Strengthening Tropical Forest Resilience Based on Management and Utilization of Genetic Resources Capable of Climate Change Adaptation

Utilize genomic data to select tree species that are highly resilient to climate change
In this study, we are focusing on six tree species that are suitable for tropical forest regeneration and social forestry (community-based forest management), using genomic information (the sequence of bases in DNA) to select exceptional individual trees that exhibit greater resistance to climate change, and establishing the technology for the mass production of samplings from these exceptional trees by means such as cell culture. We are evaluating the effect of this in promoting forestry with greater resilience to climate change by assessing the amount of timber produced and ecological functions (including greenhouse gas absorption and the amount of non-timber resources) from the viewpoints of local communities and the local economy, in order to ascertain the necessity and value of forestry promotion in scientific terms.

Making tropical forestry a sustainable industry even under climate change
We will create international and regional incentives for afforestation designed to cope with climate change, and improve the current forestry industry to enable the sustainable use of forest resources even under climate change. Going forward, this will lead to the development of environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable forest management models using saplings highly adapted to climate change, which will encourage climate change adaptation and mitigation.