Vital Forest Graphics - Stopping the Downswing? - Convention on Biological Diversity

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Vital Forest Graphics - Stopping the Downswing? - Convention on Biological Diversity
Vital Forest Graphics
     Stopping the Downswing?
Vital Forest Graphics - Stopping the Downswing? - Convention on Biological Diversity
The United Nations Environmental              The Food and Agriculture                       The United Nations Forum
Programme, as the world’s leading             Organization of the United Nations             on Forests Secretariat provides support
intergovernmental environmental               (FAO) is one of the largest specialized        to the international policy dialogue on
organization, is the authoritative source     agencies in the United Nations system          sustainable forest management. The
of knowledge on the current state of,         and the lead agency for agriculture,           United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)
                                              forestry, fisheries and rural development.     is an intergovernmental body on
and trends shaping the global
                                              The Forestry Department helps nations          global forest policy which promotes
environment. The mission of UNEP is
                                              manage their forests in a sustainable way.     management, conservation and
to provide leadership and encourage
                                              The Organization’s approach balances           sustainable development of all types
partnership in caring for the environment     social, economic and environmental             of forests. The UNFF Secretariat works
by inspiring, informing, and enabling         objectives so that present generations         with a wide range of international
nations and peoples to improve their          can reap the benefits of the Earth’s forest    organizations and stakeholders to
quality of life without compromising that     resources while preserving them to meet        facilitate cooperation and coordination
of future generations.                        the needs of future generations.               on global forest issues.

Disclaimer
The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP, FAO, UNFF or any other contributory
organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever
on the part of UNEP, FAO,UNFF or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area
or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

                                                                                                                        UNEP promotes
                                                                                                              environmentally sound practices
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                                                                      ISBN: 978-92-807-2903-0
                                                                         Job No: DEW/1032/NA
Vital Forest Graphics - Stopping the Downswing? - Convention on Biological Diversity
Vital Forest Graphics
                                            Stopping the Downswing?

Core editorial team                              Authors and contributors                           Claude Martin
Christian Lambrechts (UNEP)                      Frédéric Achard (European Commission Joint         Carolyn Marr (Down to Earth, UK)
Mette Løyche Wilkie (FAO)                        Research Centre)                                   Lera Miles (UNEP – WCMC)
                                                 John Bennett (Principal, Bennett & Associates)     Mukundi Mutasa (Southern Africa Research
Ieva Rucevska (UNEP/GRID-Arendal)
                                                 Donné Beyer (Octopus Media)                        and Documentation Centre, Zimbabwe)
Mita Sen (UNFF Secretariat)
                                                 Jim Carle (FAO)                                    Christian Nellemann (UNEP/GRID-Arendal)
Editorial panel                                  Arnaldo Carneiro (Instituto Socioambiental,        Vemund Olsen (Rainforest Foundation Norway)
Kevin M. Conrad (Coalition for Rainforest        Brazil)                                            Martina Otto (UNEP DTIE)
Nations)                                         Peter Csoka (UNFF Secretariat)                     Jari Parviainen (Finnish Forest Research Institute)
Mahendra Joshi (UNFF Secretariat)                Alberto DelLungo (FAO)                             Adriana Ramos (Instituto Socioambiental,
Lars Laestadius (Global Forest Watch)            Frédéric Durand (University of Toulouse, France)   Brazil)

