Communities around the world are gaining greater responsibility for forests. But who is helping them develop the legally required technical skills needed to manage them actively and sustainably?
Expanding Capacity Where It Is Needed Most
Today, more than one-third of the world’s forests are managed by—or are subject to the rights and stewardship of—Indigenous Peoples and local communities. These forests are increasingly expected to deliver sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and economic growth.
At the same time, governments, markets and society are placing greater regulatory and technical demands on forest management. From restoration and wildfire mitigation to biodiversity monitoring, sustainable timber production and environmental markets, communities increasingly need recognised technical expertise alongside their existing knowledge and experience.
The result is a growing gap between forest rights, management responsibilities and the locally recognised technical workforce needed to fulfil them.
Without that workforce, opportunities for active forest management, sustainable forest enterprises and improved livelihoods are often lost, while forests become more vulnerable to degradation, wildfire and pests.
Paraforesters help close this implementation gap by creating a recognised, locally based technical forestry workforce that builds on Indigenous and local knowledge while expanding the reach of professional forestry services.
The Opportunity
The future of the world’s forests will depend not only on who owns or manages them, but on who has the recognised technical skills to manage them actively, sustainably and productively.
Across many countries, important progress is being made to strengthen forest rights, improve governance and expand community forest management. At the same time, communities, governments and forestry professionals face a common challenge: there are simply too few recognised technical forestry personnel to meet the growing demand for active forest management.
Paraforesters offer a practical solution. By recognising, strengthening and integrating Indigenous and local knowledge through accredited, community-based technical training, the initiative creates skilled rural employment, supports forest enterprises, expands the reach of professional forestry services and builds a larger, more inclusive forest workforce.
Ultimately, Paraforesters help turn increased forest rights into increased forest livelihood opportunities - supporting healthier forests, stronger rural economies and better outcomes for climate, biodiversity and future generations.
Strengthening the Forestry Profession
Paraforesters are designed to support and supplement—not replace—professional foresters.
Like paramedics, paraveterinarians and paralegals, they create a recognised paraprofessional workforce that expands the reach of professional services by undertaking practical, day-to-day field activities within their own communities.
Professional foresters remain essential for higher-level planning, specialist technical advice, training, quality assurance, regulation, research and policy development. Paraforesters enable that expertise to reach more forests, more communities and more people than would otherwise be possible.
Together, professional foresters and Paraforesters create a stronger, more inclusive forest workforce—combining professional expertise, Indigenous and local knowledge, and continuous on-the-ground presence to support active forest management at scale.
Why This M.O. Matters
Meeting the Challenge at Scale
The world cannot achieve its forest, biodiversity and climate ambitions without dramatically expanding the number of people with the recognised technical skills to manage forests actively.
Paraforesters offer a practical way forward. By building a formally recognised, locally based technical workforce that supports professional foresters and empowers communities, they help ensure that active forest management becomes possible at the scale the world now requires.
