Strategic Plan (2024-2030)
AFoCO is a treaty-based, intergovernmental organization with the vision of “A Greener Asia with climate-resilient and sustainable forests, landscapes and communities”, the achievement of which is supported by AFoCO’s mission: “Promote action-oriented international cooperation for creating enabling policies, building capacities, and fostering inclusive multi-level partnerships to drive Asian forests onto a climate-resilient and sustainable path”.
AFoCO works to address the climate crisis and associated challenges of forest loss, poverty and governance through two Strategic Thrusts — Sustainable management of forests to secure environmental, social and economic benefits; and Contributions to the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement goal and the SDGs by 2030 — that are translated into three Program Priority Areas (PPAs) supported by Cross-Cutting Themes (CCTs):
- PPA1: Forest Land Restoration and Conservation
leading to expanded forest area under sustainable management through reforestation and rehabilitation of damaged forests, forest conservation and sustainable use of forests; - PPA2: Community and Circular Bioeconomy
leading to circular economies and enterprises that support transition to climate-resilient forest communities; and - PPA3: Climate–Forest Disaster Risk
leading to adaptation of forests and forest-dependent communities to climate change and related impacts, including forest disaster risk management, which contribute to national and regional goals. - CCTs — Policies, Capacity development, Knowledge management and learning exchange, and Technology exchange and application.
AFoCO adheres to the core values of partnership, member-driven, competency, transparency, equity and suistainability in the planning and delivery of the Strategic Plan (2024-2030).
Forest Land Restoration and Conservation
Community and Circular Bioeconomy
Climate–Forest Disaster Risk Management
Policy, Capacity, Knowledge, Technology
Program Priority Area 1: Forest Land Restoration and Conservation
Overall outcome
Expanded forest land under sustainable management through reforestation and rehabilitation of degraded forests, forest conservation and sustainable use of forests
- 1A. Reforestation and rehabilitation
Outcome
Degraded terrestrial and coastal forest lands are reforested or rehabilitated to healthy ecosystems through participatory design, planting, management and monitoring
Key activities
Activities under PPA 1A will use evidence-based landscape approaches to reforestation, afforestation and rehabilitation of both terrestrial and coastal forest lands/ecosystems, including flooded forests, peat forests and mangroves, through a range of public and private interventions, among others, in agroforestry, tree plantations, enrichment planting, assisted natural regeneration, and riverine and coastal planting that are carefully designed and customized to suit local contexts and address local needs, and scalable to accomplish national and regional goals of increasing the forest-resource base to the level required to meet present and future demand for forest-based products and services. These actions increase forest cover and restore forest functions, helping to drawdown atmospheric carbon and achieve national and international commitments, such as for NDCs, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Bonn Challenge. Proven reforestation and afforestation and REDD+ models amongst Member Countries and beyond will be customized and scaled up to accelerate impact on the ground. To address seedling demand for wide-scale reforestation, afforestation and rehabilitation, this PPA will support the establishment of tree nurseries with high quality germplasm and planting materials and effective delivery mechanisms. It will also engage with private finance/investors and other stakeholders in carbon and biodiversity markets to synergize investments and payments for carbon removals generated from reforestation, rehabilitation and afforestation activities. - 1B. Conservation of natural forests
OutcomeNatural forests and biodiversity conserved and protected through enhanced management, governance, knowledge and skills
Key activities
Activities under PPA 1B will focus on supporting REDD+ activities and other effective area-based conservation mechanisms in Member Countries. AFoCO projects will also support activities addressing human–wildlife conflict within high conservation areas, protection and conservation of primary forests, protected areas, wildlife habitat, key biodiversity areas and other conservation areas, transfer and adaption of forest-monitoring and protection technologies, and sharing knowledge of successful approaches. This PPA will also support development of forest land-use plans, in general, and conservation plans, in particular, conservation of endangered tree and other plant species for food, medicines and improved biological richness and functioning of forest ecosystems, and mobilization of forest communities as forest conservationists and guardians.
Program Priority Area 2: Community and Circular Bioeconomy
Overall outcome
Climate-resilient communities with circular bioeconomic livelihoods
- 2A. Green villages and enterprises
Outcome
Enhanced forest-based value chains, livelihoods and adaptive capacities of forest-dependent communitiesKey activities
Activities under PPA 2A will include support for the growth or establishment of ‘green villages’ with support for proven, forest-based circular bioeconomic activities that are gender equitable, meet basic and subsistence needs, increase adaptive capacities, and improve local livelihoods. These could include adoption of a range of sustainable land and agroecological practices, small-scale nature-based forestry enterprise development, including forest recreation and wellness, eco-tourism, bio-energy, non-timber forest products, climate-smart and biodiversity-friendly agricultural products while protecting natural forests and managing community forests at the same time. Given their eminent role in forest protection, men, women and youth in green villages will have their capacity built in various aspects of community empowerment, sustainable forest-based enterprises and obtaining access to green markets as a fundamental element of developing a circular bioeconomy. While improving local incomes and productive functions of forests, considerable attention must be given to ensure protection of natural habitats and biodiversity as part of social and environmental safeguards. - 2B. Rewards for forest ecosystem services
Outcome
Rewards for Forest Ecosystem Services’ schemes, including carbon and biodiversity are received by forest-dependent communities
Key activities
PPA 2B will assess ecosystem services provided by green villages and explore benefits or rewards from forest ecosystem services’ schemes to support circular bioeconomic activities. Rewards through branding, certification and links to niche premium markets for nature-based forestry products can be explored to attract private–public investments and deliver more benefits to local communities and their landscapes. This PPA will also support Member Countries explore opportunities from carbon ‘farming’ as a community enterprise and biodiversity ‘credits’.
