The fourth Advisory Group meeting of the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) was held 17 July 2018, parallel to the 24th session of the FAO Committee of Forestry (COFO 24) and World Forest Week at FAO Headquarters in Rome. Coordinated by FAO’s FLRM team, this meeting was designed to showcase and discuss the implementation of the FLRM work plans, financial resource mobilization efforts and the development of common products and initiatives on Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR). It also discussed FLRM activities implemented in nine countries: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Niger, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda and Uganda; and planned activities in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Fiji, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan and São Tomé e Príncipe. 

Country delegates, representatives from FAO decentralized offices and from FLRM’s partners were involved in the discussions concerning the FLR work plans and key initiatives currently implemented at country, regional and global levels with support of the FLRM. The meeting spread over three main sessions that allowed assessment and response to past and future work of FLRM.

Session 1 reflected on activities implemented from 2015 to 2018 at country level with support from FLRM. Country representatives reported a positive perception of FAO’s technical assistance in their restoration work; its convening power as a neutral broker for coordination across sectors and partners; and the facilitation provided to mobilize financial resources. In particular For example, technical and advocacy support from FLRM provided Guatemala with political and legislative guidance in restoration, by supporting the introduction of the PROBOSQUE law that favors legal frameworks and economic incentives for the establishment, recovery, restoration, management, production and protection of forests. Rwanda presented FAO’s support for the expansion of capacity building and monitoring land cover, land use and land use change with Collect Earth in the Rulindo district. The Philippines displayed the positive development of FLR sites in the Carood Watershed. 

Session 2 introduced ongoing financial resource mobilization efforts by FLRM and provided a snapshot of projects to be launched by end of 2018 and supported by FLRM in upcoming years. The Restoration Initiative (TRI) thematic programme, together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the International Climate Initiative (IKI), will further facilitate FLRM’s projects. Five distinct TRI projects will be led by FAO in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Pakistan and São Tomé e Príncipe, for a total budget of USD 23 million. The main aims of these national TRI projects include: restoring ecosystem functionality, supporting landscape and livelihoods resilience, improving management of agrosilvopastoral resources and of arid and semi-arid lands, mitigating climate change and reversing deforestation and degradation. Additionally, the Paris Agreement in Action project was submitted to IKI, aiming at scaling up FLR in the context of the Bonn Challenge by promoting joint mitigation and adaptation approaches in Africa, Pacific Islands and the Mediterranean, with an estimated total budget of USD 7.225 million.

Session 3 focused on global initiatives that FLRM is part of or facilitates. A quick overview of efforts in the context of the collaborative roadmap on FLR monitoring was provided, including: design of a guide for selection of indicators, a community of practice and an online global knowledge platform. Some 46 resources (such as tools, methods, guidelines) are available on the knowledge platform and focus on two main topics: innovative approaches for monitoring forest and landscape restoration; and participatory approaches and monitoring. There are currently 396 participants in the community of practice and associated webinars, and 808 members. 

In terms of financing for FLR, a tool was presented which can be used to accurately show the restoration cost and benefits of any given environment type; and a guide for facilitating the investment at the local level through a study that reviews the different types of local financing mechanisms available to incentivize and enable local and sub-national actors. 

Overall, the sessions represented an opportunity to enhance synergies between members and observers of the FLRM Advisory Group regarding the implementation of FLR efforts, both at country level and in the context of the regional initiatives in Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Mediterranean. 

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Carolina Sarzana (FAO)