FAO awards US$10,000 for Bangladesh, Uganda forest restoration

FAO Recognizes Youth-Led Forestry Research

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the recipients of two forestry prizes at its headquarters in Rome. These awards were part of the 2026 World Food Forum Transformative Research Challenge, which supports young researchers.

The Youth-led Research for Forest Restoration Prize was awarded to Bangladesh's Mangrove Intelligence Research Team, represented by Neyamat Hossen. Concurrently, a team from Uganda, represented by Gad Okodi, received the Forest Monitoring Innovation Prize.

Tiina Vähänen, Deputy Director of the FAO Forestry Division, made the announcement during a hybrid event where finalists presented their initiatives to an audience.

Digital Tools for Restoration and Monitoring

The Bangladeshi team was recognized for its work in developing a digital decision-support platform designed to aid mangrove restoration efforts in the country's coastal regions. This tool aims to streamline and enhance the effectiveness of environmental recovery projects.

The Ugandan team's prize-winning initiative focuses on making forest monitoring more accessible and inclusive. Their project enables local communities to report forest disturbances using basic mobile phones, leveraging FAO’s Open Foris Ground technology and existing toll-free telecommunications services available in local languages. This approach seeks to empower local populations in safeguarding forest health.

Research Funding and Global Platform

Both winning teams received US$10,000 in research funding from the FAO. This financial support is intended to help advance their proposals and facilitate the implementation and scaling of their research findings.

Beyond the funding, the awards provide global visibility, mentorship, and networking opportunities, connecting the young researchers with practitioners, policymakers, and partners engaged in forest and landscape restoration worldwide.

Additionally, two other finalists, Jonathan André Fletes Gómez from Mexico, representing Chinampa Guardians / Iniciativa Agroecológica Xochimilco, and Keith May from Kenya, representing Watershed Restoration and Community-led Monitoring in Kajulu Forest, also secured US$10,000 each to support their ongoing research.

Implications for Sustainable Timber Sourcing

Initiatives such as these, which promote improved forest monitoring and restoration, particularly in regions like coastal Bangladesh, have direct implications for the sustainable sourcing of timber and wood products. Enhanced management and digital oversight of forest ecosystems can contribute to more reliable and certified timber supply chains.

For procurement professionals and specifiers in Asia's building materials and FF&E sectors, these developments indicate a strengthening of the foundational practices that support sustainable wood resources.

Buyers should consider how such advancements in forest management can influence the availability and integrity of sustainably sourced materials when making future purchasing decisions for projects across the region.