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FOREST PROTECTION PROGRAM

We work in forests to reduce poverty and improve incomes for the poor

RAPO, works in forest areas because in many countries, they are home to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people

Forests are vital to human survival. About 1.3 billion to 1.6 billion people depend on forests for food, energy, timber and many other uses. But rampant deforestation has meant the loss of nearly one half of the Earth's tropical forests cut over the past half a century. This puts pressure on policymakers, local communities and private companies to find better and more sustainable ways of using forest resources.

RAPO'S RESPONSE

The overarching goal of this program is to support the World Bank Group's efforts to promote sustainable poverty reduction in forests and to work with governments and the international community to promote the use of forests and their resources to reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity.

This program employs four pillars that build on earlier efforts by RAPO and other partners and aims to: (i) consolidate what is known about forest-poverty linkages, (ii) generate new knowledge on this interaction, (iii) improve how we measure household use and dependence of forests, and (iv) share these results with a broad set of policy makers and practitioners. The work are conducted in close collaboration with an external reference group of advisory experts and key institutions that includes representatives from the organizations,