Highlights from the SAFE Project 2024 Inception Meeting

On July 18, the Inception Meeting for the SAFE Project 2024 was held with project leaders from Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, alongside representatives from UNEP and the AFoCO Secretariat. The meeting aimed to introduce the Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) framework and operational work plan for the upcoming year.

Mr. Jin Sunpil from the AFoCO Secretariat delivered the welcome remarks, emphasizing the importance of CFMPs for forest resilience and health. He highlighted their adaptive design to meet the specific needs and conditions of each participating country. Following this, Mr. Alexis Corblin expressed his gratitude to the Secretariat for organizing the meeting and welcomed all government partners, anticipating fruitful discussions.

Dr. Park presented the main activities planned for SAFE 2024, outlining the project timeline, key milestones, and deliverables. He urged project leaders to ensure the successful completion of the project by year-end. Mr. Orlando provided an overview of the ongoing development of CFMPs, detailing the current elements under consideration, the analysis process for country-specific conditions, and the application of these insights.

Ms. Nguyen Quyen, Geospatial Service Manager of the SERVIR Southeast Asia Program, discussed opportunities for future collaboration with technical support from SePlan. She highlighted SERVIR’s ongoing efforts in forest ecosystem and carbon management, supported by USAID and NASA, which provide crucial data and technology for geospatial applications. She expressed a desire to enhance data support and capacity building in Bhutan and other countries through collaboration with the SAFE Project.

After the presentations, participants discussed the linkage between CFMP and the 2024 Operational Plan, integration of community maps with the Community Profile, and the skills needed to use SePlan. It was clarified that the Community Profile will be further detailed through a strategic workshop and that community maps establish the baseline for CFMP development. A potential partnership with SERVIR could enhance data support, though it is not funded by current project resources. Participants expressed their understanding of SAFE’s plans and the importance of SePlan, looking forward to further collaboration with AFoCO and SERVIR Mekong.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing the SAFE Project’s objectives, emphasizing the crucial role of collaborative efforts in enhancing forest management and resilience across the region. As the project progresses, continued cooperation and strategic partnerships will be key to achieving sustainable outcomes for the SAFE Project.

Submitted by Ms. Minyoung Jeong, Assistant Program Officer

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