Building partnerships for forest conservation and management in Russia (Russian version)

The Bogda Component of Xinjiang Tianshan World Natural Heritage Site exemplifies representative geomorphological features and ecosystems of Xinjiang Tianshan. As a quintessential arid landscape in Eurasia’s hinterland, it showcases remarkably distinct and complete vertical zonation of mountain natural landscapes within minimal distances. This includes: snow-capped peaks and glaciers, pristine forests and meadows, crystal-clear rivers and lakes, expansive deserts. It achieves a remarkable convergence of stark contrasts: heat and cold, aridity and humidity, desolation and beauty, grandeur and delicacy. To realize win-win protection and development, the site is steadily advancing its smart conservation management platform, providing foundational support for sustainable development.

The situation is not new: a ministry is assigned responsibility for a socio-political issue but lacks the assertiveness, resources, or political backing to advance it effectively. More powerful ministries – such as those for economics, finance, or trade – often perceive the topic as marginal and economically insignificant, leading to disengagement. The responsible ministry frequently fails to recognise the broader socio-political relevance or how to engage more influential stakeholders to mainstream the topic and its implementation.

The approach to mainstreaming Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) taken by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative (ABS Initiative) highlights solutions to overcome these challenges but also reveals their limitations. Mainstreaming can be seen as a process whereby ABS is systematically integrated into existing or future structures, laws, strategies, plans, policies and programmes of other ministries and stakeholders. However, the methods used to implement mainstreaming are of crucial importance.

Rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) and Dipterocarpus macrocarpus are among the most logged and traded tropical timbers in Southeast Asia due to high demand from the luxury furniture market. Extensive illegal logging and trade have led to local extinction or severe population declines across its range. In response, we propose a community-based conservation program in the Central Annamites, Vietnam. The initiative includes establishing community nurseries, replanting rosewood in known habitats, and protecting remaining mature mother trees through the creation of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in community forests. This integrated approach will safeguard vital seed sources, support long-term species recovery, and actively engage local communities. In doing so, it will also create alternative income streams through seedling production, participation in restoration efforts, and access to carbon credits and other green financing opportunities.

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are sites outside protected areas that deliver effective and long-term in situ conservation of biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation may be the primary objective of the site, a secondary objective of a site that is managed for other purposes, or it may be an unintended consequence of the way the site is managed. OECMs may be governed and managed by governments, private entities or Indigenous peoples and local communities, or a combination of these. This tool guides an assessor through three steps to apply eight criteria which determine if a site qualifies as an OECM as set out under the Convention on Biological Diversity. For sites which do not currently meet all the criteria, the tool serves to highlight areas where further information or improvements in governance and management are required.

As the World Heritage Convention celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022, over 1100 sites around the world are recognized as World Heritage – places  that are so valuable to humanity that there conservation has been deemed our collective responsibility. Yet many of these exceptional places face  increasing pressure from diverse types of development projects within and around the sites. Assessing the impacts of such projects is essential to both prevent damage to World Heritage and identify sustainable options. This Guidance and toolkit explains the process for achieving these goals. Offering practical tips and tools including checklists and a glossary, it provides a framework for conducting impact assessments for cultural and natural heritage sites.

NACOFA gathers community feedback on Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) and Natural Resource Management (NRM) challenges, such as degradation. It analyzes existing laws and policies to identify gaps and inconsistencies that hinder effective solutions. To empower its CFA members, NACOFA builds their capacity in policy advocacy, teaching them to influence policymakers, secure inclusion in consultative forums, and impact policy planning and implementation. Collaboration with government bodies like the Ministry of Environment, Kenya Forest Service, and County NRM departments addresses these gaps through policy reviews, amendments, and new regulations. NACOFA also formed coalitions with stakeholders to tackle policy issues. When governments are slow or resistant to change, NACOFA engages in horizontal advocacy by working within government oversight structures, such as Technical Working Groups and Forest Conservation Committees, to influence policy from within.