ASB's Relevance
Who we benefit: More than 1.8 billion people live within the ASB's domain, the humid tropical and subtropical forest biome; of these 1.2 billion are rural people. Most are poor households directly dependent on forest resources and agriculture for their livelihoods. Other poor households suffer indirectly from waste of these resources and environmental degradation.
Because ASB's target ecosystems supply global public goods (globally-significant habitats and carbon storage), beneficiaries also include the Earth's entire population.
What is the global problem we tackle: Causes of deforestation in the tropical forests margins are complex, including agricultural expansion, road building, and market forces. Understanding the factors at work in a given situation is a crucial first step if policymakers are to introduce effective measures to curb deforestation, and to do so in ways that reduce poverty.
No single group or organization has the means or expertise to tackle these complex, interlinked problems by itself.
Relevance of ASB goals to CGIAR goals and draft system priorities
ASB's vision, mission, and record of activities and achievements closely align with CGIAR goals and the System's emerging priorities. First, ASB is addressing 3 interlinked problems of global significance:- Chronic mass poverty in the humid tropics.
- Continuing loss of globally-significant habitat in the humid tropics.
- Tradeoffs between poverty reduction and habitat conservation.
- integrated land, water and forest resource management at multiple scales
- sustaining and realizing the value and benefits of forests and trees
- ensuring access by the poor to forest and tree resources
- improving policies and governance of environmental resources