Financing Mechanisms
Overview
In the past decade, concern over significant forest loss has placed conservation and sustainable use of forests on center stage among environmental issues. As a result, the private sector and national governments have come under increased international political and market pressures to promote and utilize sustainable forest management best practices. However, financial constraints and short-term economic development priorities often hinder an ability to finance sustainable forestry development, a long-term investment.
Many experts and practitioners in the field recognize the lack of sufficient financing for sustainable forest management. Multilateral organizations, such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Environment Facility (GEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) still play important and vital roles in providing funds and technical expertise in promoting sustainable forestry practices. However, it is increasingly apparent that new partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms are necessary to fill the financial resource gap to enable the viability of sustainable forest management in the long term.
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