Urban and peri-urban forestry in a development context - Strategy and implementation

Sustainable urban development requires providing a healthy and sustainable living environment with basic services for all. A healthy and multifunctional urban green structure is one of the basic services to provide. Urban and peri-urban forestry (UPF), focusing on the tree-dominated part of urban and peri-urban greenspace, is a strategic, integrative, interdisciplinary, and participatory approach. Its goal is to sustainably develop the multiple benefits of forests and trees in urban environments. Recently, UPF has found broad following across the world, but its potential for cities and towns in developing countries is unrealized. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has developed a mid-term strategy for promoting and developing UPF as a component of sustainable urban development, with emphasis on developing countries. This paper introduces this strategy, which aims at raising awareness, developing state of art, generating new technology and knowledge, strengthening institutions and policy, disseminating information and knowledge, and enhancing sustainable UPF. Examples of successful UPF programs from both the developing and developed world are presented.