Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, Engagement (FLARE) Community of Practice

As part of its DFID-funded research program, IFRI is also coordinating the formation of Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, Engagement (FLARE), a Community of Practice on forests and livelihoods.

A Community of Practice on these themes is overdue. Data and research projects on incomes, forests, and livelihoods are abundant – but few reliable estimates of number of forest dependent peoples or of the nature of forest dependence. There is widespread recognition of the role of tenure in forest governance – but limited knowledge at best about the spatial distribution of different forms of tenure or of how variations in tenure affect forest cover and forest-based livelihoods. Forest sector projects seek to improve forest outcomes by involving communities, or by paying users, or by certifying timber, or a combination of these tools– but without adequate evidence on when different institutional mechanisms are more effective.

Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, Engagement will advance the state of knowledge regarding forest based livelihoods by pursuing three aims: a) Catalyze analyses of existing large scale forest, census, and household datasets for advancing and sharing cutting edge knowledge regarding forest-based livelihoods; b) Generate usable indicators, program monitoring and learning applications, methodological products to assess outcomes of forest sector interventions and estimates of forest dependent peoples and changes in their livelihoods; and c) Work towards an effective strategy to achieve impact beyond specific monitoring efforts via broader adoption of indicators and tools developed by FLARE members.

Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, Engagement will bring together representatives of key stakeholders – including donor organizations, environmental and social NGOs, development agencies, and research organizations- to build on and leverage each other’s expertise and efforts, and accomplish the above tasks.

FLARE Planning Meeting, March 11, 2015

First Annual FLARE Network Conference
November 27 – 30, 2015
Paris, France