New Policy brief: Making boreal forests work for people and nature
Closer collaboration among boreal countries, among governments, stakeholders and international organizations, is needed to support the transformation of the forest sector and to enhance adaptation of the boreal forests to future uncertainties. This is one of the key messages of the new policy brief that focuses on boreal forests.
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Boreal forest cover an estimated 1.7 billion hectares, over one-quarter of the world’s forested area. These forests have for thousands of years supported the livelihoods and well-being of local people. Industrial forestry has provided work and income and through trade the economic importance of boreal forests now extends well beyond the region.
In today’s national and international policies and public attitudes there is greater than ever emphasis on nature protection and the promotion of biodiversity, highlighting the non-wood ecosystem values and services provided by the boreal forests. Yet wood products can continue to be an inherent part of the same values and services. This brief highlights some of the key issues in securing the continued function of the boreal forests to work for people and nature. Future uncertainties certainly increase the demands for their innovative use and sustainable management.
This brief was a joint effort of IUFRO’s Special Project on World Forests, Society and Environment (IUFRO-WFSE), the European Forest Institute (EFI), the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), the Future Forests Research Program (FF), the Swedish Agricultural University (SLU), University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and Canadian and American collaborators. It is a part of a series of policy briefs produced by IUFRO-WFSE on major regions of the world (on Europe in 2005, on Latin America and Sub- Saharan Africa in 2009 and on Asia in 2010). All these publications are available for download at http://www.iufro.org/wfse.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland supported the development of this brief.
Further information
- M.Sc. (Agr. & For.), researcher Gerardo Mery, IUFRO-WFSE coordinator, gerardo.mery(a)metla.fi
- D.Sc. (Agr. & For.), researcher Pia Katila, pia.katila(a)metla.fi