Economics of Forest Restoration as a Carbon Mitigation and Nature-based Solution in South Asia: Project Review Meeting and Field Visit

12-15 July 2024

The IPS in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE), recently hosted the 5th Review and Planning Workshop for the "Economics of Forest Restoration as a Carbon Mitigation and Nature-based Solution in South Asia: Evidence from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka " research study. This event marked the completion of the first six months of the second year of the project, funded by ICIMOD.

Principal advisors of the project, Prof Jeff Vincent, Professor of Forest Economics & Management (Duke University), Dr François Libois, Associate Professor (INRAE & Paris School of Economics), and Dr Mani Nepal, Programme Coordinator (SANDEE) participated in the review meeting as reviewers. Mr Nishantha Edirisinghe, Director General of the Forest Department of Sri Lanka, and Mr Chandima Palamakumbura, Conservator of Forests (Protection & Law Enforcement), joined from the Forest Department of Sri Lanka.

The project review meeting held on 12 July 2024 at Club Hotel Dolphin as a hybrid event, featured presentations on the progress of the project by research teams from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The discussions focused particularly on the research of the Sri Lankan team. The Pakistan research team was led by Prof Heman Das Lohano (Professor of Economics, Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan), the Bangladesh research team was led by Prof Abul Kalam Enamul Haque (Professor of Economics, East West University, Bangladesh), and the Nepal research team was led by Dr Naya Prasad Sharma (Environment and Governance Specialist, Forest Action, Nepal), and the Sri Lanka research team was led by Dr Erandathie Pathiraja (Research Fellow, IPS).

The field visit component of the workshop took place on July 13-14, 2024. Research team members and district forest officers visited the Anuradhapura and Puttalam districts to gain a better understanding of the Farmer Woodlot Programme, a leading forest restoration initiative by the Forest Department of Sri Lanka. The visits focused on current operations, challenges, impacts on livelihood, distributional impacts and wildlife threats associated with the programme.

Following the field visits, discussions were conducted on the 15 July 2024 with the Sri Lankan research team to plan future activities for the project.