Unlocking National Opportunities: New Insights on Financing Sustainable Forest and Land Management

Unlocking National Opportunities: New Insights on Financing Sustainable Forest and Land Management

the Netherlands - 02 October, 2012

For sustainable forest management (SFM) and sustainable land management (SLM) there is more in-country money than is typically accessed, especially when considering private investments and informal financing. The main challenge is to build the capacity to access and make efficient use of the existing resources. This capacity can be built through enabling investments in governance, institutional and local capacity. There is a need to strengthen links between financial institutions and the forest and land sectors, in order to build trust and facilitate the mobilization of domestic financial resources. This are some of the findings presented in the publication “"Unlocking National Opportunities: New Insights on Financing Sustainable Forest and Land Management".

In the publication it is also identified that unclear use rights, other legal barriers, and lack of political support are barriers for SFM and SLM. The publication Offers Guidance on SFM and SLM Financing Strategy and outlines a six-step process for mobilizing financial resources for SFM and SLM. It draws on experiences in more than 80 countries and includes case studies from Guatemala, Jordan, Peru and Zambia to illustrate its findings.

The publication was co-authored by FAO, Tropenbos International, the Global Mechanism (GM) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the National Forest Programme (NFP) Facility, and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) with financial support of the Government of the Netherlands.