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At the event, ministers and heads of observer organizations will discuss Sustainable Forest Management, resilience, and youth involvement. The focus is on sharing national experiences, addressing challenges, and shaping the future vision of FOREST EUROPE through key thematic sessions.

The event will conclude with the signing of the Bonn Ministerial Documents, reaffirming the commitment of FOREST EUROPE’s signatories and observers to promoting collective actions to “shape our future with resilient forests” through SFM policies and practices.

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Several decades ago, FOREST EUROPE developed a set of Criteria and Indicators (C&I) for SFM, that was improved and revised over the years. Those are publicly available, and countries use it as a very important tool for national and European forest policy, and for the development of their National Forest Inventories. Based on the information obtained by these C&I, the State of Europe’s Forests report is regularly published every five years.  

The existing pan-European indicators (available here) need to be further developed to adequately address the new and complex demands on forests due to threats triggered by climate change, habitat change, and species loss (Prins et al., 2023). The FE indicators revision process aims to be in coherence with the main political goals and instruments such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Aichi-Targets, Global Forest Goals, EU forest biodiversity-related strategies, etc. 

You can discover more reading:  

• the policy brief European Forest Biodiversity Indicators at a Glance also suggests a possible way forward.
• the full report Potential for revision of FOREST EUROPE indicators under criterion 4 to obtain a full picture, discussing each FE biodiversity indicator and recommendations for the future to optimize FE indicators.  

Reference  

 Prins, K.; Köhl, M.; Linser, S. (2023): Is the concept of sustainable forest management still fit for purpose? EnvSciPol, forthcoming 

The post Improving biodiversity monitoring in sustainable forest management first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

On November 9, government representatives and practitioners from all over Europe came together in Berlin for the second FOREST EUROPE High-Level Talks to address one question: How can sustainable forest management help make Europe’s forests more resilient to the consequences of climate change?

For those who don’t know, FOREST EUROPE is a pan-European forest policy process at the ministerial level in which guidelines, criteria, and indicators of sustainable forest management are developed. And we had the opportunity to be the youth representatives.

What have we seen? What are the bullet points we, the Youth, take from this day full of panel discussions? This is our perspective on the topic of „growing healthier forests“ and the efforts the government representatives make in their countries.

The high-level meeting focused on the consequences of the climate crisis in European forests. In his welcoming speech, the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, called for knowledge and forces to be pooled in Europe in order to make greater use of them for our forests, which are severely affected by the climate crisis:

“Our forests are important comrades-in-arms in the fight against the climate crisis and its consequences. Our forests do not end at national borders. Protecting our forests and adapting them to the climate crisis is, therefore, a pan-European challenge. We can only overcome it together.”

As we should know, it is not easy to develop a Europe-wide forest policy. Forests in Europe are very diverse in terms of their tree species composition, climatic conditions and the extent of changes caused by climate change, and social relationships to forests are also very diverse.

Accordingly, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) does not necessarily equal resilient forest management everywhere, as stated by the professor of ecosystem dynamics and forest management at the Technical University of Munich, Rupert Seidl. It needs deliberate considerations and time frames to enhance a process of resilience. The director of the Icelandic Forest Service, Þröstur Eysteinsson, hits the nail on the head: “there is no „one fits all“-solution.”

So why is it still important to talk to each other? In times of fast-changing environmental and climatic conditions, nobody knows how to act for the best. The rule „local is best“ loses its validity, and we need forest experts to be more open-minded to interlinked knowledge from everywhere in the world.

Since the climatic conditions are changing faster than ever, different problems occur, but in many cases other nations have faced these problems already. With collaboration and constructive scientific dialogue, we can profit from problems other nations have faced and work together. One good core concern is, therefore, to build and establish a European platform to pool expertise and research findings on protecting forests from the climate crisis. The planned “Forest Risk Facility” (FoRISK Facility) is intended to be a permanent facility for partners and initiatives to receive assistance for preventing risks, coping with risks, and adapting forests. Shared knowledge is the best knowledge.

