From campaigns to plant trillions of trees to international commitments to end deforestation, forests are finally receiving the support and attention they deserve, not only as climate change mitigators and habitat for biodiversity but also as providers of natural renewable resources to solve human needs and overall prosperity. But are current efforts properly harnessing all of forests’ potential to provide solutions?
Every two years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) releases The State of the World’s Forests, a flagship report that chronicles solutions to challenges facing forests. In light of 2022’s report and the turbulence of the past two years, this GLF Live on 4 May at 12:00 CEST / 13:00 EAT / 19:00 KST will bring Ewald Rametsteiner, deputy director of FAO’s Forestry Division, and Musonda Mumba, director for The Rome Centre for Sustainable Development of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), into discussion on how integrating protection, restoration and proper use of forests and trees can bring inclusive, resilient and sustainable returns at local and global levels.
Ewald Rametsteiner has been working as the deputy director of the Forestry Division (NFO) of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He has previously coordinated a program on sustainable agriculture and led the forest governance team at the organization. Before joining FAO, he worked at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the European Forest Institute. Over the course of his career, has been a member of secretariats of intergovernmental bodies and a policy advisor on sustainability issues for a range of international organizations and governmental bodies. He holds a PhD in Forest Policy and Economics from the University of Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
Musonda Mumba is the director for The Rome Centre for Sustainable Development under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She is also the former chair of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) and former Vice-Chair of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). She has over 25 years’ experience in environmental and conservation issues globally, and has published widely in various journals, newspapers, articles, and contributed to book chapters. Before joining UNDP, Mumba was the head of United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Programme and served in various roles over a period of 12 years. A Zambian national, she received her BSc. Ed. at University of Zambia and her Ph.D. at University College London in wetland conservation and hydrology.
This event is presented by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

Finally…
…thank you for reading this story. Our mission is to make them freely accessible to everyone, no matter where they are.
We believe that lasting and impactful change starts with changing the way people think. That’s why we amplify the diverse voices the world needs to hear – from local restoration leaders to Indigenous communities and women who lead the way.
By supporting us, not only are you supporting the world’s largest knowledge-led platform devoted to sustainable and inclusive landscapes, but you’re also becoming a vital part of a global community that’s working tirelessly to create a healthier world for us all.
Every donation counts – no matter the amount. Thank you for being a part of our mission.
Want to get the latest climate and environmental stories in your inbox? Sign up here to stay in the loop.
Every week, we’ll send you our top feature story. Discover green innovations, social justice issues, environmental history and more.
Tune into our live monthly podcast with the world’s unsung environmental heroes. Sign up to find out when the next episode drops.
Once a month, get informed with our 5-minute round-up of the latest environmental headlines from around the world.
You've been successfully added to our newsletter list. Stay tuned for the latest climate stories and updates.
There is a wide variety of language and jargon around sustainability reporting standards. Here’s how two initiatives are working to fix that.
Global assessment aims to catalogue all tree species and their conservation status in order to inform restoration action.
In Asia and Africa, researchers examine the biodiversity benefits inherent to the preservation of sacred groves.