Call for Papers for an ETFRN News on Linkages between FLEGT” REDD+ and beyond: Challenges and opportunities for improved forest management

In response to concerns about forest loss and degradation” a number of international policy initiatives have emerged. Key among these are the EU Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and ‘REDD+’ initiatives: Reducing Emissions for Deforestation and Degradation and the role of conservation” sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Both initiatives” and also others such as forest certification” the Non-legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests (NLBI)” or National Forest Programme (NFP) processes address the same underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation.

Ideally all these processes” including REDD+ and FLEGT” should be compatible and mutually reinforcing” but practice shows that this is often very challenging.

Documenting and analysing existing experiences and lessons about how these initiatives interact will help policy makers” practitioners and knowledge workers to better understand what works well and what doesn’t so well. ETFRN” an independent platform of exchange of information and views” published by the European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN)” is inviting researchers to submit a short article (maximum 3″000 words) for its December 2013 issue on their experiences with linkages between FLEGT” REDD+ and beyond. This may be an excellent opportunity for those studying REDD+ and FLEGT to showcase their work and to contribute to the discussion on these linkages.

ETFRN would particularly like the authors to focus on the analysis of practical examples of linkages between FLEGT and REDD+ and other supply and demand side approaches at country level to decrease pressure on forests. In addition” experiences with linkages of REDD+ and/or FLEGT with other forest related initiatives” such as forest certification” different (i.e. VPA and non VPA related) aspects of the EC FLEGT Action Plan” or national forest policy review processes” will be included” as well common approaches improving forest governance. Suggested themes are listed here” but authors are by no means required to limit themselves to these questions.

The ETFRN News provides an independent platform of exchange of information and views” published by the European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN). It is a network of European organizations involved in (sub)tropical forest research. The News publishes on specific themes bringing together field level practice” scientific insights and international and national policy endeavours to enhance common understanding” exchange of experience and joint learning” and to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Read the detailed call for papers here.