Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean

Best practices in Tropical Forest Conservation in the Americas

Date: Thursday, May 16, 12:00 pm -5:00 pm

Venue: OAS 1889 F St NW (Corner 19th and F)

Around 22 speakers representing key organizations in tropical forest conservation based in the DC area, convened in the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States on Thursday, May 16 to participate in a constructive discussion. They came from various backgrounds of the conservation spectrum, ranging from international organizations, development agencies and civil society. The aim of this conversation is to share experiences, workplans, and challenges to facilitate a coordinated interagency delivery of forestry and conservation in the America’s tropical forests.The experts covered a range of innovative initiatives (financial, administrative, political, and scientific) that also looked at crosscutting themes such as gender and indigenous peoples. The main focus of the meeting was the Amazon rainforest which plays a critical role as a storehouse of carbon and the global water cycle. It holds a greater share of the world's known biodiversity than any other ecosystem.

Jefferson Chirimuscay presents theories and practices for sustainable tropical forest management

 

Acknowledging recent reports made by the Inter-American Dialogue and the Andes Amazon Fund, unregulated development is placing the Amazon under threat, pushing forest cover loss to near-record levels throughout the region. As a result, various policies, measures, and deliverables that could reduce deforestation in the major Amazonian countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Suriname, the Guyanas, and Ecuador) were debated. This discussion allowed the speakers to form, expand and strengthen the institutional ties for a more integrated approach for the protection and management of tropical forests in our continent.

List of Participants  

NAME

AFILIATION

Richard Huber

OAS - Moderator

Adrian Rico Galindo

OAS - Coordinator

Ani Cuevas

US FWS

Arturo Restrepo

Ecotropics

Claudia Sobrevilla

WORLD BANK, Women in Nature Network

David Antonioli

CEO of Verra

Dr. Adrian Forsyth

Executive Director Andes Amazon Fund

Dr. Mark J. Plotkin

Jefferson Chirimuscay

Co-Founder & President Amazon Conservation Team

Enrique Ortiz

Program Director Andes Amazon Fund

Greg Minnick

Director at Rainforest Alliance

Greg Butcher

US Forest Service

Guy Foulks

US FWS

Jeremy Radachowsky

WCS

John Beavers

Executive Director at Amazon Conservation Association

Juan Pablo Bonilla

Manager of the IDB's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector (CSD).

Kerry Cesareo

Senior Vice President, Forests WWF

Liliana Madrigal

Co-Founder & Executive VP

Lisa M. Famolare

Vice President, Amazonia at Conservation International

Lisa Viscidi

Director of the Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program at the Inter-American Dialogue.

Meg Symington

Managing Director, Amazon WWF

Michael Jenkins

President Forest Trends

Peter Ellis 

Forest Carbon Scientist at the Nature Conservancy

Rodrigo Martinez

WORLD BANK

Sofia Faruqui

Manager, New Restoration Economy World Resource Institute

Todd Hamner

USAID   

Walter Vergara

Initiative 20x20

William Ehlers

Pascal Martinez

Secretary to the Council. Head of External Relations at Global Environment Facility, GEF

 

 

 

 

For further information on this event please contact Richard Huber at [email protected] or Adrian Rico at [email protected]