The HLPD was very professionally organized. As the youth representatives, we did not have much delegation experience beforehand, so it was a pleasure to get the opportunity here. The Moderator, Jo O’Hara, did a fantastic job and led in an emotional and empathic way through the day.  The content of the panelists was substantial and eloquent, which is important for the broader FOREST EUROPE process.

On the second day, we did an excursion in the Grunewald, which was beautiful in the autumn-shaped colorful forest around Berlin. It was also a great opportunity to get to know each other better and to dive deeper into certain topics in smaller groups.

What we missed a bit during the conversations is a bigger emphasis on how important it is to gather ideas for increasing the acceptance of SFM by society. Social acceptance and participatory processes in forestry activities are the root of every forest strategy that is overseen most of the time. In recent times, when many forests look devastated, it is more important to legitimize the expertise of foresters and to make it visible to everyone that foresters act scientifically and to the best of their knowledge and belief.

A lot of this issue relies on our own acts: Foresters need to be more open-minded to other interest groups and sectors in society. Regarding international collaboration, we need to set the same prerequisites for all signatory states and implement an effective and fruitful exchange. Then, we can set a good example of an efficient and action-oriented policy that gets adapted within the FOREST EUROPE process.

Check here the interviews with the Secretary General of the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), Fanny-Pomme Langue, and the Communications Manager of the International Union of Forest-Research Organizations (IUFRO), José Bolaños.

The post IFSA reports on the High-Level Policy Dialogue: Forests do not end at national borders – how can united knowledge help Europe’s forests? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

(Download this document here.)

We are living in times of drastic changes challenging forests all over Europe.

Our forests are facing disturbances that are increasing in severity, scale, and frequency due to climate change, thus leading to rapidly advancing tree mortality and canopy loss in Europe. Moreover, disturbance events are becoming increasingly complex as different and sometimes emerging disturbances are linked, occur simultaneously, or reinforce each other, exacerbating the current challenges at the national and regional levels. The unprecedented forest damages all over Europe require rethinking and constant analysis of adaptation strategies and approaches to enhance the resilience of forests, landscapes, and society.

So, what do we mean by resilience? Resilience indicates the ability of a system to absorb or withstand changes and disturbance while also maintaining important ecosystem processes and functions. Since 2018, an increase in the disturbance frequency has been observed, and it is likely that forests in Europe may no longer be able to recover from or absorb the damage. The impact on society and the loss of essential ecosystem services and functions that forests provide (e.g., carbon sequestration, healthy soil, drinking water, and wood products) could be irreversible. Therefore, when dealing with resilience in forests and landscapes, we need a holistic approach that considers societal needs, the entire value chain of the forest process, and ecosystem integrity and conservation.

Increasing resilience through SFM practices could provide a way out of the combined climate and biodiversity crisis our forests face.

We may not be able to prevent the disturbances, but every crisis is also an opportunity to transform forests into more resilient ecosystems with enhanced biodiversity. SFM and the integration of nature conservation in active forest management practices have proven successful all over Europe. SFM is a dynamic concept, able to be adapted to changes, and remains the conceptual backbone for the future of European forests. Increasing forest resilience through SFM practices will be instrumental in reinforcing and maintaining the adaptive capacity of forest landscapes and their ability to cope with the tremendous speed and pressure that climate change effects exert on them.

Enhancing forest resilience in Sustainable Forest Management practices includes:

• Pro-active management to prevent and prepare for forest disturbances and mitigate future impacts, for example, by increasing the diversity of tree species, structures, and management methods to create more diverse forests and landscapes to face an uncertain future. Considering most climate-adapted provenances and tree species can be taken up as an option. From the perspective of genetic sciences, it’s important to note that these may not necessarily be native species. Therefore, in shaping future species mixes to enhance resilience against potential disturbances, it’s essential also to consider tested non-native species.
• Comprehensive recovery approaches need to combine forest restoration and climate change adaptation at the same time. In addition, we need to consider different dimensions from the smaller to the larger scale; forests need to be managed as part of the landscape and become an integrative part of landscape restoration concepts.
• Not only do forests and forest management need to become resilient, but also forest value chains and society. With increasing and competitive demands for forest products and services, we must ensure that forest resources and services are put to the best possible use and strike the right balance. This requires developing new technologies and products, well-trained, informed, and receptive personnel as well as efficient communication strategies.
• We need more science to inform decision-makers and practitioners and implement more effectively. There is an increasing need for monitoring disturbances and early warning systems to improve our understanding of forest risks. More research on unmanaged areas should be conducted to comprehend natural adaptation processes better.
• Private forest owners often face new and seemingly insurmountable challenges that may force them to abandon their land. Providing assistance and training to landowners needs to go beyond subsidies and regulatory frameworks; it is necessary to understand their values and objectives while developing policies and increasing awareness.

