Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF)
The Natural Resource Development Foundation (NRDF) is a local NGO, which was established in 2003 to address the problem of the ongoing exploitation of forests resources by foreign logging companies. For more than seven years the organization has promoted and supported, with success, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) by landowners, as an alternative to large scale destructive forest harvesting. Through practical interventions almost 24,000 hectare of unlogged forest, divided over 6 project areas, is under sustainable management. Parts of these areas are strictly conserved as unique rainforest reserves. The total population in these project areas is around 8,500 who are directly and indirectly benefiting from the projects and programmes initiated and established. Besides Sustainable Forest Management & sawmilling, the organization is also active in forest conservation, forest restoration & reforestation, livelihood projects, training and capacity building and last but not least in supporting landowners in their legal fights against illegal logging operations. NRDF is currently in its 7th year of operation and is funded by the Inter Church Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) in the Netherlands, complimented with financial support from the European Union.
“Forest for Life” Programme” 2011-
The Forest for Life programme aims to make a final move to get the remaining forest
areas in the Solomon Islands under sustainable forest management and/or conservation.
Using strong strategies such as FSC certification, the new protected area bill and
a “multi forest use approach” NRDF wants to give a final push for landowners and
the Solomon Islands Government to choose a sustainable development of the current
forest resources. Besides focussing on remaining unlogged areas the programme also
puts effort to promote forest restoration and reforestation in logged-