World Forest Cover in Retreat

***********************************************

WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

***********************************************

Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives

http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation

3/6/99

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by EE

The lead sentence of the article says it all, FAO reports "forests

still cover 25 percent of the world, but this area is shrinking at a

rate of 11.3 million hectares per year."

g.b.

*******************************

RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Title: ENVIRONMENT: World Forest Cover Beats a Rapid Retreat

Source: Interpress Service, via econet

Date: March 4, 1999

/* Written 3:15 PM Mar 4, 1999 by newsdesk@igc.org in ips.english */

/* ---------- "ENVIRONMENT: World Forest Cover Beats Retreat" --------

-- */

Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.

*** 01-Mar-99 ***

Title:

ROME, Mar 1 (IPS) - Forests still cover 25 percent of the world, but

this area is shrinking at a rate of 11.3 million hectares per year,

said the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

Monday.

FAO presented its second biennial report on the State of the World's

Forests at a press conference timed to coincide with the fifteenth

session of the organisation's forestry commission which will end on

Friday 5.

Top priorities on the commission working agenda include national

forestry policies, world perspectives for supply and demand of timber

derivatives, and the progress made in legislation to ensure the

sustainability of global forestry resources.

Increasing numbers of countries are decisively confronting the problem

of the reduction in area of forest cover and developing strategies

toward resolving this.

These strategies include bringing in harsh regulations on the issue of

forestry exploitation, making forests protected zones, environmentally

friendly management techniques and the increasing application of

effective procedures in recycling and manufacturing timber products.

According to the FAO document, ''there is a universal commitment to

improving the management of forestry heritage, which is translated

into positive change both in objectives and techniques.''

The area of natural forests considered suitable for timber production

is shrinking, due both to deforestation and many forests becoming

protected areas.

There has been a ban on felling natural forest in China since July

1998.

In Suriname, 1.5 million hectares of forest - a tenth of the total

territory - became forest reserves in 1998.

Brazil has announced its intention to declare 25 million hectares of

rain forest a protected zone.

Brazil, Cambodia, the United States, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and

Thailand, amongst other countries, banned or imposed strict

restriction on the felling of trees in primary forest.

FAO stated fires had taken a heavy toll on the world's forest cover

both in 1997 and 1998, but added there was little data available on

the extension and consequences of the events, in terms of loss of

life, economic damage and environmental repercussions.

Even though exact information is not available on the issue, there is

no doubt the number of fires and the total area affected reach

colossal proportions.

In 1997, stressed FAO, Brazil saw two million hectares of forest go up

in flames and a further million were affected by fire in Sumatra and

Kalimantan, during the 1997 and 1998 fires in Indonesia.

Also in these years, fire destroyed 1.5 million hectares in Mexico and

Central America, generating great clouds of smoke which traveled as

far as Chicago, in the northern United States.

Vast news coverage of the extensive fires in Indonesia, the Amazon and

Mexico mean a broad swathe of the public has become aware of what FAO

defines as ''environmental disasters mainly caused by human beings.''

In Chile, for example, 30 percent of fires are started by people

throwing burning cigarette ends or glass bottles - which operate as

lenses - out of vehicles, while a further 29.7 are intentionally

started blazes or badly extinguished camp fires.

FAO considers that, given the increase in demand for forestry

derivative products and services, good forest management means due

consideration of both economic needs and environmental balance,

something which is maintained via several functions of the forest.

Concern for the environment has led to emphasis on a multiple outlook

in management of forest heritage, bans or limits on intensive

exploitation, the adoption of restrictive codes for use of the trees

and the option of forestry plantations as a source of resources.

(END/IPS/tra-so/jp/ag/mp/sm/99)

Origin: Montevideo/ENVIRONMENT/

----

[c] 1999, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)

###RELAYED TEXT ENDS###

This document is a PHOTOCOPY for educational, personal and non-

commercial use only. Recipients should seek permission from the

source for reprinting. All efforts are made to provide accurate,

timely pieces; though ultimate responsibility for verifying all

information rests with the reader. Check out our Gaia Forest

Conservation Archives at URL= http://forests.org/

Networked by Ecological Enterprises, gbarry@forests.org