The African Forest Forum (AFF) is commemorating a
decade of its work on African forestry.
On May 22, 2019 a celebration, including a launch
of eight training compendiums on various aspects of climate change in forestry,
as well as a book titled, “The State of Forestry in Africa: Opportunities
and Challenges” will take place in Nairobi Kenya.
The event is organized by AFF in collaboration
with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute
(KEFRI).
Since its establishment, the African Forest Forum
(AFF) has provided a bridge between science-based knowledge and good policies
to support sustainable forest management; effectively working within a
science-policy-management framework.
As awareness has grown on the role of forests and
trees in national economic development, livelihoods and environmental
stability, AFF has steadily gained membership and capacity to work on these and
other related issues.
As a contribution to this effort, AFF has
leveraged on the distinct expertise and comparative advantage of its character
to influence and facilitate organizations and people to take actions that could
better situate forestry in the path of sustainable development of African
nations.
The institution, along with its partners, has
worked on several key fronts over the past ten years to cultivate shifts in
perceptions, priorities, values, capacities and skills to bear on subsequent
impact on forestry and related decisions and practices.
The interventions leading to this have included
convenings on specific issues, advocacy, partnerships and collaborative
activities, knowledge brokerage, facilitating capacity and skills development,
research and development activities.
The goal has been to initiate a process through
which local communities are seen and treated as critical stakeholders
(participants and beneficiaries), while strategies for harnessing the potential
of forest and tree resources to support livelihoods today, some of which employ
these interventions, are given as much attention as the sustainable management
and wise use of these resources for the benefit of future generations.
Viewed in this context, AFF is providing a
platform that facilitates change in the forestry sector. It is this special
character that gives the institution the ability to continually adjust to the
ever-changing environment that affects forests and trees and their roles, the
people who depend on these resources and actors in forestry business.
“We
started this journey on December 06, 2007 when AFF was registered as a
not-for-profit NGO in Nairobi Kenya, and with a grant from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in 2008, which helped us, among other
things, to set up AFF as a platform that could support African forestry
stakeholders to discuss and mobilise resources for improved management and use
of their forest and tree resources. A second grant from the Swiss Development
Cooperation Agency (SDC), has strengthened AFF as an institution that is
gradually being recognized and respected as another key actor on the African
forestry scene,” said Prof Godwin Kowero, Executive Secretary-CEO at
AFF.
Africa’s
current forest cover of 624 million hectares (23% of land area) represents
natural capital that supports rural livelihoods, national economies, and has
considerable potential in the global economy.
No comments:
Post a Comment