Driving Global Forest Solutions From the Ground Up – Yale School of the Environment

Report on the Contributions of Susan Braatz to Global Sustainable Development

Executive Summary

This report details the 35-year career of Susan Braatz, a 1980 Master of Forest Science graduate of the Yale School of the Environment (YSE), whose work has significantly advanced multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her leadership in sustainable forestry, climate resilience, and international policy, particularly during her tenure at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), has had a lasting global impact. This report outlines her key achievements and their direct contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Key Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals

Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Ecosystem Restoration

Following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Ms. Braatz coordinated the FAO’s regional forestry program for early rehabilitation. This initiative directly supported several SDGs:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The program launched tree planting efforts to support local communities whose farms and livelihoods had been devastated, restoring sources of income and food.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): Her leadership in restoring tens of thousands of hectares of severely damaged coastal forests laid the groundwork for long-term ecosystem recovery and enhanced climate resilience.
• SDG 14 (Life Below Water): The rehabilitation of coastal forests, such as mangroves, is critical for protecting marine ecosystems and fisheries from future climate events.

Global Advancement of Sustainable Land Management

Throughout her career at the FAO, Ms. Braatz provided technical support for over 80 projects worldwide, focusing on integrated land management and sustainable communities.

1. Agroforestry and Community Forestry: Her work directly advanced SDG 15 (Life on Land) by promoting sustainable forest management. These projects also contributed to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by creating sustainable livelihoods for local populations.
2. Urban Forestry Program: Ms. Braatz established the FAO’s urban forestry program, a key initiative influencing sustainable city planning globally. This work is a direct contribution to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by making urban environments more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive.

International Policy and Climate Action Frameworks

Ms. Braatz played a pivotal role in shaping international forest policy and climate change frameworks, demonstrating a commitment to institutional strengthening and global partnerships.

• United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF): As a senior advisor, she guided policy development on sustainable forest management, contributing to the institutional framework required for SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
• REDD+ Framework: Her involvement in the development and adoption of REDD+ within the UNFCCC created a crucial climate change mitigation framework for forests, directly addressing SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Climate Change Adaptation: She developed tools to help countries increase forest-centered climate change adaptation measures, further strengthening the global response to climate change under SDG 13.

Leadership and Vision for Future Generations

Ms. Braatz’s career exemplifies a holistic approach that bridges high-level international policy with on-the-ground realities, a critical strategy for achieving the SDGs.

• Integrated Approach: Her philosophy that change requires both “bottom-up” and “top-down” efforts underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, a core principle of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and effective governance, as outlined in SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• Mentorship: Her advice for the next generation of leaders to gain broad exposure to policy and science is essential for building the capacity needed to implement the 2030 Agenda effectively.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article connects to this goal through the mention of establishing the FAO’s urban forestry program, which influences sustainable city planning globally. It also relates to community resilience and rehabilitation after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which devastated local communities.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This goal is explicitly addressed. The article highlights Susan Braatz’s work in advancing “climate resilience,” her role as FAO’s “Senior Officer for Forests and Climate Change,” and her involvement in developing the climate change mitigation framework REDD+. It also mentions her work on creating tools for “forest-centered climate change adaptation measures.”

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  The article relates to this goal through its focus on the restoration of coastal ecosystems. The response to the 2004 tsunami involved rehabilitating “tens of thousands of hectares of coastal forests,” which are critical ecosystems for marine and coastal health and resilience.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is a central theme of the article. Braatz’s entire career is dedicated to “advancing sustainable forestry,” “agroforestry,” and “community forestry.” Her work includes restoring damaged forests, guiding policy on “sustainable forest management,” and promoting long-term “ecosystem recovery.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  This goal is evident in the collaborative and international nature of the work described. Braatz coordinated a “United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) regional forestry program,” supported “multi-agency efforts” at the UN Forum on Forests, and focused on “bridging the gap between high-level international forest policy and on-the-ground realities,” which requires strong partnerships.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses…caused by disasters…” This is implied by the work on “early rehabilitation” for communities whose “livelihoods had been devastated” by the 2004 tsunami.
   • Target 11.b: “By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards…mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters…” This is connected to the establishment of the “urban forestry program, which continues to influence sustainable city planning globally.”

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” This is directly supported by Braatz’s work on “climate resilience” and developing “tools to help countries increase forest-centered climate change adaptation measures.”
   • Target 13.2: “Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.” This is reflected in her involvement in the “development and adoption of REDD+ in UNFCCC, the convention’s climate change mitigation framework for forests.”

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: “By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration…” This is directly addressed by the effort to “restore severely damaged coastal forests” following the tsunami to achieve “long-term ecosystem recovery.”

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.2: “By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.” This is central to the article, which describes Braatz’s work to “restore severely damaged coastal forests,” “launch tree planting efforts,” and guide policy on “sustainable forest management.”
   • Target 15.9: “By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.” This is implied by her work on agroforestry, community forestry, and urban forestry, which integrate forest management into broader development and planning.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.9: “Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries…” This is demonstrated by her role in providing “technical support for more than 80 agroforestry and community forestry projects worldwide.”
   • Target 17.14: “Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development.” This is shown through her work as a “senior forest policy advisor” and her focus on “bridging the gap between high-level international forest policy and on-the-ground realities.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

While the article does not cite specific SDG indicator codes or quantitative data, it mentions several actions and outcomes that serve as qualitative or descriptive indicators of progress:

• Indicator for SDG 15 & 14: The restoration of “tens of thousands of hectares of coastal forests” serves as a direct indicator of progress in ecosystem restoration.
• Indicator for SDG 17: Providing “technical support for more than 80 agroforestry and community forestry projects worldwide” is a measurable indicator of international cooperation and capacity-building.
• Indicator for SDG 11: The establishment of the “FAO’s urban forestry program” is an institutional indicator of progress towards integrating green spaces into sustainable city planning.
• Indicator for SDG 13 & 15: The “development and adoption of REDD+” is a concrete policy outcome that serves as an indicator for integrating climate action and sustainable forest management into international frameworks.
• Indicator for SDG 13: The development of “tools to help countries increase forest-centered climate change adaptation measures” is a tangible output that indicates progress in building adaptive capacity.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: environment.yale.edu