IFSA Dialogue: Bridging Science-to-Policy Transfer in Forestry Sector

In the age of anthropogenically induced climate change, the global forestry sector faces unprecedented challenges. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increased occurrences of extreme weather events have significantly impacted forest ecosystems worldwide. Deforestation and forest degradation continue to contribute to carbon emissions, further exacerbating climate change. At the same time, forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by acting as carbon sinks and supporting ecosystem resilience. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions, collaborative approaches, and evidence-based policies that integrate the latest scientific research. 

Effective policy making is critical to ensuring sustainable forest management and climate resilience. To achieve this, decision-makers have to incorporate scientific inputs into policies. Scientific advancements provide crucial insights into forest dynamics, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation strategies. However, despite the availability of robust scientific knowledge, there remains a significant gap between research findings and policy implementation. In the Global North, the ‘governance by experts’ still play a significant role in the forestry policy-making processes; however, the mentioned expertise is no longer exclusively understood as being related to science (Kleinschmit et al., 2018). Meanwhile in the Global South, policies are often focusing on the symptoms and isolated solutions (Brockhaus et al., 2021). Additionally, forest researchers often encounter tensions in navigating science-policy interfaces due to the emergence of multiple actors and interests (Ojanen et al., 2021). 

The overarching objective of this dialogue is to facilitate a meaningful exchange between scientists, policymakers, and forestry practitioners. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, this dialogue aims to provide a platform for students and professionals in identifying barriers and best practices for integrating forest education and scientific research into policymaking processes. It seeks to address the barriers hindering the effective use of scientific knowledge and develop recommendations for strengthening science-policy interfaces in the forestry sector by creating connections between education, research, and policy.

Dr. Michael Kirchner, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, who is Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 9.05.07 - Science policy interactions, will speak on the urgency of integrating scientific research into forestry policies at local, national, and international levels and will give an overview of barriers, challenges, and opportunities to science-to-policy transfers.
 

• Deadline for registration: 20 March 2025, 23:59 (UTC+0)