The Asian Forest Living Lab
The Living Lab is a dynamic, real-world platform designed to advance sustainable forestry practices. The Asian Forest Living Lab Initiative was officially endorsed during AFoCO 11th Assembly in October 2024. This initiative integrates research and practical applications, enabling the identification of project sites and fostering the development of researchers. The initiative provides an open, collaborative environment where researchers, local communities, and international organizations come together to co-create innovative solutions to address pressing challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation.
This initiative is in line with AFoCO Climate Action Plan (2025–2034), aiming to strengthen the research capacities of member countries while promoting forest conservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity restoration.
A Collaborative Milestone
On November 20, 2024, AFoCO and the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS)—the Republic of Korea’s premier authority in forestry research and innovation—held the inaugural meeting to discuss the development of the first pilot project under this initiative. As a leading institution renowned for its expertise in sustainable forest management and advanced forestry technologies, NIFoS brings unparalleled knowledge and technical capabilities to the table. This meeting marked the beginning of practical implementation efforts, focusing on leveraging AFoCO project sites as testing grounds for cutting-edge forestry research and development.
Looking Ahead
The Asian Forest Living Lab Initiative represents AFoCO’s forward-thinking approach to forestry. By aligning R&D efforts with real-world applications, it ensures that the outputs are not only scientifically robust but also socially and economically impactful.
Submitted by Kiwon Kim, Assistant Program Officer, Capacity-Building and Evaluation Team
