ForInfo

Improving livelihoods through generation and ownership of forest Information by local people

Throughout the Mekong region, rural communities need clearer and more accurate information in order to access markets for forest products and services and to gain more value for their products. Payments for environmental services, including carbon mitigation, are increasingly available. However, as yet, most forest communities are unable to capture these markets or even to comprehend them.

"ForInfo: Livelihood Improvement Through Generation and Ownership of Forest Information by Local People in Products and Services Markets" trains local people to generate quality information about their forest resources, allowing them to better access markets for their products and services. This process gives them ownership over the information and allows them to play a more active role in improving the benefits they receive.

Ultimately, improving rural people's ability to generate and use information about forest resources can contribute to poverty reduction, the sustainability of forests, global efforts to mitigate climate change, and better abilities of communities to adapt to climate change.

With the help of the governments of Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Vietnam, the ForInfo project aims to:

• Establish best practices for generating information about forest resources
• Test best practices at pilot sites
• Develop mechanisms to share information and data throughout the region
• Assess the role of information management in local people's access to benefits
• Share field-tested methodologies throughout the Mekong region and beyond

Read more about a field visit for ForInfo exploring an innovative use of standing teak trees as loan collateral.