Background

There is a growing awareness that climate change presents significant threats to forests in Asia. Anticipated temperature increases, changes in precipitation and the increased incidence of extreme weather events are likely to raise the risk of pest and disease outbreaks, species extinctions, forests fires, erosion and habitat loss. These outcomes will have negative impacts on forest-dependent people and the wider community, and will undermine future climate change mitigation efforts.

Many countries in Asia, including those with large numbers of people living within or on the margins of forests, have not given sufficient consideration to the role of forests in adaptation. This could result in missed opportunities to capture valuable synergies with the mitigation activities proposed under REDD+ and the long-standing drive to adopt sustainable forest management and community forestry.

Objectives and activities 

The ‘Meeting on forests and climate change adaptation inAsia’ was organized by FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Centre for People and Forests (RECOFTC). The aim of the meeting was to identify priority forest-based climate change adaptation measures in Asia, and suggest how these can be implemented.

To this end, the following activities were undertaken:

1. Review potential impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems in the region.
2. Review the potential effect of these impacts on people who depend on forest ecosystems and the wider community.
3. Review potential forest-based adaptation measures.
4. Review existing forest-based adaptation activities and policies in participating countries, and identify gaps.
5. Outline priorities and ways forward, including identifying possible sources of funding.

Policy brief on forests and climate change adaptation in Asia

Meeting report

Presentations

1. ‘Climate change and forestry in Asia’, Jeremy Broadhead, FAO
2. ‘Tracking climate change impacts on forest ecosystems of Hindu Kush-Himalayas (HKH)’, Rajan Kotru, ICIMOD
3. 'Beyond mitigation: forest‐based adaptation to climate change',Emilia Pramova and Bruno Locatelli, CIFOR
4. ‘Making forest‐based adaptation work for local communities’,Thomas Enters, UNEP
5. ‘Integration of Climate Change Risk and Resilience into Forestry Management in Samoa (ICCRIFS)’, Doley Tshering, UNDP
6. ‘Community‐based adaptation and community forestry with implications for REDD+’,Regan Suzuki, RECOFTC
7. ‘Climate change adaptation in forest ecosystems of the Himalayas: challenges and opportunities’,Rajan Kotru, ICIMOD
8. ‘Integrated spatial planning in Greater Mekong Subregion and southern Laos landscape’,Peter Cutter and Barbara Pollini, WWF
9. ‘Financing the Transition to Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development’,Yusuke Taishi, UNDP