What is a Model Forest?
Model Forests are working landscapes that prioritize forest conservation and restoration alongside the social, economic and environmental goals of local communities. These 'living laboratories' serve as unique spaces where governments, community leaders, and other stakeholders can test new policies and programs.
Model Forests not only contribute to the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, but notably also innovate strategies that prioritize the human communities with which they are intertwined. This community-based approach to sustainable management nurtures trust and transparency, increasing the willingness to implement innovative solutions. The Model Forest management process relies on voluntary participation from public, private and volunteer sectors, community organizations, academia, and research institutions. Stakeholders in the Model Forests define what sustainability means within their own context; identifying a common vision and set of goals, devising a governance structure and strategic plan, and working together to achieve the goals set out in that plan.
