Forests, People and Biodiversity

People are a central element to form the landscape and thus we aim to balance environmental, social, and economic benefits and well-being from the use of forests, land and other related natural resources. We promote participatory and multipurpose management of natural resources including forests and land, which incorporates conservation of global and local biodiversity and management and protection of fragile ecosystems.

Integrated management of forests and other related resources is an essential instrument in climate change adaptation and mitigation and provides opportunities for communities to unlock new sources of income and thereby reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.

NIRAS addresses the complex challenges in managing ecosystems and conserving biodiversity, particularly through effective conservation and sustainable natural resource management to ensure that interlinked ecosystems are kept productive for future generations. Unsustainable use of forests and biodiversity loss threatens ecosystem integrity, functioning, and resilience.

Healthy ecosystems are vital for economic growth and poverty reduction but are often taken for granted. Many communities in developing countries are directly dependent on the environment and the resources it provides.

Healthy ecosystems are vital for economic growth and poverty reduction but are often taken for granted. Many communities in developing countries are directly dependent on the environment and the resources it provides.

We provide leading services in forestry, biodiversity and landscape management: this includes technical expertise on sustainable forestry, biodiversity conservation, investment in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), sustainable forest commodities and value chains, application of GIS and remote sensing, as well as governance and management of natural resources, protected areas, landscapes and ecosystems.

Our global exposure, knowledge, and expertise enable us to blend social, economic and environmental considerations into sustainable development within forests, landscapes, and biodiversity.

Responding to global demand on forest restoration by implementing cutting-edge projects on reforestation, improving soils, protecting wildlife corridors, and managing land sustainable.

NIRAS’s experience in developing forest information systems, earth observation technologies and knowledge sharing platforms provides new tools for efficient forest resource management and monitoring, improved governance and inclusive decision-making. Our expertise in developing transparent and fair value chains for forest products and services can generate new income and employment opportunities to all stakeholders.

Services we can offer:

Participatory and sustainable management of forests including the restoration and conservation of natural forests and its biological diversity, the management of plantation forestry and agroforestry in publicly, privately and community owned lands.
Forest inventories and forest management planning.
Protected areas and buffer zones management.
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+).
Landscape restoration, ecosystem services and managing land use change and natural resources.
Community and village forestry.
Forest-based value chain development of timber and non-timber forest products (NTFP).
Support the sustainable development of forestry enterprises, business and investments including inclusive business models and job creation.
Development of forest information systems.
Holistic environmental solutions and nature-based solutions approaches.
Advice on forest strategy and policy, institution building and governance, including the support to the formulation of national forest plans, European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT) and forest reform processes.