Forestry Research Needed to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
Managing the environment and natural resources such as minerals, trees and wildlife is key to sustainable development. It is for this reason I have observed that countries attach great importance to environmental matters. With increased climate change and the global population projected to reach 9.6 billion people by 2050, the world faces a myriad of challenges that require sustainable solutions.
Development experts and governments are busy mapping out and planning routes to sustainable development. The world marked two important events last year, the UN’s Agenda 2030 on sustainable development and the Paris agreement on climate change. I have been keenly following expert discussions on the links between the natural environment and development. Last week (26 April) in Nairobi, Kenya, I attended a meeting during which the CGIAR’s Indonesian-headquartered Center for International Forestry Research’s strategic plan 2016-2025 was discussed. I was impressed by how the plan captures forestry opportunities that could help achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The plan coincides with countries entering the implementation phase of the SDGs. The experts discussed its three pillars — research for impact, capacity development and outreach.
Nkolika Anyabolu