CIFOR Director General, David Kaimowitz, is accompanying a team from Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry (MOF) to examine possible forest rehabilitation strategies in Tsunami-ravaged Aceh. Mr. Kaimowitz will travel to Banda Aceh on February 24 and join MOF staff in a plane flight to inspect the affected areas.

Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, H. MS Kaban, has indicated his interest in examining mangrove forest rehabilitation initiatives that focus on a strong livelihood component. CIFOR's research into the effectiveness of past rehabilitation efforts and its work on forests as "safety-nets" during periods of economic upheaval are expected to provide valuable input for developing a mangrove rehabilitation strategy.

Accompanying Mr. Kaimowitz is Per Rudebjer, Capacity Building Specialist with the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF). The visit is part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's (CGIAR) joint response to the Tsunami and involves CIFOR, ICRAF and several other CGIAR research centers. 

For further details please visit:
http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/W-New/aceh.asp