1. Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR)
Pacific Week of Agriculture
Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR)
Yurdi Yasmi
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Bangkok

2. Structure What is FLR? Why it is important?
FLR in the region and FLR Mechanism

3. Forest and landscape restoration
An active process that brings people together to identify, negotiate and implement practices that restore an agreed optimal balance of the ecological, social and economic benefits of forests and trees within a broader pattern of land uses (GPFLR)

4. Key principles of FLR
Balancing ecological functions with human development needs
Enhancing resilience
Continuous learning process
Engaging multiple stakeholders

5. Huge area of degraded landscape
Deforestation and forest degradation

6. Huge area of secondary forest in the region
Primary forests
19%
Secondary forests
64%
Planted forests
17%

7. 400 million hectares of degraded lands available for restoration in Asia-Pacific
Global Challenge – Global Opportunity
2 billion hectares of deforested and degraded land
potentially available for restoration (size of South America)
Source : GPFLR

8. Multiple options of FLR
ASSISTED NATURAL REGENERATION IN THE SLOPES
TREE PLANTATION IN FLOW ZONES TO LIMIT WATERSHED EROSION RISKS
IMPROVE MANAGEMENT AND PLANTATION TECHNICS
TREE PLANTATION OF LOCAL SPECIES
TREE CROPS MIXED WITH FIELD CROPS
NATURAL REGENERATION IN BUFFER ZONES OF NATIONAL PARKS
IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF FORESTS AND TREE PLANTATIONS

9. Multiple benefits of FLR
RICH AND STABLE SOILS
WATER SECURITY
CARBON STORAGE
BIODIVERSITY
FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION
WOOD AND NON WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS
RECREATION AND ECO-TOURISM

10. International commitments on FLR
Restore 15% of degraded ecosystems by 2020
There is a growing awareness of the importance of forest and landscape restoration (FLR) thanks to several international processes.
Accelerate existing global restoration goals, e.g. Bonn Challenge
350 mil ha by 2030

11. International commitments on FLR
AFOLU under NDCs
Bonn Challenge + end natural forest loss by 2030
Promote SFM, substantially increase reforestation

12. Bonn challenge
A global effort to bring degraded and deforested lands into restoration
150 million hectares by 2020
350 million hectares by 2030

13. FLR initiatives in the Asia Pacific region
Support efforts to advance implementation of FLR, including through mobilization of financing
Strengthen stakeholder engagement, scientific basis, and ecological, social and economic sustainability of FLR efforts
Enhance learning, collaboration and coordination on FLR across the region

14. FLR initiatives in the Pacific
Sub-regional exchange for the Pacific on the restoration of forests and other ecosystems within a landscape approach organized by CBD, FAO and SPC, May 2019 in Nadi - Participants from 10 Pacific countries
Key messages from the workshop on what would be needed:
Definition of realistic national and sub-regional restoration targets
Improved coordination between stakeholders (data & planning)
FLR Strategy Development & Integrated Land use Planning using existing plans
Technical assistance on restoration methodologies
Identification of funding for FLR implementation
=> Support needed at national and regional levels
Improved coordination between different branches of government to ensure that relevant data on forest and land degradation/ restoration need is known and available, making use of tools such as the Inform platform to ensure the better circulation of data;
Integrated land use planning and national scale assessments of opportunities for restoration to define appropriate restoration actions, as well as their purpose and expected benefits;
Development of national FLR strategies linked to existing development plans, noting that land degradation has long been a challenge in the sub-region, FLR strategies can benefit from technical assistance for restoration activities tailored to the local context. People centered approaches are a key element of FLR and of successful projects in the region;
Identification of appropriate species and improvement of plant materials used in restoration in the region, making more use of naturalized species especially native species that also includes culturally significant species;
Definition of national and sub-regional restoration targets rooted in reality, using the ‘SMART’ framework for the design of national targets, and based on updated scientific assessments and data on the state and trends of loss and degradation of natural ecosystems (and based on cost-benefits analysis of the multiple restoration options);
Promotion of synergies between the main international conventions (UNCCD/UNFCC and CBD) on restoration-based solutions- at national level and increasing coordination between the focal points for these conventions. The nomination of a national focal point in order to facilitate the national dialogue on restoration issues could facilitate the process;
Promotion of FLR in the region and attraction of potential donors to tackle the specific challenges in the Pacific. Strong cost- benefit analysis will be a key element of any future resource mobilization efforts;
Supporting a sub-regional group discussion on common challenges and opportunities for FLR in the Pacific region; and
Facilitating the reporting of this sub regional group within the broader contexts of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) and the Pacific Community (SPC).

15. FLR initiatives in the Pacific
A regional hub/platform could support these activities through knowledge sharing and resource mobilization (as the Mediterranean one)
FAO/FLRM can already support the FLR Hub (as it did in the Mediterranean) and national plans through:
supporting a high level event to launch the Hub
building capacity through workshops on FLR planning, implementation and resource mobilization
providing Technical Assistance through the Technical Assistance Facility
Additionally, after the Nadi workshop a regional FLR proposal has been submitted to IKI by SPC with FAO support

16. Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM)
Established in 2014 to help countries meet their ambitious pledges to restore degraded lands.
Provides direct support to regions and countries with focuses on:
developing enabling conditions for FLR at national and regional level with partners such as APFNet, IUCN, ITTO, RECOFTC
Supporting national FLR plans
providing innovative technical support and capacity development
supporting work in monitoring, reporting, assessment and evaluation of FLR
supporting resource mobilization (over 40 MUSD mobilized for FLR)
National-level FLR actions in 19 countries, including some in Asia-Pacific region

17. Thank you! Contact Yurdi Yasmi (Yurdi.Yasmi@fao.org)
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok
Contact
Christophe Besacier
FAO Headquarters
Rome