Summit themes

A summit framed by the landscapes approach

The Forests Asia Summit was guided by a landscapes approach: a broad framework that fully integrates all land-based sectors — forestry, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, mining and urban land use — into a sustainable development agenda. It sought to assess performance against broader development goals such as poverty eradication, green growth, food security and nutrition, climate change mitigation and adaptation, efficient cities, and sustainable land use and farm practices.

To this end, the conference was organized along five main themes:

1

Governance and legal frameworks to promote sustainable landscapes

How can we better address land and corporate governance for effective social and environmental safeguards, amid increasingly complex governance structures?

2

Investing in landscapes for green returns

How can we guide the benefits of economic growth to re-invest in sustainable landscapes and land use to benefit investors and producers of all scales?

3

Climate change and low emissions development on the ground

How can we promote low-emissions development in ways that meet the needs of communities in landscapes and achieve verifiable emissions reductions while generating opportunities for increased resilience to climate variability?

4

Forest landscapes for food and biodiversity

How are forests important for food, nutrition and biodiversity in Southeast Asia?

5

Changing communities, sustainable landscapes and equitable development

How can we provide opportunities for smallholders to improve livelihoods? How do processes of migration, urbanization and multi-locality interact with landscapes?