Report
Forest Futures. Sustainable pathways for forests, landscapes and people in the Asia-Pacific region
Forests and landscapes in the Asia-Pacific region are under increasing pressure from economic development, climate change, demographic shifts, conflicts over tenure and land use, and other stressors. This, the third Asia-Pacific Forest Sector Outlook Study, presents scenarios and a strategic analysis to help policymakers and other actors understand the implications of these stressors for forests and forestry in the Asia-Pacific region and how best to address the challenges ahead.
The product of outstanding collaboration among institutions, networks and more than 800 individuals across the region, the study examines the drivers of change in the region’s forest sector and explores three scenarios – business-as-usual, aspirational and disruptive – to 2030 and 2050. It shows that “more of the same” will likely lead to highly negative outcomes over both time horizons.
On the other hand, the adoption of landscape approaches and other key measures could help realize the enormous potential of forests – with their capacity to simultaneously perform multiple economic, social and environmental functions – to help achieve development goals in and beyond the forest sector. A key message of the report is that the region must respond now to ensure the resilience of forests, landscapes and communities and thereby avoid catastrophic outcomes. The report sets out seven “robust actions” for operationalizing this response.