                                                 Marianne Fernagut (UNEP/GRID-Arendal)              Philippe Rekacewicz (Le Monde Diplomatique)
Lars Løvold (Rainforest Foundation Norway)
                                                 Lauren E. Haney (UNEP/GRID-Arendal)                Ieva Rucevska (UNEP/GRID-Arendal)
Claude Martin
                                                                                                    John Sellar (CITES)
Risto Päivinen (The European Forest Institute)   John Innes (University of British Columbia)
                                                                                                    Carsten Smith Olsen (Royal Veterinary and
Carsten Smith Olsen (Royal Veterinary and        David Kaimowitz
                                                                                                    Agricultural University, Denmark)
Agricultural University, Denmark)                Marion Karmann (FSC International Centre,
                                                                                                    Barbara Tavora-Jainchill (UNFF Secretariat)
                                                 Germany)
                                                                                                    Frank Turyatunga (UNEP/GRID-Arendal)
Language editor: Kieran Cooke                    Ashish Kothari (IUCN)
Proof reader: Harry Forster                                                                         Natalie Unterstell (Instituto Socioambiental,
                                                 Ingelin Ladsten (Rainforest Foundation             Brazil)
                                                 Norway)
Cartography                                                                                         Jo Van Brusselen (The European Forest Institute)
                                                 Christian Lambrechts (UNEP)
Philippe Rekacewicz assisted by                                                                     Petteri Vuorinen (FAO)
                                                 Barbara Lassen (IUCN)
Cécile Marin, Agnès Stienne, Giulio Frigieri,                                                       Monika Weißschnur
Riccardo Pravettoni, Laura Margueritte           Arvydas Lebedys (FAO)
and Marion Lecoquierre                           Mette Løyche Wilkie (FAO)                          Layout and cover: Boris Séméniako
Vital Forest Graphics - Stopping the Downswing? - Convention on Biological Diversity
Foreword   Contents
           Introduction������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
           Forest definition and extent.......................................................................6
           Forest losses and gains: where do we stand?.............................................. 10
           The relationship between indigenous people and forests.............................. 14
           Forests sustain livelihoods...................................................................... 16
           A hiding places for fighting forces and a refuge for victims........................... 18
           Forests under threat as farming commodities take over................................ 20
           Is fast-wood like fast-food?..................................................................... 24
           Changing trends in forest products........................................................... 26
           Clearing forests for biofuels..................................................................... 30
           Forests are a key source of ecological services............................................ 32
           Climate change and its impact on forests. Will trees migrate?....................... 34
           Forests and the carbon cycle.................................................................... 36
           Forest animals threatened by habitat loss and poaching.............................. 38
           The forests of Central Africa..................................................................... 40
           The forests of Southeast Asia................................................................... 42
           The Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world.......................................... 44
           The boreal forests.................................................................................. 46
           Forests and fires.................................................................................... 48
           Forests suffer from air pollution............................................................... 50
           Local forest management........................................................................ 52
           Certification for sustainable forest management.......................................... 54
           Economic incentives to protect forests...................................................... 56
           Are legal instruments sufficient to protect our forests?................................ 58
           Greening degraded forest landscapes......................................................... 60

           References............................................................................................ 62
Vital Forest Graphics - Stopping the Downswing? - Convention on Biological Diversity
Forests:
             Suppliers of
                                                                Multi ple
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ) Global forest
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      distribution

                                                                       Services to Nature
                                                                               and                Hu mankind
                                              O     ver the last few years,
                                                    two, closely related key
                                              environmental issues, have
                                              been at the top of the environ-
         + Global forest types                mental agenda: climate change
                                              and deforestation. Deforesta-
                                              tion, estimated at more than 7
                             �������������
                             �����������      million hectares a year, has im-                                 and for efforts to ensure that scientific findings are translated   Amazon, the Congo Basin
                                              mediate consequences in terms                                    into a common, user-friendly language.                              and southeast Asia, as well as
                                              of increased carbon emissions                                       Environmental assessments, such as the Vital Graphics            the boreal forests. The atlas also analy-
                                              and loss of biological diversity.                                series, are fundamental communication tools that promote            ses the role and importance of forests with regard
                               ��������
                             �����������      Most of the losses in forest cover are                           interaction between science and various stages of the policy        to the most pressing environmental issues of our time, in-
                ����                          taking place in developing countries, in                         and decision-making cycle. The format of the Vital Graphics         cluding: climate change; loss of biodiversity; trade and envi-
                ���
                                              particular in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. One      series with its extensive graphic component reduces com-            ronment; air pollution; energy and biofuels; agriculture and
                                              of the root causes behind deforestation is the weak govern-      plexity and adds value by summarizing, synthesizing and il-         food security.
                             ������������
                                              ance structure for forest conservation and sustainable man-      lustrating critical environmental issues.                              In order to further the understanding of the importance
                              ����������
                                              agement of forest resources. This applies particularly to pub-      Forest issues are wide ranging. In order effectively to raise    of the forests, the atlas reviews the main ecological functions
                             �����������
                                ���           licly owned forests that represent over 80 per cent of global    the awareness and understanding of the policy-makers and            they provide in support of human well-being. These include
                                 ���������
                                   �������
                                              forest cover.                                                    the general public, Vital Forest Graphics focuses on a number       the regulation of ecological processes, including the hydro-
                                    ���
                                                  In order to help address forest governance, it is essen-     of selected issues that are topical and important.                  logical cycle and micro-climatic conditions.
                                              tial to further the understanding of policy-makers and the          The atlas starts by setting the stage and looking at what           Finally the Vital Forest Graphics atlas highlights some of
               ������
                ���                           general public at large regarding the importance of forests,     defines a forest. It examines changes in forest cover in vari-      the proven or innovative practices, including legal or eco-
                             �������������
                                 ���          the underlying causes of their loss and the exciting success-    ous parts of the world over the last century. The publication       nomic tools, which have been implemented to help conserve
                ������                        ful practices available to help conserve them. This calls for    also provides an analysis of the most salient features of the       the forests and secure the livelihoods of forest-dependent
             ������������
              ���������                       a strengthening of the interface between science and policy      largest forest ecosystems, including the tropical forests of the    communities.

