Flace Conference 2024 Participants
RDI Senior Research Fellow, Dr Saut Sagala participated in the 10th Annual Forests and Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement (FLARE) Meeting in Rome, Italy From 3rd to 7th October 2024. Dr. Saut Sagala presented collaborative research with Yayasan Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) titled “Integrating Peatland Management and Community Development for Sustainable Livelihoods in West Kalimantan.” This study, featured in the Sustainable Forest Management Perspectives parallel session, emphasised the importance of empowering local communities in peatland conservation. Key insights included:
- Raising community awareness to support sustainable peatland management.
- Offering alternative livelihoods to reduce tree-cutting and burning.
- Strengthening women's involvement in conservation initiatives for greater impact.
FLARE is a global network dedicated to advancing knowledge on forests and the communities that depend on them. FLARE promotes sustainable solutions that balance forest conservation with community well-being by fostering collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
This year’s “Imagination and Innovation for Forests and Livelihoods” meeting explored how emerging technologies like AI, drones, and blockchain revolutionise forest management and community dynamics. Key sub-themes included:
- Forests and trees in a just climate transition
- Human well-being, poverty, and forests
- Forest landscape restoration: challenges and opportunities
- Social justice in the forest: rights, power, and collaboration
- Data and methods for understanding forests and human well-being
- Teaching and learning on forest livelihoods
- Forest governance from local to global
- Beyond the forest: trees and human well-being from farm to city
- Forest conservation: commons and contestation
The FLARE Secretariat welcomed Professor Melissa Leach, Executive Director of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, and Rukka Sombolinggi, Secretary General of the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), as keynote speakers for the 10th Annual Meeting. Professor Leach delivered a thought-provoking keynote titled "Reflections on Community, Culture, and Justice from West Africa and Beyond." Her presentation spurred engaging discussions on topics such as decolonising environmental justice, recognising the rights of nature, and enhancing forest governance. She shared powerful stories about the challenges of balancing community livelihoods with the increasing pressure to commoditise carbon and natural resources. Rukka Sombolinggi joined virtually, offering valuable insights on indigenous rights in Indonesia. She highlighted social justice issues, focusing on the environmental and territorial rights of indigenous communities, underscoring the importance of equitable and inclusive conservation efforts.
The FLARE meeting provided an invaluable platform for RDI to share its expertise in peatland conservation and present a Southeast Asian perspective. The event also fostered meaningful exchanges with global participants, allowing RDI to deepen its impact on environmental and community-focused solutions. This participation underscores RDI’s dedication to driving transformative and sustainable outcomes for communities worldwide.
