Port-of-Spain, January 31, 2023 – Caribbean rural communities are heavily dependent on forest-based goods and services, from the production of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as food, medicine and handicraft materials to ecotourism services. Forested areas are also critical for ecosystem services such as water provision, slope stabilisation and soil protection.
Despite their highly resilient nature, Caribbean forests are threatened by deforestation due to agriculture, housing, forest fires and invasive species. Climate change is also a major concern as it exacerbates the impacts of many of these threats and directly affects the structure, species composition and health of forests. In turn, climate change indirectly affects forest livelihoods by, for instance, reducing the availability of raw materials.
Launched on December 14, 2022, the Caribbean Strategy for Climate-Resilient Forests and Rural Livelihoods (CSCRFRL) was developed by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to serve as an overarching programming and investment framework to build the resilience of forest resources and associated rural livelihoods to climate change in the Caribbean.
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Photo credit: Natalie Boodram