Why Optimism is compulsory for our future, Forests Matter, Robert Nasi

Interesting interview with Robert Nasi Director General, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

What is your own background?

I trained as a forest engineer in France before working in various tropical countries (Cameroon, New Caledonia, Mali and Malaysia) between 1981 and 1994 for what is now CIRAD, the French agricultural research and development organization. One experience in particular that inspired me to pursue my doctorate in forest ecology was the forest inventory work we did in Mali from 1985-1989.

That eventually led me to CIFOR in 1999 where I held various research and management roles before becoming the Director General in November 2017 and now oversee the organization’s mission of advancing human well-being, equity and environmental integrity through research, capacity development and working with partners to inform policy and practices affecting forests and people.

Describe how your research has contributed to forestry management?

Since its creation in 1993, CIFOR has become the go-to place for a broader understanding of forest management and the role of forests in sustainable development. We’ve made progress on getting the non-forest sector to consider the importance of forests in food security and livelihoods. Forestry is now seen as much more than simply supplying timber. More recently we’ve highlighted the role forests play in climate change.

I hope I’ve made at least a small contribution to that evolution in my career. Another specific example of my work was providing the science behind the forest management plans in the Congo Basin where the research I led for CIFOR-CIRAD as part of the FORAFRU project helped establish a 20-million hectare managed forest between 1995 and 2012.

One of my proudest moments came a few years ago when a PhD student at the University of Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo successfully defended his thesis. He was the first PhD student whose research and studies CIFOR had supported as part of an EU-funded project. His accomplishment highlighted the importance of local capacity building in growing a cadre of local expertise and know-how – and how powerful that can be in local communities. We have now trained more than 250 Masters and 25 PhD students.

How was the last 12 months? What were your big wins?

There has been a growing awareness of the role that forests play in climate change, restoration and livelihoods. That was evident during the climate talks at COP25 in Madrid where nature-based solutions came up again and again. That’s an important change, even though it’s important to note that forests and landscapes are only one part of the climate solution and we can’t expect forests to be the silver bullet to offset runaway carbon emissions from coal power plants, growing vehicle use and air travel.

We’re also seeing more engagement from a broad coalition that includes the private sector at the Global Landscapes Forum and other events. With hundreds of billions of dollars required to restore degraded landscapes around the world, investors and corporations have a critical role to play in contributing to sustainable development and rebuilding productive ecosystems.

The announcement of the UN’s Decade of Ecological Restoration was another important milestone that will hopefully contribute meaningfully over the next 10 years to the discussion of how sustainable, functioning ecosystems are one of the best investments the world can make. Those investments are good on many levels, but especially so for people who depend on forests for food and livelihoods.

What would you have done differently?

Progress on forest management is best measured over decades rather than months. Something I have observed over the course of my career of over 30 years is the marked change in the way we view forests and forest management. Three decades ago, forests were seen as a source of natural resources like timber. Now we know that things like food and forests are inextricably linked and forests are seen more for their ecosystem services like carbon storage, watershed protection and biodiversity. And importantly, providing livelihoods to hundreds of millions of people.

There is a lot of work left to do. For example, we need to look more closely at secondary forests and the role they play in biodiversity conservation and the ecosystem services they provide, instead of seeing them simply as degraded primary forests. There’s more work to be done in including indigenous peoples, women and local communities in forest management. It’s safe to say there are still plenty of opportunities for forest managers.

What you are doing now?

Last year, CIFOR and ICRAF, the World Agroforestry Centre, merged. In doing so, we’re aiming to provide the kinds of solutions necessary to support people and nature, and change the way that land is used and how food is produced. We’re hopeful these efforts will improve people’s lives by rebuilding ecosystems and responding to the global climate crisis.

Tell us more about the complexities of reforestation & restoration?

We’ve heard a lot about tree planting initiatives in recent months. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just putting trees in the ground. There’s work required to tend the saplings (assuming they are the most appropriate ones for local conditions) after they’ve been planted to ensure acceptable survival rates. And then, you have to ensure the right mix of food production, ecosystem services, timber production and so on.

This is especially important considering that over the past two decades 20% of the earth’s vegetative surface has become less productive. Biodiversity is also important because that’s another issue threatening our food supply.

For successful restoration and reforestation, we also need an inclusive, bottom-up approach that considers governance and gender issues, and one that serves people – otherwise there’s a significant risk of failure.

Then, the required investment for land restoration – that means all kinds of landscapes, not just forests — is significant, by some estimates as much as $350 billion annually. Still, it’s nothing compared to the $6.3 trillion the world loses every year because of unproductive land and the associated costs of fires, floods and drought. There are a lot of issues at play to get this right.

What is the best strategy to pursue going forwards in the future?

As I mentioned earlier, forestry has become broader than it used to be. A lot of forestry problems are in fact agricultural or socio-economic problems. That means that forests need to be good for the planet and people. The challenges of sustainable forest management are the challenges of land use in general, as well as poverty, inequality and conflict.

We need to do many things at the same time. We need protect the forests that are still intact. We need to recognize the role of secondary forests in biodiversity. There’s a lot more biodiversity in secondary forests than in traditional plantations. And again, the approach needs to be bottom up and must tackle related issues like climate change, poverty eradication, food security, water, biodiversity conservation among others.

What would an optimal level of tree cover be, both in your region and globally?

The better question might be: how can forests play a role in a sustainable future? The reality is that forests provide food, jobs, medicine and much else besides for hundreds of millions of people across the tropics and beyond. Forests account for roughly 6% of the global economy – probably much more if we include all the ecosystem services they provide, but that aren’t accounted for in traditional economic measures like GDP.

As economies grow and adapt to challenges like climate change, urbanization and population expansion, we are going to need forests more than ever. To do this in a more sustainable way requires a new approach. Consider, for example, the transition to a circular bioeconomy which means using a higher percentage of renewable resources than our current economic system does.

To replace even a portion of the metal, concrete and plastic with renewable biomass will require a lot more trees. This means we will need to restore landscapes in ways that accomplish a number of functions as demand grows. This won’t be easy.

That certainly means more tree cover, but also more grasslands and agroforestry systems, just to name two vegetation types. Forest cover would likely increase, but by how much and where depends on a lot of factors. Forest cover itself isn’t the right measure of successful forest and landscape management.

How can people find out more about you personally & your work?

CIFOR’s research is available on our website www.cifor.org as well as through our blog www.forestsnews.cifor.org and social media channels, @cifor (Twitter), @cifor_forests (Instagram), Linkedin and Facebook.

Who and where do you get inspiration from?

First from my parents. Hard work, common sense and a good sense of self-deprecating humour have been the values that they passed on to me. Also, I am inspired more and more by my colleagues at CIFOR-ICRAF and elsewhere. They are one of the reasons I am still doing this job.

And my children and grandchildren are a source of inspiration because they will be the first to hold me accountable if things go horribly wrong. Not necessarily because things went wrong, but because I didn’t do all I could to change the trajectory.

Last question: are you optimistic about the future of forests?

Optimism is compulsory. We can’t just bury our heads in the sand and scream that the end of the world is coming. It’s easy to be skeptical about the future. But it’s also important to remember that we have many reasons to be optimistic. The next generation is hugely motivated to build a sustainable future and wants change. We understand the problems, have many of the necessary solutions as well as the resources to respond to the challenges we’re facing. We just have to get on with it. Let’s at least go down fighting.

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