by Steve Harison
Many people forget that the forest is a key element for global climate balance. They do not consider it as part of natural landscape, and only see it as unexploited part of the earth. Now with recent impacts experienced globally, we see the real importance of how forests contribute significantly in addressing climate change.
Forests are global source for oxygen, the global reservoir of water, and last but not but the least an irreplaceable landscape for local customary groups and traditional communities. But now, forests are exploited massively as a global economy resource with abundant woods, potential huge amount of coal and minerals, also extensive land for farming and planting.
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the summit’s organizer, explained that the Forests Asia Summit is highlights the sustainable management for forests and landscapes regarding its contribution for green economy and sustainable development in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia. The summit itself, which is pre-stage of Global Landscapes Forum to be held in Peru this year, were involving many stakeholders from government officials, corporation high-level executives, researchers and academician, national and international NGOs activists, and youth.
The two-day agenda of the summit consist of five themes such as governance and legal frameworks to promote sustainable landscapes; investing in landscapes for green returns; climate change and low-emissions development on the ground; linking food, forests, and landscapes; changing communities, sustainable landscapes and equitable development. One important point was discussing the link between the global climate change nexus and the ongoing process in regional dynamics of welcoming the ASEAN Community 2015.
Figure derived from CIFOR’s concept note of the Forests Asia Summit 2014
Above figure shows comprehensive landscapes approaches in addressing the critical situation of forestry in Asia currently. These approaches need integrated and measured actions by multi-stakeholders including youth as key player in the future.
Participating in the Forest Asia Summit 2014 makes me understand more about the complexity in solving climate change because of its cross-cutting and inter-disciplinary characteristics ranging from biology, economy, politics, socio-anthropology, earth and geographical sciences, and even natural-related engineering. I also learned that global solution cannot be solved without local participation and actions. This is the reason why multi-stakeholders approach is a must-discussed topic to get the best solutions in any international agendas and dynamics.
Being there not only means participation, but also making new friendship and networking, exchange of views and dialogues, and last but not least to represent the Asian Youth Climate Network (AYCN). I was so proud to mention “I am Steve, the Indonesian representative of the AYCN” when asking questions.
The special youth session in the summit was very interesting and attractive. It was organized by the International Forestry Student Association (IFSA) and more than ten groups (Focus Group Discussion-FGD) were moderated by selected youth activists coming from USA, Canada, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, while the participants were coming from ASEAN countries, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, China, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Each group has its own topic to be discussed with different methods to answer the key questions and propose the best solutions. Recognizing our role not only listeners, but also agent of action and change, the youth session itself was held to make young people’s voices be heard directly. One essential result from this session is the importance to establish the youth network of Southeast Asia concerning in sustainable forests and landscapes in correlation with the purpose to address the global climate change mitigation and adaptation.
I have several key analytic points for the summit to complete this report. They are as follow: First, forests conversation and sustainable management is not enough, but more required is socio-cultural empowerment for the forests communities itself. It is far better to implement the approach of knowledge transfers between well-educated youth from reputable university and the forests communities to held collaboration program in managing forests at best using both science-based approach and local wisdom-based approach.
Second, multi-stakeholders cooperation is not enough. What is more important is the right synergy and orderly coordination. Many stakeholders (e.g. government departments and companies) do cooperate with each other in supporting the program of climate change adaptation and mitigation, but the existing synergy sshows lack of cooperation itself. Disorderly coordination make the targeted outcomes of the program cannot be achieved optimally. Moreover, right synergy and orderly coordination could produce equitable benefits for all stakeholders without any parties feel disadvantaged.
In wider meaning of the terms of development, the correlation between youth and forests might be closely affiliated with ‘green jobs’ which natural-based employment purposed to solve the poverty and unemployment rate that mostly found in developing countries. Green jobs should be the priority for government to more engage youth to actively contributed (working) in various sectors of natural conservation and sustainable management.
Finally, I conclude that is youth everywhere should be more sensitive and adaptive with the issues of climate change, sustainable development, and green lifestyles. We have to aware and be actively involved in agendas appropriate with our concerns. Contribution and action is required, more than discussion and opinion, but we have to improve our good knowledge first. Once again, the youth are not only listeners, but key players in the future. Bravo, AYCN!
Steve is the founder of Inspirator Muda Nusantara. He is also an active in various advocacies which include environment, climate change and youth. You can check out his blog to read his experiences, as well as follow him on Twitter to get updates from him.
Asian Youth Climate Network 