INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA) welcomes collaboration with international partners.
Following is a list of some researchers, managers and organisations interested in
FOREST RESTORATION in the Asia-Pacific region that you may find helpful.
This list of contacts focuses on those primarily interested in forest restoration. These contacts may be able to provide further information on others in these particular countries working on the restoration of other ecosystems.
The Environmental Leadership and Training Institute (ELTI)
The Institute is a joint program of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. ELTI organises training courses in various aspects of forest restoration and seeks to provide information to practitioners (e.g. see http://reforestation.elti.org).
It also aims to link together those working on tropical forest restoration.
See webpage: http://environment.yale.edu/elti/
David Neidel coordinates ELTI's activities in SE Asia.
Contact: David (david.neidel@gmail.com)
India
The Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) is an NGO that has operated for over a decade in the field of participatory conservation mainly in the Western Ghats region of India - a global biodiversity hotspot . The Foundation has been involved in conservation and restoration of sacred groves as well as restoration of community forests. The organisation is using innovative approaches such as incentive based mechanisms for linking restoration of forests at landscape level with sustainable human livelihoods.
For more information see: http://www.aerfindia.org and http://www.myforest.co.in
Contact: Jayant Sarnaik (jsarnaik@gmail.com)
Indonesia
Dr Yadi Setiadi is at the Bogor Agricultural University in Bogor, Indonesia. He works on the rehabilitation of former minesites.
Contact: Yadi Setiadi (ysetiad55@gmail.com)
Dr Petrus Gunarso is Program Director with Tropenbos based in East Kalimantan. Tropenbos is an NGO interested in conservation and sustainable development across Indonesia (and Vietnam). They have an especial interest in restoration of degraded landscapes.
See website at: http://www.tropenbos.org/country_programmes/indonesia
Contact: Petrus Gunarso (p.gunarso@tropenbos-indonesia.org)
Ani Nawir works at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Headquaters in Bogor, Indonesia. She is a natural resources economist with a particular interest in forest rehabilitation and livelihoods. Information on publications and staff of CIFOR, work on restoration, as well as a variety of other tropical forest issues can be obtained from its website (http://www.cifor.org).
Contact: Ani (a.nawir@cgiar.com)
Malaysia
Dr Yap is with the Conservation and Environmental Management Division of the Yayasan Sabah Group, Sabah, Malaysia. She has a particular interest in restoring the productive capacity of tropical forests in Sabah degraded by wildfire and logging.
See website: http://www.ysnet.org.my/conservation.asp?p=s&l=bi
Contact: Yap (yapsauwai@gmail.com)
Dr Ang Lai Hoe is with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia where he is currently restoring a 300-ac ex-tin mine site in Bidor Perak, Malaysia with indigenous climax rainforest species. He has worked 15 years on greening the ex-tin mine. The former denuded ex-tin mine was first greened with pioneer species and as the site properties of the degraded ecosystem is being improved, about 30 species of climax rainforest species were planted and they have established well under the mixed man-made forest stands. In addition, wildlife also aid in the natural regeneration composition and distribution of the greened sites. He also established the Tin Tailings Afforestation Center in 2010. The centre housesresearch and development facilities and fundamentally encourages collaborative research and development activities on rehabilitation and restoration of ex-tin mine.
See website at: http://www.frim.gov.my
Contact: Ang Lai Hoe (anglh@frim.gov.my)
Thailand
Dr Steve Elliott works with the Forest Restoration Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Forest Restoration Research Unit carries out research into the ways in which degraded landscapes in northern Thailand can be restored. It has been active in the region for over 15 years and has a number of research areas and field sites. It is responsible for the widely read 'How to Plant a Forest' which is available for downloading from its website (www.forru.org/)
Contact: Steve Elliott (stephen_elliott1@yahoo.com)
Dr. Tint Lwin Thaung is the Executive Director of RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests , which is the only organization in Asia-Pacific working on community forestry and devolved forest management. It aims to increase the role of local people in governing and managing forest resources through four thematic areas: people, forests and climate change; conflict transformation; livelihoods and markets and the expansion of community forestry through capacity building and action research. Many of these initiatives have resulted in the ecological restoration of large areas of mangrove forests and degraded lands.
For more information visit: http://www.recoftc.org
Vietnam
Dr Phan Minh Sang works for the Silviculture Research Institute (SRI) of Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences (VAFS) in Ha Noi. The Institute undertakes research on a variety of forest related issues throughout Vietnam. Sang has a special interest in forest restoration which focus on restoring the productive capacity and the ecological functioning of degraded forest ecosystems.
See website: www.fsiv.org.vn for VAFS, http://www.sri.org.vn for SRI (being developed)
Contact: Phan Minh Sang (sang.phan@sri.org.vn)