Science discussion panel 2: Water and climate

Distinguished scientists will discuss the role of forests in water and climate regulation. Panellists will discuss questions such as:

• How are the changes in rainfall patterns likely to affect development opportunities in countries that depend upon agriculture and natural resource management?
• As climate events become increasingly unpredictable, water shortage and flooding hit vulnerable communities the hardest. Should forestry in the concept of landscape management, be counted to buffer against this variability and how?
• The whole world has tremendous expectations for REDD+ in being able to achieve emissions reduction, sustainable development, tenure reform. As somebody looking from the development angle, is this really the best mechanism to promote sustainable land management?
• Integrated natural resource management has become a buzzword in research fields. But in smallholder landscapes such as in Africa where there are no mechanisms for managing landscapes, how can these nice principles from sustainability science affect real outcomes?