Using Forests to Enhance Resilience to Climate Change : What Do We Know About How Forests Can Contribute to Adaptation?

The global dialogue surrounding the
United Nations framework convention for climate change has
focused on two strategies for addressing challenges
associated with climate change: (1) mitigation (reducing the
accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere);
and (2) adaptation (reducing the vulnerability of societies
and ecosystems to the impacts of climate change). Forests
feature in both of these strategies. The role of forests as
stores of carbon and therefore in reducing GHG emissions has
been captured in the efforts associated with reducing
emissions from deforestation and degradation and enhancing
carbon stocks (REDD+). The report points to how forests will
respond to climate change, and advocates strengthening the
ability of institutions to deliver on sustainable forest
management, which will help with the resilience of forest
systems. This working paper presents a review of relevant
work on forests and the services, and the use of forests and
trees in adaptation. The paper starts with a brief
discussion about climate change. It also provides a
conceptualization of how to link forest services with their
use for adaptation (more specifically, ecosystem-based
adaptation). This report is structured as follows: chapter
one gives introduction; chapter two focuses on climate
change; chapter three presents vulnerability and climate
change adaptation; chapter four introduces the
ecosystem-based adaptation; chapter five deals with forests
and adaptation; and chapter six gives conclusions and way forward.