Program Priority Area 3: Climate–Forest Disaster Risk Management
Overall outcome
Reduced risks from climate–forest disaster for forests and communities
- 3A. Disaster risk reduction technologies
Outcome
Key activitiesActivities under PPA 3A will focus on technology exchanges. For example, the forest-fire monitoring and management system in the Republic of Korea is well established and can be shared with Member Countries. Moreover, improved techniques, including drone and AI technologies for risk assessment, monitoring, surveillance, early warning and reporting on climate-related forest disasters — such as landslides, flooding (for example, from glacial lake outbursts) and pest and disease incidence — will be shared amongst Member Countries via training and study tours. In close collaboration with Member Countries, AFoCO will target disaster risk areas — such as hotspots of forest fires, drought-prone areas, sites of landslides and flooding incidences, and pest-and-disease-infested forest areas — to implement cooperation projects. Based on the latest, proven technology and the technical assessment of the target areas, specific technology-based projects will cover both early warning and risk reduction measures.
3B. Disaster risk management planning
Outcome
Disaster response deployed in affected forests and communitiesKey activities
Activities under PPA 3B will be closely linked to PPA 3A with particular focus on supporting Member Countries develop disaster risk management plans, particularly regarding forest fires, floods, landslides and incidences of pests and diseases. The disaster risk management plans will cover strategies to control or reduce risks, response during disaster events, and recovery measures. This PPA will support Member Countries’ development of strategic responses that yield long-term benefits, ultimately building capacity to mitigate and reduce disaster risks that are gender sensitive, environmentally friendly and socially inclusive. Specific activities under this PPA include experience-sharing and training in best practices of disaster response and management amongst Member Countries and planning support for adoption of such practices or development of new, context-specific strategies.
Cross-Cutting Themes: Policy, Capacity, Knowledge, Technology
Overall outcome
Enhanced governance and capacities in sustainable forest management at various levels to contribute to achieving national, regional and global climate, biodiversity and sustainable development goals
- CCT 1. Policies
OutcomeForest policies, laws, rules, regulations are developed to transform the forestry sector
Key activitiesTo achieve impact at scale, CCT 1 will provide support to Member Countries for policy analyses and dialogues relevant to the PPAs. AFoCO projects will support reviews of policies, laws, rules and regulations with the aim of helping Member Countries create an enabling environment for the forestry sector. AFoCO projects will strive to co-create actionable policy solutions to address issues around gender inequalities, social exclusion, forest and natural resources tenure and rights, benefit sharing and market-information sharing. Furthermore, to make AFoCO a credible partner at the global level, AFoCO will engage with various partners in high-level policy dialogues on critical topics, such as the Earth system tipping points, carbon removals, Net Zero, REDD+ and the SDGs (linked to CCT 2).
CCT 2. Capacity development
Outcome
Member Countries’ enhanced capacities lead to achievement of climate, biodiversity and sustainability goalsKey activities
CCT 2 will focus on supporting Member Countries build or enhance their capacities at institutional level to support delivery of impactful projects under all three PPAs. This includes identifying Member Countries’ needs at different levels, including local government, and developing demand-driven and customized capacity-development programs, such as short, informal training courses; study tours; internships; AFoCO fellowship and graduate education programs. Capacity development is also embedded in AFoCO projects to ensure success, sustainability and scaling of project outcomes. The Regional Education and Training Center in Myanmar may serve as a learning hub for Member Countries while place-based training will be conducted in collaboration with capacity-development partners in Member Countries and regionally.CCT 3. Knowledge management and learning exchange
Outcome
An interactive, integrated forest data management system established that captures long-term changes, impacts, issues and achievements of Member Countries with accompanying learning exchange platformKey activities
CCT 3 will focus on establishing an interactive, integrated forest-data management system in close collaboration with Member Countries, regional bodies (such as ASEAN) and global organizations (such as FAO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature). Associated with the data-management system will be a learning exchange platform that features physical and hybrid events, such as the AFoCO Leaders’ Forum and Conference on Climate, Forests and Environmental Safeguards, high-level policy dialogues, webinars, exhibitions and awareness-raising campaigns. This CCT will also support the establishment and management of the Asian Knowledge Hub under the Landscape Partnership Asia and national communications and reporting of AFoCO Member Countries to the UN and other related international bodies.CCT 4. Technology exchange and application
Outcome
ICT-based forest management technologies exchanged and adapted by Member CountriesKey activities
CCT 4 will focus on ICT-based forest management technologies relevant to the PPAs such as those required to implement effective reforestation and forest rehabilitation and the development of circular bioeconomies. The Republic of Korea, for example, has developed computer-aided forest inventory and monitoring tools and applications and has access to other automation, cloud technologies and robotics, wireless sensor networks, smart devices and LiDAR that can be exchanged and/or customised to suit the needs and capacity of Member Countries while technologies by Member Countries can also be exchanged throughout AFoCO’s membership to encourage replication and adaptation. Technology exchange includes building users’ capacities to effectively use new technologies.
Annual Thematic Dialogue
The Annual Thematic Dialogue is a dialogue session and platform for forward-looking discussions among AFoCO and its member countries to inform the strategic planning process and programming for the coming years (Decision 34-IV-20R). This activity also aims to harvest the interest of member countries to facilitate AFoCO’s contribution to regional and global environmental benefits, engage diverse stakeholder groups to make AFoCO’s operations relevant to on-going policy processes and contexts in the member countries. The Annual Thematic Dialogue is organized as annual event back-to-back with the regular session of the AFoCO Assembly, with a theme-based discourse on strategically timely and relevant topics.
