Around 50 representatives from forestry bureaus of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, development organizations, research agencies and financial institutions met in Bangkok, Thailand, 8-9 March 2018 to discuss financing opportunities and challenges in supporting Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) in the region. The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), organized the regional policy workshop titled “Connecting Finance and Policy: Forest Landscape Restoration in Southeast Asia”.

The two-day workshop saw government and financial representatives share insights on how to tap potential financing sources for FLR and how to address common barriers in accessing FLR investments. It also provided an opportunity to present potential business models and entry points from the current initiatives in the ASEAN region. 

Participants from government agencies practiced pitching potential FLR projects in their respective countries to investors. Finance sector representatives actively participated in this exercise and provided constructive comments. The workshop concluded with several ideas related to means for further attracting financing for FLR activities, including: building an FLR online marketplace to connect finance opportunities with projects, harmonizing data for monitoring and transparency, and addressing fundamental issues related to conflicting forestry and land use policies and unclear tenure rights. This workshop served to facilitate dialogue and bridge expectations between the forestry and financial sectors.  

For more information, contact [email protected]

Maria Paula Sarigumba (FAO)