Activities and events

The proposed activities and their expected outputs are:

1.  Work with relevant Divisions to identify potential sessions (sub-plenary and other sessions) on the theme of forests and climate change for IUFRO World Congress 2014  

• Outputs: (a) potential themes identified, (b) one plenary session and other sessions organized at eth IUFRO World Congress 2014

2.  Encourage, facilitate,and organize interdivisional conferences/meetings or Task Force level meetings on forests and climate change

• Outputs: (a) scientific workshops organized in conjunction with already planned events at global and regional levels by IUFRO, CPF, etc.

3.    Produce State-of-Knowledge reports on the respective themes at the end of the Board period in the fall of 2014

• The Task Force will study this option, and no outputs can be defined at this stage
• Possibility of producing a complementary annual summary of "What do policy-makers need?" based on SBSTA and/or COP deliberations will be assessed
• Other processes (IPCC and others) already underway, so we need to avoid duplication

4.  Present the final output(s) of the Task Force at the next IUFRO World Congress in 2014, including recommendations on how to address the six themes in a new IUFRO Strategy and how to adjust the IUFRO structure accordingly

• Outputs: The scientific workshops to be organized in conjunction with future Forest Day and other events, and "What do policy makers need?" summaries would generate summaries, recommendations, e.g., on research gaps, which could be mapped to IUFRO Divisions and presented at the IUFRO World Congress

5.  Produce tutorials and/or teaching material on the respective themes for dissemination to the public or relevant stakeholders

• Outputs: The Task Force will study the possibility of mobilizing contributions from IUFRO divisions to prepare/update teaching materials on forests and climate change
• The CIFOR-ICRAF-USAID Forests and Climate Change Toolbox (http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/fctoolbox/) could be used as an example

(a)    Organization of the Task Force – May to October 2011
(b)    Task Force meeting in conjunction with UNFCCC COP and Forest Day 5 in Durban (November 2011)

(c)    IUFRO and other meetings where the Task Force could be participating in 2011 and 20112:

• Climate change impacts could be addressed at CAF meeting on adaptation in Yichun China, August 2011 in collaboration with IUFRO Division 8
• Adaptation trade-offs could be addressed as part of IUFRO scientific congress in Nairobi, June 2012, in collaboration with Forests and People Task Force
• REDD and adaptation opportunities could be addressed in conjunction with future Forest Day events (at UNFCCC COPs)

(note: the above list will frequently updated)

Work Plan for 2011 and 2012

The Forests and Climate Change Task Force plans to implement the tasks defined in the TOR in 2011 and 2012 through the following activities:

1.    Setting up and organizing the work of the Task Force

Tasks:
- Creation of the Task Force list serve and web page
- Completion of the list of members (not all the Divisions have nominated their representatives)
- Linking with existing and potential Task Force members &partnersduring the Forest Day 5 and COP 17 in Durban.

Time frame:
- To be completed by December 31, 2011.

2.    Scientific meetings co-organized by the Task Force

Task:
- To organize (or co-organize) at least one session on forests and climate change in a IUFRO congress in 2012
-- Preliminary contact has been established with the organizers of the IUFRO-FORNESSA Regional Congress, 26 to 30 June, 2012 – A joint session is expected to be organized in this congress.

Time frame:
- To be completed by December 31, 2012.

3.    Policy brief

Task:
- A policy brief published in 2012 on emerging research issues based on COP 17 results in Durban
-- To be discussed with the Task Force members.

Time frame:
- To be completed by December 31, 2012.