4 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                 Vital Forest Graphics 5
* Forest cover varies
                                                                                                                                                         depending on how
                                                                                                                                                         it is defined

                                                                                                                                                         based on botanical characteristics, i.e.

Forest definition and extent
                                                                                                                                                         variety of tree species, will be used for
                                                                                                                                                         asses­sing various classes or types of for­
                                                                                                                                                         est. An overall assessment carried out
                                                                                                                                                         on a regional or global level is unlikely
                                                                                                                                                         to satisfy more detailed national level
                                                                                                                                                         requirements. Conversely, a definition                                                                               ��������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ������������������
How much forest
is there in the world?                           D     efining what constitutes a forest is
                                                       not easy. Forest types differ widely,
                                                 determined by factors including lati­
                                                                                                             initions for forests and wooded areas
                                                                                                             were in use round the world – with
                                                                                                             some countries adopting several such
                                                                                                                                                         developed to suit the needs of any given
                                                                                                                                                         country is unlikely to be applicable at a
                                                                                                                                                         global level.
A surprisingly difficult
question to answer                               tude, temperature, rainfall patterns, soil                  definitions at the same time!                  In an attempt to calculate how much
                                                 composition and human activity. How                            It should be kept in mind that dif­      forest there is both at regional and global
                                                 a forest is defined also depends on who                     ferent definitions are required for dif­    levels some common definitions have
                                                 is doing the defining. People living in                     ferent purposes and at different scales.    been developed. These definitions are
                                                 the British Isles or Scandinavia might                      An assessment focusing on the avail­        generally very broad, in order to encom­
                                                 identify forests differently from people                    ability of timber for commercial or         pass all types of forests – from dense, tall
                                                 in Africa or Asia. Similarly, a business                    industrial purposes may exclude small       forests found in the humid tropics, to
                                                 person or economist might define and                        wooded areas and types of forest not        temperate and boreal forests and forests
                                                 value a forest in a very different way to                   considered to be of commercial value.       in semi-arid and arid regions.                                                                                       ��������������������
                                                 a forester, farmer or an ornithologist.                     A definition based on physical charac­                                                                                                                           ������������������
                                                     A recent study of the various defin­                    teristics, such as the canopy cover, will   Common Definitions
                                                 itions of forests (Gyde H. Lund 2001)                       most likely be used for an assessment       The (United Nations) Food and Agri­
                                                 found that more than 500 different def­                     of the forest extent, whilst a definition   culture Organiza­tion (FAO) has been
                                                                                                                                                         assessing the world’s forest resources
+ The main biomes of the world                                                                                                                           at regular intervals. Its Global For­
                                                                                                                                                         est Resources Assessments (FRA) are
                                                                                                                                                         based on data provided by individual
                                                                                                                                                         countries, using an agreed global defi­
                                                                                                                                                         nition of forest which includes a mini­
                                                                                                                                                         mum threshold for the height of trees
                                                                                                                                                         (5m), at least 10 per cent crown cover
                                                                                                                                                         (canopy density deter­mined by esti­                                                                                 ��������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ������������������
                                                                                                                                                         mating the area of ground shaded by
                                                                                                                                                         the crown of the trees) and a minimum
                                                                                                                                                         forest area size (0.5 hectares). Urban
                                                                                                                                                         parks, orchards and other agricultural
                                                                                                                                                         tree crops are excluded from this def­
                                                                                                                                                         inition – as are agroforestry systems
                                                                                                                                                         used for agricul­ture. According to this
                                                                                                                                                         defin­ition there are at present just
           ������                                        �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������             under 4 billion hectares of forest in the
               ������������������������������������������������                   �����������������������������������������������������������            world, covering in all about 30 per cent
               ����������������������������������������������                     �������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                         of the world’s land area (FAO 2006).
               �������������������������������������������                        �������������������������������                                                                                                                                                             ��������������������
               ������������������������������������                               �����������������������������                                             The United Nations Framework                                                                                      ������������������
               ���������������������������                                        ��������                                                               Convention on Climate Change                   ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                        �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
               ���������������������                                              ��������������������������                                                                                            ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
               ������                                                             ������������
                                                                                                                                                         (UNFCCC) uses a slightly different             ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                        �����������������������������������������������������������������
               �����������������������������������������                                                                                                 approach. It requests industrialized &

