2nd African Forum on Urban Forests

Green Horizons: Shaping the Future Resilience of African Cities through Urban Forests

18 – 21 March 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the City of Johannesburg, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the Centre on African Public Spaces are pleased to announce that the 2nd African Forum on Urban Forests will take place in Johannesburg (South Africa), from 18 to 21 March 2025.

The overall theme of the Forum is “Green Horizons: Shaping the Future Resilience of African cities through Urban Forests”. It embodies a vision of sustainable development and growth for Africa’s urban areas and promotes a forward-looking perspective focused on an environmentally conscious and sustainable future.

Building upon the success of the 1st African Forum on Urban Forests (2021) and the outcomes of the 2nd World Forum on Urban Forests (2023), this forum is envisioned as an opportunity to take stock and assess the progress of urban forestry initiatives across the continent, while charting the path for future advancements.

The Forum is intended to be a technical meeting and seeks to convene key stakeholders, including representatives of local, provincial and national governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, research and academic institutions, community groups, and urban professionals across different sectors in in-depth conversations that stimulate innovative ideas, and inspire concrete actions to integrate urban forests and green spaces at the core of urban planning and development.  

Interpretation will be held in English, French and Portuguese.

A call for abstracts submission for the selection of the speakers for the parallel sessions is also open. Everyone is invited to contribute to the discussion by submitting their proposal for an oral or poster presentation either in English, French or Portuguese when registering. Both research projects and practical case studies will be accepted.

Celebrating
Wangari Maathai

In celebration of the extraordinary legacy of Wangari Maathai, the forum will host a special Tribute Dinner on the first day. This evening will honour Maathai, the trailblazing environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate renowned for her Green Belt Movement. Her groundbreaking efforts, which resulted in the planting of over 51 million trees in Kenya, were pivotal not only in reforestation but also in empowering communities and driving socio-environmental change. Maathai’s visionary approach, which intertwined environmental conservation with social and economic upliftment, continues to inspire and guide global efforts.

Organisers

Call for Abstract Submissions: To 2nd AFUF

Event Theme: Green Horizons: Shaping the Future Resilience of African Cities through Urban Forests
Event Dates: 18 – 21 March 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Are you interested in submitting an abstract for the 2nd AFUF? We invite you to contribute to this pivotal event by sharing your research, insights, and innovative ideas.

Submission Deadline: 18 November 2024

Join us in exploring how urban forests can enhance the resilience of African cities. Your participation will help shape the future of urban forestry in Africa.