The need to act on the climate and biodiversity crisis together is growing, requiring international and coordinated actions.

Countries face different challenges at different times, and priorities regarding risk management differ. Climate change and biodiversity loss do not respect borders, and urgency is an issue; solutions must be developed by joining forces, always keeping the country’s differences in mind. As there is “no one-size-fits-all,” locally adapted solutions need to be elaborated, with the transparent involvement of different interest groups.

Several participants highlighted the urgency of strengthening cross-border collaboration and transparent dialogues through a FOREST EUROPE Forest Risk Facility (FoRISK). Such pan-European cooperation platform on risk prevention and management is currently being examined by the FOREST EUROPE’s signatories and envisaged to be adopted at the 9th Ministerial Conference on 1-2 October 2024 (further information on the Ministerial decision under preparation can be obtained from the Liaison Unit Bonn upon request).

This discussion prepared the ground for further investigation of the relationship and potential synergies between the two concepts of SFM and resilience building.

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The current scenario we are facing at the national and international forestry level leads to a critical debate: How can Sustainable Forest Management maintain and enhance resilience in your forest, considering social, economic, and environmental factors?

This event will be hosted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Berlin having a hybrid character. FOREST EUROPE high-level policymakers responsible for forests and forestry and high-level representatives from FOREST EUROPE observer organizations and other interested stakeholders will be invited to this meeting. The interested public can join this event in Berlin or online.

The host of this event is the German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Cem Özdemir. Our panel discussions in Berlin will bring together ministers and other high-level policymakers with representatives of environmental organizations, forest practitioners, researchers, youth, and landowners to provide a space promoting shared understanding and synergies in the pan-European region and beyond.

The event will have two consecutive panel discussions where participants can interact directly with high-level speakers during the debate. To set the scene, renowned researchers will present their latest findings.

Check our High-Level Talks website to stay updated.

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To mark this important day, FOREST EUROPE hosted students and lecturers from the Tropical Forestry Master’s Programme (International Forest Governance & Multilateralism-Chair of Tropical and International Forestry) who were on an International Forest Governance Course Excursion to international organizations in Bonn focusing on forests and climate. They learned how FOREST EUROPE as a Pan-European voluntary high-level political process contributes to the development of common strategies to protect and sustainably manage forests while also offering a platform for intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation. Our institutional structure is made up of 45 European states and the European Union as signatories, while observers comprise of 14 countries and 45 organizations. Roundtable Meeting (RTM), Working Group and Advisory Group are some of the tools used for strategic debate while Expert Group and Workshops or Webinars are for technical debates. 

Thomas Haußmann also highlighted the significance of FOREST EUROPE’s policies on forests which have a far-reaching impact even at the international level. Some examples presented include the definition of the pan-European concept of Sustainable Forest Management in 1993, the guidelines, criteria and indicators for Sustainable Forest Management. The five editions of the “State of Europe’s Forests” (SoEF) report have provided comprehensive information on the status and trends in forests and forestry in the pan-European region, based on the criteria for SFM with the current edition (SoEF 2020) produced in collaboration with the FAO and UNECE.  Since its inception, Forest Europe has developed 22 Ministerial Resolutions, 2 Decisions and 2 Declarations.  

