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Seoul Forest Declaration

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Environment
  • Published
    19th May, 2022

Context

Recently, the XV World Forestry Congress, held in Seoul, South Korea adopted the Seoul Forest Declaration identifying priority areas with potential to lead to a green, healthy and resilient future.

About World Forestry Council

  • The first World Forestry Congress was first held in Rome in 1926. After that, it is held about every six years by the UN-FAO.
  • In 1954, FAO was entrusted with supporting Congress preparations in close cooperation with the host country and proudly continues to do so today. .
  • It has been providing a forum for inclusive discussion on the key challenges and way forward for the forestry sector.
  • The theme of the World Forestry Council was Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future.
  • It was hosted by the Republic of Korea and co-organized with FAO.
  • It was the second congress held in Asia, with Indonesia hosting the first Congress in Asia in 1978.
  • The gathering drew more than 15 000 participants from over 140 countries either in person or online, in the first event of its kind since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other takeaways

  • Close cooperation among nations is needed to address challenges that transcend political boundaries.
  • This was strengthened at the Congress by the launch of new partnerships such as the:
    • Assuring the Future of Forests with Integrated Risk Management (AFFIRM) Mechanism and
    • Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Initiative.

About Seoul Forest Declaration

  • It identifies priority areas with potential to lead to a green, healthy and resilient future.
  • It urges that responsibility for forests should be shared and integrated across institutions, sectors and stakeholders.
  • Investment in forest and landscape restoration globally needs to triple by 2030.
  • Move towards a circular bioeconomy and climate neutrality.

About Forest landscape restoration

  • Forest landscape restoration (FLR) is the ongoing process of regaining ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being across deforested or degraded forest landscapes.
  • FLR is more than just planting trees – it is restoring a whole landscape to meet present and future needs and to offer multiple benefits and land uses over time.
  • FLR manifests through different processes such as: new tree plantings, managed natural regeneration, agroforestry, or improved land management to accommodate a mosaic of land uses, including agriculture, protected wildlife reserves, managed plantations, riverside plantings and more.

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