Overview
This module investigates the role of forests and trees in climate-smart agriculture. It takes into consideration the ecosystem services and goods that forest provide and the importance of forests to the food security of forest-dependent people. Chapter B3-1 looks at the relationship between climate change and forests; the practice of sustainable forest management; the risks posed by climate change to forests and forest-dependent people; the measures needed to adapt forests to climate change; the role of forests in mitigating climate change; and the synergies and trade-offs involved in managing forests to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Chapter B3-2 examines ways of enhancing the contributions that sustainable forest and tree management can make to food security and livelihoods; reducing the vulnerability and increasing the resilience of forests and people to climate change; and maximizing the sector’s role in mitigating climate change and maintaining food security. Chapter B3-3 looks at management approaches for implementing climate-smart actions in the forest sector. Chapter B3-4 deals with policy approaches.
In general, the text in this module refers to forests and various configurations of trees outside forests. The blanket term 'forests' is used to cover both of these concepts. Climate-smart agriculture as it applies to forests and trees, and the use and management of these resources is referred to as 'climate-smart forestry'. Climate-smart forestry requires the consistent and widespread application of the principles of sustainable forest management. These principles provide the foundation for mitigating and adapting to climate change in the forest sector.
Key messages
- The impacts of climate change on forest goods and services will have far-reaching social and economic consequences for forest-dependent people, particularly the forest-dependent poor. Adaptation and mitigation measures must go beyond isolated technical solutions and address the broader human and institutional dimensions of the climate change.
- Sustainable forest management is essential for reducing the vulnerability of forests to climate change. It provides a fundamental foundation for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and contributes to food security.
- Mainstreaming climate change into forest policies and practices through sustainable forest management will require trade-offs between climate change adaptation and mitigation, food security, and other forest management objectives, but it will also capture the synergies that exist among these different goals.
- Efforts to make the transition to climate-smart forestry are needed at all levels (household, business, community, national, regional and global) and all time scales. They should involve all stakeholders and be tailored to local circumstances.
- Climate-smart forestry will require adaptation and mitigation actions that target the most vulnerable communities and stakeholders (e.g. women, the elderly and indigenous peoples) and encourage their involvement.
- Climate-smart forestry should focus on the most vulnerable forest systems (e.g. dryland, mountain and coastal forests) and the most efficient and cost-effective mitigation options. It should capitalize on adaptation-mitigation synergies.
- Robust monitoring involving all stakeholders is essential for enabling the adaptive management of forests and trees in the face of climate change and ensuring the effectiveness of forest-based mitigation actions.