Paavo Pelkonen

Emeritus Professor

University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest Sciences

The tools for meeting the common action

The basis of any kind of cooperation and partnership is trust and respect. These principal fundaments must be met at every level and context of joint efforts related to local, regional, international, and globally relevant cooperation. The very same rule is valid for every possible geographic combination of human brains and hands allocated to South-North, and South-South, as well as North-North partnerships.

Some necessary steps must be taken before successful results may be available in any joint developmental process. We need to openly share information and knowledge between the cooperative partners. In this first part of the partnership, we must be ready to open and answer the reciprocal what-question. What is our partnership made of?

Based on information and knowledge, we may open a new avenue of mutual understanding related to how-question. This process will teach why and how our partner is working and operating and how he/she is thinking, as well as sets and solves problems in the spirit of creativity and innovativeness. The trust step can follow the successful passing of the above-mentioned two steps, only.

There is no shortcut to the real trust. Everyone must take the steps of shared information and knowledge, as well as the step of understanding to be able to feel the assured reliance. It creates a strong emotional and rational commitment to a reciprocal and balanced win-win situation. The partners share something new they have been able to innovate and push forward due to the unique partnership. Stepping up to the three previous levels is even a valid precondition for reaching the level of respect. This provides the partners with opportunities to meet new challenges and high-quality performance in cooperation.

It is understandable that partners of international cooperation, even in the field of science and technology may have differing project objectives and goals. The participating country representatives need to manage dialogue competence including abilities to argumentation and listening. While defining joint goals the key issue is to reach a consensus. Consensus need not necessarily mean unanimity. Especially, in the initiatives related to international forestry projects stakeholders must start understanding that mankind is globally strongly interconnected through forest policies with a core aspect of promoting the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Every forest ecosystem in any part of the Earth is connected to the great cycling of carbon dioxide and water. The disturbance of this cycle has existential consequences.

Earth’s forest ecosystem needs consideration from the inhabitants of Globalvillage

Forest area of the Earth is continuously shrinking. This conclusion can be drawn based on large amounts of data and reports available today. Unfortunately, methodologies to collect and analyze forest data vary World Resources Institute presents in the Global Forest Review 2022 a dramatic example of today's problems. Over the last 10 years forest fires have destroyed about 800 000 ha and 250 000 ha over ten previous years (2003-2012) annually. Every human being elaborating sustainable future and working in, on, or for forests is challenged to stop forest loss from taking place.

The Theory of Forest Transition describes well the forest development in various regions and countries. The U-shaped curve shows the developmental phases from the start and the acceleration of forest loss, the decrease in the rate of the loss, and finally recovery of forest area. Not only the theory but especially praxis shows that the U-shaped curve can show upwards with the accelerated speed. Shaanxi province in China is a good example of this kind of process.

UN/FAO’s SOFO report 2022 describes three pathways for promoting sustainability. The three interrelated pathways are halting deforestation and maintaining forests; restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry; and sustainably using forests and building green value chains. The balanced, simultaneous pursuit of these pathways can generate sustainable economic and social benefits for countries and their rural communities, help sustainably meet increasing global demand for materials, and address environmental challenges.

The core of promoting the UN/FAO's goals is to develop and implement a systematic and scientifically valid forest inventory that takes into consideration all the dimensions of sustainability in a balanced way.

The environmentally hazardous process related to the shrinkage of forest areas is greatly threatening the Southern Hemisphere, especially tropical forests. The South-South Cooperation (SSC) has good opportunities to find solutions for combating forest loss in many countries of Global south. Technological and social innovations are the key issues when reforestation and related industries-based livelihoods and value chains are developed. Unfortunately, the investments for promotion of sustainable reforestation and afforestation have not been raised up to the level they should be for modernizing sowing and planting of forests. In addition, Academic Education and Research are suffering from the lack of support in the field of resource-wise and energy-efficient technologies related to refining renewable forest resources.