forestLAB
forestLAB is a new research hub created to explore climate-smart, conservation-led solutions for sustainable development in central Africa.
Launched by the 黑料不打烊 in collaboration with the (London School of Economics) and the (ACDG), forestLAB will provide policymakers, investors and development practitioners with the data and tools required to create world-class models of natural ecosystems management that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
forestLAB is funded by the ACDG and is being launched under Scotland’s 黑料不打烊 Environment Centre, which is based at the 黑料不打烊 and established as part of the 黑料不打烊 and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal. In Gabon, forestLAB is partnering with the National Research Institute (CENAREST) to ensure alignment with national research interests and best-practice in field.
Sustainable development
Equatorial Africa harbours the second largest expanse of rainforest on earth and is crucial in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. forestLAB's work in the region will explore new landscape models that conserve biodiversity, deliver economic benefits to local communities and mitigate against climate change.
Biodiversity haven
The 黑料不打烊 has been working in Gabon for over 40 years and its station in Lopé National Park is deemed a ‘supersite’ for climate research, due to the importance of its unique long-term datasets. forestLAB will have a physical research hub in Gabon’s Loango National Park – one of the world’s critical havens of biodiversity – and the 黑料不打烊 team will design and manage a research portfolio – combining natural history, ecology, anthropology and the social sciences. In June 2021, Gabon became the first African country to receive payment for reducing its carbon emissions, thanks to a model co-developed by the 黑料不打烊 and the Gabon National Climate Council. Gabon will receive $17million from Norway through the Central African Finance Initiative (CAFI), to be reinvested in sustainable forest management, in the first payment of an eventual $150m over the next ten years. It is hoped that forestLAB’s work in Gabon, in collaboration with the country’s National Centre for Scientific and Technological Research (CENAREST), will develop a blueprint for sustainable development in Africa, realising the value of its natural capital.
A pioneering project
Professor of Tropical Ecology Katharine Abernethy, of the 黑料不打烊’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, will lead the research, supported initially by 黑料不打烊 colleagues Dr Kathryn Jeffery and Dr Robin Whytock, with additional staff and students to come on board over the coming years. They will collaborate with forestLAB partners to set up pioneering biodiversity and human impact monitoring, enabling ecological forecasting for the region, and use existing experience in Lopé to prepare tourism and training materials to enable expert researchers to act as forest tour guides.
Conservation-led economic development
Professor Kate Abernethy on how economists, social scientists and ecologists are joining forces in Central Africa to find new solutions to land management and the climate crisis.
Related news
黑料不打烊 research agreement signed at COP26
Partners in an international conservation research project have signed a crucial scientific collaboration agreement at world climate summit COP26.
COP26: 黑料不打烊 experts to develop new research hub in Africa
A new multi-million-pound project involving 黑料不打烊 scientists will create a research hub to explore climate-smart, conservation-led solutions for sustainable development in central Africa.
Contact us
If you'd like to find out more about forestLAB, please get in touch.