The next question in the students’ minds was how they as youth could be involved in FOREST EUROPE’s activities. Since the International Forestry Students Association (IFSA) is one of our partner organizations, the students could be Head of the FOREST EUROPE Sub-Commission (one of the IFSA official positions under the International Policy Commission). Forest Europe also organizes webinars and workshops targeted at students e.g. Forest Education in Africa and Europe Workshop. The Youth Forest Policy Days was also another novel project where Forest Europe partnered with IFSA to expose students to the international forest policy process by bringing experts on relevant topics, such as sustainable forest management, deforestation, landscape restoration and forest finance, to share their knowledge while also providing real-life examples of their work. The students can also join any of the three sub-groups in Work Stream 3 (Analysis, Transition and Communication/PR) or participate as observers in our events.  We also provide content for the TreE-Learning Platform by IFSA and the latest course by FOREST EUROPE is available here.  The Grow Green Jobs Campaign showcased endless new job opportunities in the forestry field for young people interested in working in the sector. We are exploring more ways of bringing the youth on board including in the next Ministerial Conference in 2024.  

Another question the students were eager to learn more about was the desired skill set of a forestry professional required by our institution. Juliet Achieng informed the students that the importance of subject-specific skills, human relationships, leadership and other generic competencies, communication, research and data management and general academic competencies have increased over the last ten years and will continue to be important to the near future. More information is available from these studies: Green Forest Jobs in the Pan-European Region, Trends in forest-related employment and tertiary forest education, Global Assessment of Forest Education and the Global Outlook on Education.  

We at FOREST EUROPE appreciate the interest of the students in our work! 

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The most discussed topics were the role of policymakers in connecting educational needs with the ministries in charge of forestry, the role of primary and secondary education in creating a sense of importance towards nature, the lack of technological and digital tools, and the motivations that lead young people to study forestry.

In one the answers, Professor James Kung’u stated that the only way to get forestry ministries to devote more funds to education is to make preservation a tangible concern of the population. And this can only be achieved through a good curriculum that starts from the early years of school learning. Therefore, one of the major differences found in both reports is the structure of the curricula and the type, quantity, and quality of forestry-related jobs available.

In this one-and-a-half-hour session, each region’s lead author had a separate space to present the results of the reports in terms of needs, opportunities, gaps, and approaches to forestry education programs in Europe and Africa. This was followed by a round of direct and open-ended questions from three forestry students and early career scientists from the two continents to the authors. Questions were asked from different angles such as how one educational system could learn best from the advantages of the other from both African and European perspectives. 

One of the attendees, Dr. Fola Babalola from Nigeria affirmed that it is time for forestry professionals to invite government officials and policymakers to their meetings in order to inform them about the importance of biodiversity and forestry conservation. Professor Mika Rekola supported Dr. Fola’s opinion expressing that “forest professionals could be more extrovert and do more communication with public and policymakers”.  

Joining student organizations such as IFSA and helping in creating projects that improve forest education were other proposed actions to get involved at an early stage of the forester’s career. As another example, exchange programs for staff and students were suggested because some African universities already have Erasmus+ exchange programs with their European counterparts. For instance, IUFRO just made an open call for funded short scientific visits for female early career professionals (deadline 31 August 2022). 

On the other hand, Professor Mika Rekola emphasized that in Europe much of the change that has taken place in recent decades to draw attention to forest preservation and obtain resources has been due to student action and entrepreneurship. For him, it is important that projects and ideas come directly from students because it is very difficult for it to happen the other way around. As examples of direct student actions, he mentioned IFSA’s TreE-Learning platform, which was born as a response to a need to fill the gaps in formal and informal forestry education.  

Before the end of the webinar, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions directly to the authors. There was a participation of close to 50 users connected simultaneously both in the Zoom meeting and in the live broadcast on LinkedIn Live from the FOREST EUROPE website. Attendees also shared relevant links to scholarships or exchange initiatives of interest in the chat. 

Related shared content during the session: 

• An example of an entrepreneurship event, organized by students in Finland.  
• How to contact policymakers, an idea from EU and Finland 
• A book on “Building a Successful Forestry Career in Africa: Inspirational Stories and Opportunities” is available in English and French.  is available in English and French.

The post “There is a need for people to understand the value of conservation and nature” – Prof. Dr. James Kung’u first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.