Forests and sustainable cities Innovation is unlocking the forests’ long-kept secrets and allowing us to use trees in ways we never imagined possible. Materials derived from forests and trees are being developed as sustainable substitutes for plastics, building materials, fabrics, medicines and many other everyday items. At the same time, rapidly evolving drone and satellite technology is helping us to monitor and manage our forests, detect and fight fires and safeguard ecosystems. Innovation can help us restore, protect, manage and use our forests sustainably. [more]

Forests stand as a vital defense against climate change and biodiversity loss, while also providing livelihoods for millions of people across the world. [#print("more")]

Meet Godlop, a community scout in Botswana working to promote co-existence between livestock and wildlife with support from the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme. [more]

#image($pageItem, $entry) Experimental cultivation of water lily in the Senegal River delta is one of the RESSOURCE Project flagship initiatives. This nature-friendly activity benefits and involves the local communities, such as rice-farmers, women cooperatives and restaurant owners. Water lily production can help the local economy as well as wetlands and waterbirds conservation. [more]

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In Ghana, small producers are revolutionizing the production of charcoal. By using savanna grasses to make charcoal briquettes producers promote renewable energy and green jobs. It burns slower, making it ideal for cooking. The Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers and the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies with Forest and Farm Facility support trained five forest and farm producer organizations on the production of grass charcoal.

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Forests are nature’s powerhouse and a vital resource for meeting the world’s renewable-energy demand.

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Forest pathways have the potential to provide decentralized solutions that are highly cost-effective and can be implemented comparatively rapidly and at scale. In this graphic animation, the fictional character of Geya, who works as scientific policy advisor to the prime minister of her country, explores ways how to implement forest-based pathways (protect – restore – sustainable use) as a basis for green recovery.

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Forests are vital to our water supply. They influence how and where rain falls, and they filter and clean our water. By protecting the world’s forests, we are also protecting the clean water that we depend upon for our survival. [#print("more")]

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In the run up to the first International Day of Forests on the 21st March 2013, the countries of the Mediterranean are meeting to discuss the state of Mediterranean forests and what can be done to safeguard them. [more]

Mountain women in Kyrgyzstan are working together with fashion designer Stella Jean to bring their traditional felt designs to the international market, thanks to a collaboration between the Mountain Partnership Products initiative, Topchu artisan group, FAO Women's Committee and Stella Jean. [more]

Papua New Guinea is embarking on its first national forest inventory (NFI) under the arrangements for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD)+. [more]

In Ghana, small producers are revolutionizing the production of charcoal. By using savanna grasses to make charcoal briquettes producers promote renewable energy and green jobs. It burns slower, making it ideal for cooking. The Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers and the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies with Forest and Farm Facility support trained five forest and farm producer organizations on the production of grass charcoal. [more]

European forestry innovation: charting a path towards a green economy This video provides an overview on the common and unique sustainability elements of Indigenous Peoples' food systems. In northern Tanzania, recurring drought in recent years has put pressure on communities who make their livelihoods by keeping cattle. A group of Maasai women have turned to producing honey from beehives in the forest to generate additional income. This has enabled them to pay for their children’s education, buy more livestock and is helping to regenerate the forest around their hives. [more]

Action Against Desertification is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) to restore drylands and degraded lands in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to tackle the detrimental social, economic and environmental impact of land degradation and desertification. It is a key partner of the Great Green Wall initiative, Africa's flagship programme to combat the effects of climate change and desertification across North Africa, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. [more]

Experimental cultivation of water lily in the Senegal River delta is one of the RESSOURCE Project flagship initiatives. This nature-friendly activity benefits and involves the local communities, such as rice-farmers, women cooperatives and restaurant owners. Water lily production can help the local economy as well as wetlands and waterbirds conservation. [more]

For many households in developing countries, forests and trees are indispensable and some 2.4 billion people rely on wood for cooking. [more]

Land restoration in northern Niger is making degraded areas productive again, providing economic opportunities in a region where migration has become a tradition. [more]

Meet Godlop, a community scout in Botswana working to promote co-existence between livestock and wildlife with support from the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme. Wood can be a material of the future, helping to build a bio-economy for the planet's health and economic recovery. Durable “cross-laminated timber” panels (CLT) are replacing concrete and steel in building construction, helping build carbon-neutral homes, offices and schools. Artificial leather, biomedical devices, and even electronics are now also made from wood. [more]

The World Expo has always been a showcase for state-of-the-art building, science and technology. [more]

Turning the tide on desertification in Africa After decades of clear-cutting forests for cattle pastures and commodity crops, Costa Rica’s forest cover has now increased to 54 percent, thanks to more sustainable agriculture practices, stronger legal controls over land use, and funding for forest protection. [#print("more")]

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