6 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Vital Forest Graphics 7
& countries to esti­mate the forest area                                minimum crown cover. The threshold                       crown cover encompasses both open          cover of 40 per cent. It has also used     another due to the different method­       definitions concerns just what a par­
according to their own national defin­                                  values chosen must be used for all sub­                  and closed forests. The term closed        remote sensing to ensure compatibil­       ologies used. For example, the use of      ticular forest is made up of. Is it largely
itions which should be documented in                                    sequent assessments made during the                      forest refers to areas where tree cover    ity across countries. According to the     satellite imagery might produce very       composed of indigenous (native) or
the greenhouse gas inventory report.                                    reporting period and if the definition                   exceeds 40 per cent while the term         UNEP assessment, there were an esti­       different results to a ground based sur­   introduced species? If planted, is it a
For supplementary report­ing to the                                     is different from the definition used by                 open forest refers to areas where tree     mated 2.87 billion hectares of closed      vey. In addition, remote sensing tech­     monoculture – consisting of only one
Kyoto Protocol, however, these coun­                                    FAO, the country should explain why a                    cover is between 10 and 40 per cent. In    forest worldwide in 1995, equivalent       niques for assessing forest areas can      species? The definitions outlined above
tries have to apply a forest defin­ition                                different definition was chosen.                         order to assess the state of the world’s   to 21.4% of the total land area. Half of   result in areas used for agricultural      also exclude the condition of the for­
with threshold val­ues within certain                                       The crown cover threshold and the                    closed forests, the United Nations         this area was located in Russia, Canada    purposes or urban development being        est. Is it an undisturbed primary for­
parameters; 0.01-1.0 hectares for mini­                                 land use criterion are, in most cases,                   Environment Programme (UNEP)               and Brazil (UNEP 2001)                     included rather than excluded in over­     est, severely degraded or something in
mum area, 2-5 meters for minimum                                        the most critical factors defining for­                  has recently employed other definition         Several other regional and global      all calculations of forest area.           between? Is the forest healthy or has it
tree height and 10-30 per cent for                                      ests. The 10 per cent threshold of                       criteria, including a minimum crown        maps and assessments of forests have           In order to help address some of       been subject to attacks by pests, disease
                                                                                                                                                                            been produced – often with differing       these problems, a new, global remote       or forest fire, or damaged by wind or
+ Countries with the most forest                                                                                                                                            results, reflecting the various defin­     sensing survey of forests carried out by   air pollution? Area is only one factor
                                                                                                                                                                            itions and methodologies used and also     group of agencies lead by the FAO is at    in assessing the world’s forests: it is
                                                                                                                                                                            the differing interpretations made.        present being used to assess trends in     also vital to present comparable data
                               ������                                                                                                                                           Problems which arise in trying to      forest areas over the last 30 years. The   on various specific forest types, exam­
                               ���
                                                                                                                                                                            assess the extent of forests worldwide     survey, which is due to announce its       ine forest health and look at usage and
   ����������������

