CATIE’s Leadership in Forest Landscape Management Stands Out at the Global Forum on Model Forests

• Topics addressed included: ecosystem and forest landscape restoration; local contributions to the Global Goals for 2030; private sector approaches; integrated wildfire management and post-fire restoration; communication challenges; youth leadership and gender equality.

The fourth Global Forum of the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) took place in Ottawa, Canada, with 180 participants from 44 countries, 54% of whom were women, representing 85 Model Forests and other territorial initiatives. The Latin American Model Forest Network (RLABM), coordinated by CATIE’s Climate Action Unit, was represented by a 41-person delegation.

CATIE was represented by Roger Villalobos, president of the RLABM board of directors, and Fernando Carrera, manager of its secretariat. The forum also brought together representatives from the Asian, African, Mediterranean, Northern European and Russian networks, as well as the Canadian Model Forest Network and international organizations such as FAO, WRI, EcoAgriculture Partners, World Bank, UNEP, CIFOR, and ICRAF, among others.

The first forum of this kind was held at CATIE (Costa Rica) in 2005, followed by similar events in Hinton, Alberta (Canada) in 2008, and in Burgos (Spain) in 2011. These forums gather representatives from organizations involved in the intersectoral governance platforms known as Model Forests around the world, along with supporting institutions, to share progress on sustainable development and climate adaptation, and to explore opportunities for collaboration.

Activities

The regional networks presented their progress and lines of action over the past five years, with the Latin American and Asian networks standing out for their growth and achievements in various areas of territorial management. 

On the second day, a session of the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) was held, which achieved over 1.2 million global online interactions. The GLF is the world’s largest knowledge-based forum on the integrated and sustainable use of land, focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The event also featured several simultaneous field visits to sites around Ottawa showcasing significant advances in integrated forest and landscape management by partners of the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, host of the Forum.

A full day was also dedicated to technical discussions across 12 sessions focused on pressing issues in global forest landscape management. 

Topics included: restoration of ecosystems and forest landscapes; local contributions to the Global Goals for 2030; private sector approaches; integrated wildfire management and post-fire restoration; communication challenges; youth leadership and gender equality; innovations and best practices from Model Forests; value chains and marketing; forest education, among others.

During the closing of the forum, reflections and calls were made to sustain efforts toward participatory territorial governance, with notable interventions from local Indigenous leader Richard Lalande – Chief Dream Hunter –; Natalia Ruiz Guevara, CATIE alumna, WRI official, and vice president of the RLABM; and Richard Verbisky, in his role as executive director of the International Model Forest Network. 

The event saw prominent participation from eight CATIE alumni, all holding high-level positions in organizations affiliated with the IMFN.