Forest and landscape restoration is a key issue in the ongoing discussions at the Paris Climate Change Conference, convened to broker a game-changing agreement on climate change. On a planet where the mark of human activity is almost ubiquitous, restoration is by necessity a concept that has to take into account human well-being and ongoing change. In addition, in order to succeed in the long term, forest and landscape restoration initiatives will need to successfully engage a range of stakeholders, from policy-makers to local communities and from governments to private actors.

Ce double numéro d’Unasylva se propose de sonder les relations complexes existant entre les forêts, les arbres et les catastrophes, et d’examiner comment il est possible de gérer au mieux les forêts et les arbres à la fois pour résister aux chocs et pour protéger contre les chocs. Les forêts et les arbres peuvent servir de tampons naturels contre les catastrophes et les chocs. Ils ont un rôle déterminant à jouer dans la protection contre les catastrophes et la réduction de leur impact.

Meeting Name: Near East Forestry and Range Commission (NEFRC)
Meeting symbol/code: FO:NEFRC/2015/4
Session: Sess. 22

Meeting symbol/code: FO:LACFC/2015/Inf.3
Session: Sess. 29

Meeting Name: North American Forest Commission
Meeting symbol/code: FO:NAFC/2016/3.5
Session: Sess. 28

This document summarizes the latest global and regional policy developments related to forests. It describes decisions resulting from international and intergovernmental processes and identifies areas where these decisions may have an impact on the forest sector in the COFFI and EFC region. It also notes the possible role of the Committee and the Commission in facilitation of implementation of these policy processes. Furthermore the document includes a brief overview of the global and regional reporting on forests and sustainable forest management in the region, concluded in 2015.

Meeting Name: Near East Forestry and Range Commission (NEFRC)
Meeting symbol/code: FO:NEFRC/2015/3
Session: Sess. 22

Meeting Name: North American Forest Commission
Meeting symbol/code: FO:NAFC/2016/3.3
Session: Sess. 28

The Woodfuel Integrated Supply and Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) in Serbia form part of a series of initiatives undertaken by FAO to promote strategic wood energy planning and policy formulation. As in many countries all over the globe the wood energy sector suffers from a widespread lack of recognition in national planning contexts, especially in forest and energy policies.

Meeting Name: European Forestry Commission
Meeting symbol/code: FO:EFC/2015/6 - ECE/TIM/2015/6
Session: Sess. 38 - Sess. 73

Genetic resources for food and agriculture play a crucial role in food security, nutrition and livelihoods and in the provision of environmental services. They are key components of sustainability, resilience and adaptability in production systems. They underpin the ability of crops, livestock, aquatic organisms and forest trees to withstand a range of harsh conditions. Climate change poses new challenges to the management of the world’s genetic resources for food and agriculture, but it also underlines their importance.

This double issue of Unasylva aims to tease out the complex interrelationship between forests, trees and disasters, and to examine the ways in which forests and trees can best be managed both to resist shocks and to protect from shocks. Forests and trees can act as natural buffers against disasters and shocks. They have a powerful role to play in protecting against disasters and in reducing their impact. Indeed, the long-term perspective implicit in sustainable forest management is also a valuable approach to planning for disaster risk reduction.