Tropical forests play a key role in mitigating and adapting to the effects of global change, notably in terms of climate and biodiversity, as will be demonstrated at the One Forest Summit in Libreville, Gabon, on 1 and 2 March. The issues surrounding forests are many and varied, ranging from their functional evolution, uses and services rendered to the increased risks they currently face.
In particular, forests are a source of livelihoods and jobs for people living nearby and of revenue for logging companies. However, the activities in question are also one of the main causes of deforestation, which in turn affects both carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
This is why the European Union recently laid the foundations for legislation banning imports of products linked to deforestation. Forestry research in partnership, along with training, are two other weapons in the fight to ensure sustainable forest ecosystems.
Networks such as the platforms in partnership for research and training (dPs) initiated by CIRAD and its partners are found in all three tropical forest basins and are particularly suited to research that is necessarily long term and centred on sharing data and knowledge.
Alain Billand, Head of Research Impact and Marketing and forest specialist
