To deepen forestry cooperation in a practical and tangible way and meet regional forest management needs, officials and experts in Greater Central Asia proposed a concrete action plan on strategic forestry cooperation in the region.

The action plan consists of regional demonstration project, forestry training program, in the areas of sustainable forest management, forest fire prevention and desertification.

The plan was proposed during the 2nd Regional Workshop on Strategic Forestry Cooperation in Greater Central Asia on 17 July 2015 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The workshop was co-organized by the Ministry of Environment and Green Development and Tourism of Mongolia, Mongolian Nature and Environment Consortium and APFNet.

“Forest fires and desertification are major challenges in Greater Central Asia” said APFNet Assistant Executive Director Mr. Lu De, noting that stronger regional cooperation on forest management is necessary to protect rural livelihoods and ensure forest health.

The 3-day workshop invited 41 forestry officials and experts from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and China as well as international and non-government organizations in the Greater Central Asia region. Participating economies highly supported the action plan and confirmed their willingness to further deepen forestry cooperation with APFNet, through joint efforts in promoting sustainable forest management, piloting best practices.

The 3rdRegional Workshop will be held in Kyrgyzstan in 2017.