social anthropological and ecological lense.
  • They challenge widely-accepted views related to the management of Africa's forest margins.

 

Available with subscription or purchase

Restoring forest landscapes: Forest landscape restoration aims to re-establish ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in degraded forest landscapes

Background

Tropical forests are highly fragmented. 42% of forest – including secondary forest – exists in large tracts, with the majority of forest in fragmented patches near roads and settlements. Although the science and conservation communities largely approach forests for either conservation or production, this approach omits the vital role forests play in the livelihoods of millions of people who live in close proximity.

Open access copy available

The Restoration Diagnostic: A Method for Developing Forest Landscape Restoration Strategies by Rapidly Assessing the Status of Key Success Factors

Background

This report outlines the social, economic, and environmental benefits that forest restoration landscape restoration can have in countries with degraded or deforested landscapes.

Open access copy available

Disappearing Forests in Malawi: Causes and Solutions

Background

Malawi has experienced rapid population growth coupled with soil erosion, land degradation, deforestation, hunger, and poverty. While it appears these trends are related, the author argues that the causes are more complex. 

Open access copy available