Dr Katharine Vincent and Ms Tracy Cull are finalising the proposal for a regional programme on forests, rangelands and climate change adaptation in southern Africa. The programme will be submitted to the Global Environment Facility to be considered for Least Developed Countries Fund monies. Participating countries for which concept notes will be submitted include Malawi, Zambia and Madagascar in the first phase, and likely Angola, Lesotho and Tanzania in the second phase. The programme, which will be run in partnership with SADC and COMESA and implemented by FAO, aims to harmonise policies and strategies around climage change, forestry and fire management across the region; reduce the vulnerability of forest and rangeland resources and the populations dependent upon them; and to develop and implement a data management system that enables effective monitoring of the state of forest and rangeland resources at both national and regional levels. The programme was first conceived of at a regional workshop hosted by FAO and SADC in Johannesburg in June 2013.
