GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE: SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: BIODIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOODS
(CBD and IUCN, November 2009)
Part of a series of Good Practice Guides produced by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), this booklet provides a range of case studies and other materials to make the forest sector more biodiversity-friendly, and socially beneficial. The guide: introduces public decision-makers to some techniques, technologies and procedures that optimize the social and environmental contributions of forestry and minimize negative impacts; presents good practice examples on the interface between forestry, poverty reduction and biodiversity; provides suggestions for the improvement of national and sub-national forest-related policies, strategies, plans and projects that consider poverty reduction and biodiversity; provides suggestions for organizing forestry training and workshop sessions; and provides sources and references for more detailed information. The guide.

BIODIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOODS: REDD BENEFITS
(CBD and GTZ, November 2009)
The Convention on Biological Diversity and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) launched a guide entitled "Biodiversity and Livelihoods: REDD Benefits." This guide provides a wide array of tools and examples on how synergies in the implementation of the UNFCCC and the CBD can be achieved through reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). It highlights that while REDD: is foremost a mitigation strategy; it can provide significant adaptation benefits for societies as well; and calls for ecosystem-based adaptation measures that provide multiple benefits. The guide further highlights the role of indigenous and local communities, as well as community and small and medium forest enterprises, as partners and beneficiaries of REDD efforts. It suggests that forest conservation should be the management objective of REDD activities in primary forests, while SFM and forest restoration should be objectives in modified natural forests. The guide.

MOVING THE GOAL POSTS? ACCOUNTABILITY FAILURES OF THE WORLD BANK'S FOREST PARTNERSHIP FACILITY (FCPF)
(Forest Peoples Programme, October 2009)
This brief, part of the Rights, Forests and Climate Briefing Series, raises concerns with FCPF activities so far, which it states have not been meeting FCPF safeguards and have been breaching the FCPF's own rules in helping to get countries ready to receive international payments for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The brief.

ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: DESERTIFICATION
(UNEP/GRID-Arendal, 2009)
UNEP/GRID-Arendal has posted a map of the Mediterranean area, which identifies areas based on four categories: desert, semi-desert, desertification vulnerability-serious, and desertification vulnerability-moderate. The resource.

FOREST RESILIENCE, BIODIVERSITY, AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(Convention on Biological Diversity, 2009)
This synthesis report, based on over 400 scientific articles about forest stability, health and biodiversity, strongly supports the conclusion that forest resilience depends on biodiversity, at multiple scales. The report.

UNASYLVA: GREEN JOBS
(FAO, 2009)
This issue of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's journal addresses the effects of the financial crisis on the forest sector, as well as the forest sector's response, including creating forestry jobs and forestry's role in economic renewal in several countries. The issue.

JUST FOREST GOVERNANCE: HOW SMALL LEARNING GROUPS CAN HAVE BIG IMPACT
(IIED, October 2009)
Written by James Mayers and others, this briefing describes tactics for, inter alia, securing safe space and provoking dialogue to shift power over forests to those who pursue sustainable forest-linked livelihoods, as an international deal on REDD is implemented on the ground. The briefing.

TRICK OR TREAT: REDD, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
(Global Witness, 2009)
This report identifies risks associated with including sustainable forest management (SFM) within the scope of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). It describes how SFM has often become associated with destructive industrial-scale logging that fails to deliver development benefits, and is frequently a pre-cursor to the conversion of forests to other land uses. The report.

UN-REDD PROGRAMME NEWSLETTER
(UN-REDD, September 2009)
The second issue of the UN-REDD Newsletter reports on recent events related to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) activities. The newsletter.

INVESTING IN LAND STEWARDSHIP: GEF'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT LAND DEGRADATION AND DESERTIFICATION GLOBALLY
(GEF, September 2009)
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) published a booklet portraying its activities in combating land degradation and desertification. The booklet contains several examples of projects in this thematic area and notes synergies in combating climate change. Land degradation affects more than 33 percent of the planet's surface area, leading to deterioration of ecosystem services and negative consequences for 2.6 billion people in more than 100 countries. The goal of the focal area strategy in GEF-5 is to contribute to arresting and reversing current global trends in land degradation, specifically desertification and deforestation. The booklet.

MAKING SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN FORESTS WORK FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE: POLICY APPROACHES IN A CHANGING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
(IUFRO, CIFOR, ICRAF and METLA, August 2009)
This policy brief seeks to provide options on how countries in sub-Saharan Africa and their forests can respond strategically to global drivers of change, namely, climate change, payments for environmental services and emerging energy markets. The brief.

