On 21 March 2021 we celebrate the International Day of Forests!

For this occasion we interviewed Julia Wolf (FAO) and Alexandre Meybeck (FTA), lead authors of the recently published co-publication “Addressing forestry and agroforestry in National Adaptation Plans: Supplementary guidelines”, a report that provides specific guidance for national adaptation planning in the forestry sector. These guidelines are intended to be used by national planners and decision–makers working on climate change issues in developing countries and authorities and experts who are contributing to climate change adaptation and NAP formulation and implementation. From the introduction of the report:

These supplementary guidelines therefore aim to:

1. 1. show the need for adaptation of forests and trees;
   2. show the importance of forests and trees for adaptation; show the need to appropriately integrate forest and trees in the NAP process;
   3. support NAP practitioners in integrating the management of forest and trees in NAPs;
   4. support actors in the forestry and agriculture sectors in their engagement and contribution to the process, at national, economy wide level, and both locally and in their sector/value chain; and
   5. trigger and facilitate a forward-looking intersectoral policy dialogue that fully integrates forests and trees in adaptation planning of all sectors.

The interviews touch upon the reasons why FAO and FTA decided to issue these guidelines, whom they are addressing, while also discussing some of the examples in the report. The potential of trees and forests to adapt to climate change and at the same time help other sectors, especially vulnerable systems, is one of the core elements of this publication.

This report was also recently presented at the 7th Asia-Pacific Adaptation Forum (APAN) and is now also available in Spanish. French and Arabic are forthcoming.

A full transcript of the interviews will be available in the next days.

Julia Wolf’s interview

Alexandre Meybeck’s interview

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This article was produced by the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). FTA is the world’s largest research for development program to enhance the role of forests, trees and agroforestry in sustainable development and food security and to address climate change. CIFOR leads FTA in partnership with ICRAF, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CATIE, CIRAD, INBAR and TBI. FTA’s work is supported by the CGIAR Trust Fund.