Increasing Africa’s climate resilience: Need to strengthen forest research

Around 300 scientists and decision-makers meet in Nairobi, Kenya from 25 to 29 June 2012 to discuss forest and tree management challenges, and research needs in Africa.

(Nairobi/Vienna, 25 June 2012) From dense and undisturbed tropical forests to scattered trees in the dry lands, African forest and tree resources are extremely diverse. At the same time, the continent is one of the regions worldwide most vulnerable to climate change. Increased droughts and forest fire have impacts not only on forests and trees, but also on the life of millions of people. “There is a strong need to gain a deeper understanding of the various impacts climate change already has and will continue to have, and of adequate mitigation and adaptation measures“, says Victor Agyeman, Chairman of the Forestry Research Network of Sub-Saharan Africa (FORNESSA) and co-organizer of the First IUFRO-FORNESSA Regional Congress “Forests and Trees: Serving the People of Africa and the World“.