                                                                                                                                                                            are compounded by the fact that even       results in 2011, involves all countries    resource values.
                                                                                                                                                                            when using a commonly held defin­          and aims to carry out its work in as
                                                              ������
                               ������������      ������                                                         ������                                                      ition, data from one country is not        consistent a way as possible. A factor     & See also pages 10, 12
                               ���               ������
                                                                                                                                                                            necessarily comparable with data from      not included in the above-mentioned
                                                                                                                                      �����
                                                                                              ����������                 �����                                              + Forest cover in percentage of total land area
                                                              ������                           ��������
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8 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Vital Forest Graphics 9
+ Changing global forest cover
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Definitions

Forest losses
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Deforestation: Removing the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     vegetation cover below the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     threshold value that defines a forest.

and gains: where
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Net change in forest area (loss
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and gain): Sum of all changes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     in forest area over a specific period
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     of time (including reductions due

do we stand?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         to deforestation and disasters,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and increases due to afforestation
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and expansion of forests during
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     the period).
                                                                                                        �������                                                                                                             �������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Afforestation: Planting of trees
Forests can undergo changes                            estimates that about 13 million hectares               �������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     on land which was never forested.
in various ways. Forest areas                          – an area roughly equivalent to the size                                                                                                                                                      Reforestation: Planting of trees
                                                       of Greece – of the world’s forests are                                                                                                                                                        on land which was forested before.
can be reduced either by                                                                                      ���������������
                                                       cut down and converted to other land                   ��������������������                                                                                                                   Forest degradation: Removing
deforestation or by natural                                                                                                                                                                                                                          part of the vegetation cover
                                                       uses every year (FAO 2006).                            ���������������
disasters such volcanic                                                                                                                                                                                                                              leading to reduced capacity of
                                                          At the same time, planting of trees                                                                                                                                                        the forest to provide specific goods
eruptions or severe mud slides,
                                                       has resulted in new forests being estab­                                                                                                                                                      and services.
which can result in the forest
                                                       lished while in other areas forests have                                                                                                                                                      Forest fragmentation: Splitting
being unable to naturally                                                                                                                                                                                                                            of a contiguous forest area into
                                                       expanded on to abandoned agricultural
regenerate. Conversely,                                                                                                                                                                                                                              smaller pieces through conversion.
                                                       land through natural regeneration,                                                       ����������������������������������������
forest areas can be increased                          thus reducing the “net loss” of total
– through afforestation or by                          forest area. In the period 1990-2000 the     conducted assessments – methodolo­          teristics, composition and health of          net loss of forests over the 1990-2005             a net loss of forests to having a net gain
the natural expansion of forests                       world is estimated to have suffered a        gies also differ meaning that estimates     forest ecosystems.                            period (FAO 2006).                                 in forest area (FAO 2006).
                                                       net loss of 8.9 million hectares of forest   have a large degree of inaccuracy.              Historically, deforestation has been         The five countries with the largest                 Although reasons for deforestation
                                                       each year, but in the period 2000-2005           Given the considerable variety in the   much more intensive in temperate              annual net loss of forest area in the              differ from region to region, the most
                                                       this was reduced to an estimated 7.3         types of forests and in their character­    regions than in tropical regions, with        period 2000-2005 were Brazil, Indo­                direct cause is generally the conversion