INCENTIVES TO SUSTAIN FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: A REVIEW AND LESSONS FOR REDD
(IIED, 2009)
Written by Ivan Bond and others, this review finds that payments for ecosystem services can create incentives for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), but that the presence of strong national and forest governance structures is needed for the payments to be effective. The review.

ITTO TROPICAL TIMBER MARKET REPORT: FOCUS ON PLANTATIONS
(ITTO, August 2009)
This issue of the International Tropical Timber Organization's (ITTO) bimonthly Tropical Timber Market Report provides an overview of topical issues on plantations. Volume 14, Number 16.

COMBATING ILLEGAL LOGGING: INTERACTION WITH WTO RULES
(Chatham House, June 2009)
Written by Duncan Brack, this paper analyzes the extent to which measures to control international trade in illegal timber are compatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The paper.

CORRUPTION IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR AND ILLEGAL LOGGING
(GTZ, 2009)
Written by Tangmar Mormon, this policy brief advocates improving law enforcement and the state's institutional framework, as well as increasing civil society participation in shaping policy, management, implementation and monitoring of forest activities, to combat corruption in the forestry sector and illegal logging. The brief.

MIGRATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

(IOM, May 2009)

This policy paper, published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), focuses on the connection between environmental changes and human settlement and population movement from a human mobility perspective. It identifies current and potential migrations caused by a shifting climate and indicates that about 200 million people worldwide could become climate migrants by 2050. It notes that conflict, human rights, gender, levels of development, public health and governance issues affect migratory patterns.  It also notes that migration should be recognized as a possible adaptation strategy to climate change. The policy paper.

VITAL FOREST GRAPHICS: STOPPING THE DOWNSWING?
(UNEP, FAO and UNFF, June 2009)
This publication reviews changes in global forest cover and root causes of forest loss, including weak forest governance particularly in public-owned forests. It also highlights innovative practices in conserving forests and securing livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. The publication.

VESTED INTERESTS: INDUSTRIAL LOGGING AND CARBON IN TROPICAL FORESTS
(Global Witness, June 2009)
This report discusses the carbon emissions associated with industrial logging, and recommends that funds for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) not be used to benefit or subsidize such logging. The report.

TROPICAL FOREST UPDATE: SUSTAINABLE FOREST INDUSTRIES
(ITTO, June 2009)
The latest issue of the newsletter of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) focuses on how sustainable forest industries contribute to tackling forest degradation, deforestation and poverty in tropical countries. The newsletter.

TROPICAL FOREST TENURE ASSESSMENT: TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
(ITTO and RRI, May 2009)
This report presents and analyzes the state of forest tenure in much of the world's tropical forests, and compares the distribution of ownership in 2002 and 2008 in 39 tropical countries. The report.

TENURE IN REDD: START-POINT OR AFTERTHOUGHT?
(International Institute for Environment and Development, May 2009)
Written by Lorenzo Cotula and James Mayers, this report addresses how tenure over land and trees will affect the extent to which reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) mechanisms and related strategies will benefit, or marginalize, forest communities. The report.

STUDY ON THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF GROUNDWATER AND BIODIVERSITY IN EUROPEAN FORESTS
(IUCN, Confederation for European Forest Owners, 2009)
Written by Chantal van Ham, Thomas Greiber, Gerben Janse and Marta Gaworska, this study explores the state of development of forest-groundwater related payments for environmental services (PES) schemes in the European Union. It shows that PES structures already exist in a number of EU member states, which fund afforestation and sustainable management practices and thus support, maintain, and even develop the protective functions of forests with regards to groundwater. The study.

FINANCING REDD: HOW GOVERNMENT FUNDS CAN WORK WITH THE CARBON MARKET
(International Institute for Environment and Development, March 2009)
Written by Virgilio M. Viana, this briefing discusses using a dual approach to financing for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) – government funding and market-based instruments. The briefing.

ADAPTATION OF FORESTS AND PEOPLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE – A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT REPORT
(International Union of Forest Research Organizations, April 2009)
The Global Forest Expert Panel of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, led by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, has released a report presenting current knowledge about the impacts of climate change on forests and people and options for adaptation. A key message to emerge from this assessment is that the carbon-regulating services of forests are at risk of being lost entirely unless current carbon emissions are reduced substantially; this would result in the release of huge quantities of carbon to the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. The report.

