Forest Biodiversity at COP16 (Draft)

At CBD COP16, significant steps were taken to strengthen global efforts in preserving forest biodiversity, a cornerstone of the planet's environmental health and resilience. Recognizing that forests cover over 31% of the Earth's land area and house 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, countries, major stakeholder groups, including indigenous peoples and local communities, and partners underscored the urgent need for coordinated actions to protect these vital ecosystems from mounting threats. 

All goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework are deeply rooted in forests and forestry sectors. It is imperative to see all KMGBF targets translated into ambitious while achievable national commitments in the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action plans (NBSAPs) addressing multifaceted challenges faced by forests.  

With the stage set, here is a rundown of some forest biodiversity events, publications, resources and other results: 

The Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI) was established by the CBD Secretariat and the Republic of Korea at COP12 in 2014 to assist developing countries in the implementation of Aichi Biodiversity Targets 5, 11, and 15. A special session was held at COP16 that marked the 10th anniversary of FERI and celebrated its accomplishments while looking forward to the KM-GBF 2030 targets and 2050 goals. The session also officially launched “FERI at 10 Years” an informative booklet that presents a concise summary of the lessons learned, and looks to implement these lessons in ecosystem restoration for the future.  

Synergy is key to achieving ambitious goals. Here are some highlights of the work of our partners at COP16.

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International Day of Forests? Upcoming webinar/workshops?