Forests and the environment

In the late 1980s, Jack Westoby, an influential commentator on forestry, asked: what is the purpose of forests in international development? This fundamental question has not yet been answered in full, in part because of the ever-changing context of development.

ODI has been tracking these changes, from an early focus on rural development forestry through to today's preoccupation with using forests to mitigate global climate change.

ODI research focuses on the vulnerabilities of – and the opportunities for – the rural poor. We work on such issues as: public participation; accountability; the rule of law; public sector delivery; and decentralisation. In each case, we demonstrate how progress in the forest sector can leverage wider gains in good governance, environmental stewardship and pro-poor change. Our work aims to increase understanding of the importance of forests for livelihoods and to identify opportunities for the rural poor to benefit more fully from forest services (such as carbon storage) and the commercial use of forest products.