Forest Trends Association

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

WATER: RECOGNIZING THE MULTIPLE VALUES, INCLUDING SUPPLIES OF CLEAN WATER, WHICH FORESTS PROVIDE TO PEOPLE, FOREST TRENDS HAS WORKED FROM INCEPTION TO PROMOTE THE USE OF INCENTIVES AND MARKET-BASED INSTRUMENTS TO PROTECT AND SUSTAINABLY MANAGE WATERSHED SERVICES. FOREST TRENDS HELPED ESTABLISH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FUND, AN INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FOREST TRENDS, THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE, AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION, TO RESTORE AND PROTECT THE BAY'S WATER QUALITY. IN 2010, WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST STATE OF WATERSHED PAYMENTS REPORT, THE FIRST GLOBAL SURVEY OF INCENTIVE AND MARKET-BASED INSTRUMENTS FOR PROTECTING HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES.IN 2011, WE LAUNCHED A 5-YEAR PROJECT, FUNDED BY THE SWISS AGENCY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION, WHICH IS WORKING WITH PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD TO SCALE UP SUCCESSFUL MODELS OF INVESTMENTS IN WATERSHED SERVICES (IWS). OUR WORK IS BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT NATURAL OR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT ONLY CRITICAL TO SUSTAINING ADEQUATE SUPPLIES OF CLEAN WATER FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE; GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDRESS CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTION, CONTRIBUTE TO MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS, AND KEEP FUTURE OPTIONS OPEN. HOWEVER, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT YET A MAINSTREAM PART OF WATER MANAGEMENT. THE INITIATIVE WORKS TO CHANGE THE WAY WATER IS MANAGED BY SCALING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THROUGH FINANCING MECHANISMS, SO THAT GREEN SOLUTIONS ARE KEY PART OF A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH FOR WATER SECURITY. FROM THIS PROGRAM OF WORK CAME THE NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER SECURITY PROJECT BASED IN LIMA, PERU. THE PROJECT AIMS TO SCALE UP INVESTMENTS IN NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THAT COUNTRY TO SAFEGUARD WATER SUPPLIES AND INCREASE CLIMATE RESILIENCE, CREATING SOLUTIONS THAT WILL BE SCALABLE WORLDWIDE.

FOREST POLICY, TRADE AND FINANCE: THE FOREST POLICY, TRADE AND FINANCE INITIATIVE WAS CREATED IN THE EARLY 2000S WHEN THE ORGANIZATION REALIZED THAT EMERGING MARKETS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND PRODUCTS WERE CONTINUING TO BE UNDERMINED BY CHEAP AND ILLEGAL FOREST PRODUCTS. SINCE THEN, THE FPTF PROGRAM HAS BEEN WORKING TO "SQUEEZE OUT" THE PROFITABILITY AND MARKET ACCESS OF ILLEGALLY SOURCED TIMBER AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.THE ULTIMATE AIM OF THE FPTF PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT MARKET TRANSFORMATION AWAY FROM PRODUCTS SOURCED ILLEGALLY FROM FOREST AREAS, DEVELOPING EXCELLENT DATA AND POLICY ANALYSIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH STAKEHOLDERS, AND MENTORING AND CONVENING 'COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE' AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOOD FOREST GOVERNANCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, TRADE CONTROLS, SECURE RESOURCE RIGHTS, AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. THE INITIATIVE'S THEORY OF CHANGE HINGES UPON A COMBINATION OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND SIDE INTERVENTIONS AT THIS INTERSECTION OF POLICY, GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE PRODUCTION.

COMMUNITIES: THE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE IS ONE OF THE FIRST INITIATIVES OF FOREST TRENDS. THE INITIAL FOCUS WAS ON RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS TO PROMOTE COMMUNITIES' FOREST/LAND TENURE. IN 2006 WE TRANSITIONED TO OUR CURRENT APPROACH OF WORKING DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CAPACITY TO SECURE AND MANAGE THEIR TRADITIONAL FOREST HOMELANDS.WE SUPPORT INDIGENOUS AND OTHER TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES TO SECURE THEIR RIGHTS, MANAGE AND CONSERVE THEIR FORESTS AND IMPROVE THEIR LIVELIHOODS. FOCUSING ON RIGHTS, FORESTS, AND LIVELIHOODS, WE LINK LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN KEY GEOGRAPHIES TO OPPORTUNITIES AROUND EVOLVING POLICY, FINANCE, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. BY STRENGTHENING LOCAL COMMUNITIES' CAPACITY TO SECURE AND MANAGE THEIR FORESTS, THE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, CULTURAL SURVIVAL, AND TO THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND OTHER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.