Alexander will show-case, how forest-farmers in Central Kalimantan, receive detailed information about their own reforestation areas. Access to forest information are provided via a publicly accessible web map.
The power of knowledge supports the development of environmental-consciousness as well as economically competitiveness in comparison to non-sustainable land use approaches such as, palm oil plantations.
Alexander has been working as forester in reforestation projects in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Deforestation and its severe effects on the ecosystems and the environment of local people, are very high in these regions. Looking for alternative forest management methods, motivated him to found 2011 with two friends OpenForests, which is specialized in forest information management.
Valuing forest and its positive contributions, e.g. nutrition supply, climate stability, continuous sustainable income, requires at least a basic understanding of ecosystem functions as well as acknowledgment of the monetary long-term value of sustainably managed forest ecosystems.
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