Hugh Blackett, forestry expert, died on August 16 after a short illness. He was 55.
Mr Blackett was well known and highly respected, with over 20 years’ experience in project management and consultancy relating to the sustainable use of tropical forest, resource assessment and conservation strategies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Graduating from the University of Aberdeen in 1979, he started a 30-year career in the forestry industry, with roles in organisations such as the FAO, DFID and the Tropical Forest Trust, and many years working as an independent specialist for projects around the world in countries including Liberia, Guyana, Kenya and Malaysia.
More recently, in the last few years, Mr Blackett was working in Ghana, on a national wood tracking system to comply with the EU’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) programme, using his Ghana forestry experience acquired years earlier to help drive system design.
He was a loved son of Logan and the late Catherine and dear brother of Alison, Catherine and Jean.