Sustainable forest management and international forest policy

© GIZ / Binh Dang

The conservation and sustainable management of forests secures livelihoods and biodiversity. GIZ advises partners on sustainable forest management and responsible forest policy.

Forests are a source of income and livelihoods, a carbon sink and the habitat for more than two-thirds of terrestrial flora and fauna. About 1.6 billion people depend on forests to make a living. Covering approximately 31per cent of our planet’s land area, forests are also of critical importance for the local and global climate. Despite this, human actions are destroying about 10 million hectares of forest worldwide every year to meet the growing demand for agricultural products such as meat, soybeans and palm oil, as well as for wood and pulp, biofuels and mineral resources. Additional factors include increasing urbanisation, subsistence agriculture and forest fires.

GIZ supports government institutions, municipalities and local communities and private sector enterprises in switching to and leveraging the benefits from sustainable forest management and in restoring forest landscapes. It involves civil society partners in the measures in order to increase their effectiveness.

GIZ’s approach comprises advisory services and capacity development, innovative and digital solutions, strengthening cross-border cooperation and promoting development partnerships.

An important element is the support of partners in the implementation of international agreements and initiatives, such as:

  • REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation): partner countries receive financial compensation when deforestation is prevented and emissions are demonstrably reduced as a result.
  • FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade): involves measures addressing illegal logging, forest law enforcement and policy-making in forestry and related trade.
  • FLR (Forest and Landscape Restoration): countries voluntarily commit to restoring tree-rich landscapes.
  • Kunming-Montreal GBF (Global Biodiversity Framework): sets out a global framework to guide national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) up to 2030.

Services include:

  • Advising partner countries on the design of sustainable forest policies and legislation and their implementation, including financing strategies
  • Promoting municipal and community-based forest management, as well as indigenous usage and consent rights
  • Facilitation of negotiation processes between state, private sector and civil society actors as well as with actors from other sectors
  • Promoting deforestation-free supply chains and creating value from forest resources

Additional information