ITTO/IUCN GUIDELINES FOR THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY IN TROPICAL TIMBER PRODUCTION FORESTS
(International Tropical Timber Organization and IUCN, 2009)
These guidelines are a complete revision and update of ITTO's original Biodiversity Guidelines published in 1993. They set out the specific actions that policymakers, forest managers and other stakeholders should take to improve biodiversity conservation in tropical production forests. The guidelines.

STATE OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS 2009

(FAO, 2009)
This report notes that the economic crisis and climate change raise the profile of forest management on the global agenda, as demand for products and environmental services is expected to increase in the coming decades. The report also underscores the need to reform forestry institutions and increase investments in science and technology to improve forest management. The report.

ITTO/IUCN GUIDELINES FOR THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY IN TROPICAL TIMBER PRODUCTION FORESTS
(ITTO, IUCN, 2009)
This publication, which offers a complete revision and updating of the original Biodiversity Guidelines published by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) in 1993, sets out the specific actions that policymakers, forest managers and other stakeholders should take to improve biodiversity conservation in tropical production forests. The guidelines.

A NEW CLIMATE FOR FORESTS: GEF ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
(GEF, March 2009)
This publication reviews the GEF's work on sustainable forest management and its current portfolio as well as potential roles of the GEF in the post-2012 climate regime. The report.

MALAWI'S GREEN GOLD: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM FOREST ENTERPRISES IN REDUCING POVERTY
(IIED, December 2008)
This study surveys a SMFE sector in Malawi. It looks in detail at four promising subsectors: timber, cane furniture, tree fruit juices and woodcarving. It describes both the challenges and opportunities for the governance of forest services in regards to SMFE, and ways of organising SMFEs to better meet market demand while sustaining the resource.  The report.

Environment Outlook in the Amazonia: GEO Amazonia
(UNEP 2009)
This report is part of UNEP's Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series. It reveals the variety of environmental degradation occurring in the Amazon region of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The publication highlights population growth, urbanization and expanded economic activity, and the resulting deforestation, loss of biodiversity and climate change impacts in the region. The report.

TROPICAL FOREST UPDATE: CLIMATE CHANGING IN TROPICAL FORESTS
(ITTO, February 2008) 
The latest issue of the International Tropical Timber Organization's newsletter focuses on climate change and tropical forests. It includes articles on the emerging market for land-use carbon credits, the UN Collaborative Programme on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD), and carbon trading. The newsletter.

THE GOVERNANCE OF NATURE AND THE NATURE OF GOVERNANCE: POLICY THAT WORKS FOR BIODIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOODS
(IIED, 2009)
Written by Krystyna Swiderska  et al., this book examines the governance of biodiversity - how it is managed and how decisions about it are made - at the local, national and international levels. It reviews experience with community-based conservation, mainstreaming biodiversity, and the Biodiversity Convention process, and includes case studies from India, Peru and Tanzania. The book.

IUFRO NEWS
(IUFRO, January 2009)
This issue addresses the session on "Adaptation of forests to climate change – Bridging the gap between knowledge and action" that IUFRO organized together with CIFOR, ICRAF and the World Bank at Forest Day 2 in Poznan, Poland. IUFRO News Vol. 38, Issue 1.

FLEGT BEYOND T: EXPLORING THE MEANING OF 'GOVERNANCE' CONCEPTS FOR THE FLEGT PROCESS
(Wageningen University and Research Center, 2008)
Written by Bodegom et al., this paper analyzes and catalogues the most important and widely used definitions of governance in order to help create a common understanding among national and international stakeholders, and is meant as a useful input to the discussion of what governance could and/or should be within the framework of the EU forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) process and in the FLEGT partner countries. The paper.

FOREST PLANTATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION IN THE TROPICS: KEY ISSUES FOR DECISION-MAKERS
(Wageningen University and Research Center, 2008)
Written by Bodegom et al., this paper outlines the major issues to be dealt with by decision-makers at international, national and sub-national levels when considering whether to establish and expand forest plantations for sustainable producing in a particular country or area. The paper.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: DUE DILIGENCE IN THE EU TIMBER MARKET
(Chatham House, 2009)
Written by Liz Betser and Rupert Oliver, this resource offers an impact assessment of the potential benefits and disadvantages for the UK timber industry of the European Commission's proposal for a regulation laying down obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market. The document.