W       hile natural disasters are rela­
        tively rare, clearance of forests
has been practised throughout docu­
                                                       million hectares per year – or an area
                                                       about the size of Sierra Leone or Pan­
                                                       ama (FAO 2006). In broader terms, this
                                                                                                    istics and relative health, the rates of
                                                                                                    deforestation and “net change” do not
                                                                                                    convey the full picture of the changes
                                                                                                                                                Europe being the continent with the
                                                                                                                                                least original forest. However, in the last
                                                                                                                                                50-100 years, the situation has changed;
                                                                                                                                                                                              nesia, Sudan, Myanmar and Zambia.
                                                                                                                                                                                              The five countries with the largest
                                                                                                                                                                                              annual net gain in forest area over
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 of forest areas for other land uses, in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 particular agricultural crops, includ­
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ing annual crops and tree crops, such
mented human history. Prior to the                     means that the world lost about 3 per        occurring to forests over time. A “net      rates of deforestation are now highest        the same period were China, Spain,                 as orchards and palm oil plantation,
industrial era such clearances were                    cent of its forests in the period 1990       change” in forest area may hide the fact    in tropical developing countries.             Vietnam, the United States and Italy.              as well as infrastructure development.
generally part of a relatively slow and                to 2005; at present we are losing about      that natural forests are being deforested       In the period 2000-2005, South            Chile, Costa Rica, India and Vietnam               Although harvesting of tropical timber
steady process (MEA 2005) but in                       200 hectares of forest each day.             in one part of a country or region while    America reported the largest net loss         are among the countries which have                 is rarely the main cause of deforestation,
recent times the rate of deforestation                    Unfortunately, very few countries         forest plantations are being established    of forest, followed by Africa. In the         recently recorded a change from having             the establishment of logging roads &
around the globe has increased dra­                    have any estimates of the actual rates       in another area. Large scale changes        1990s, Asia had a net forest loss of
matically. The United Nations Food                     of deforestation; even “net change”          can also happen within the forest           800,000 hectares per year. In the period
                                                                                                                                                                                              + Global forest fragmentation
and Agriculture Organization (FAO),                    estimates are rarely based on regularly      area. In some cases natural forests         2000-2005 Asia showed a net gain of
                                                                                                    are converted into forest plantations       forests of around 1 million hectares per
+ Annual net change in forest area, 1990-2005
                                                                                                    while undisturbed primary forests are       year, despite high rates of deforestation
 ����������                           ���������
 ��������                           ��������������� ������                                          being changed into modified or even         in many countries in the region, in par­
���� ����
���� ����
 �                                                                 ����    �������                  degraded forests.                           ticular in Southeast Asia. This net gain
                               �����
                              �������                                                                   For example, forest areas opened        is attributed to large-scale afforestation,
 �                                                 ������
                                                                                                    by the felling of hardwood species          particularly in China, where there has
��                                                                                                  are likely to be colonised by pioneer       been an annual increase of more than 4
��
                                                                                                    tree species, thus changing the forest’s    million hectares. Meanwhile in Europe
                                                                                                    composition. It is therefore important      forest areas continued to expand,                                     �����������
��                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ������������
                                                                                                    not to focus solely on factors such as      although at a relatively slow rate, while                                  ����������������������������������������������
��                                                                                                  deforestation rates or net change, but      North and Central America and Oce­                                         ������������
              ������������������                                                                                                                                                                                     �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
��                                                                                                  to also look at changes in the charac­      ania registered a relatively small annual

10 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Vital Forest Graphics 11
& tends to open up previously closed                              data currently exists on the degree of            Removing forests not only means the         + Decreases and increases in forest area in Costa Rica, 1940-2005
forest areas and facilitate access which                          global forest degradation, due in part            loss of this carbon carrying capacity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ����
                                                                                                                                                                          ���������                                                       ���������
then often leads to the conversion of                             to different perceptions of what degra­           but also frequently means that large                                                     ����
forest areas to agriculture. Underlying                           dation entails and the lack of adequate           amounts of greenhouse gas are sud­
                                                                                                                                                                                                        ���������                                                                                    ���������
causes of deforestation include popula­                           assessment methodologies with meas­               denly released into the atmosphere                                                     ���                                                                                          ���

tion increases and resulting increases                            urable thresholds and/or the resources            through wood burning and clear­                                                                                                               ��������
                                                                                                                                                                                            ��������
in demand for land, poverty, lack of                              needed for their implementation.                  ance activities, compounding climate
enforceable property rights and a lack                                At times, the condition of a degraded         change problems.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ������                                                                                     ������
of incentives to establish proper forest                          forest can be improved, either through                Reducing carbon emissions caused
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ����������������������������������������������������
management systems.                                               forest or landscape restoration pro­              by deforestation and forest degrada­                                                                  ��������������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          �����������������������������������������������������
    Forest degradation often implies a                            jects or by natural recovery after other          tion in developing countries (REDD)               �����
                                                                                                                                                                       ����
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          �����������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          �������������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ���������������������������������������������������������
change in the health and vitality of a                            pressures.                                        is seen by many as a potentially promi­                                                               ��������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          �����������������������������������
forest ecosystem but it can also relate                               Forest fragmentation can jeopardize           sing approach in the battle to combat
to other factors such as changes in                               the long-term health and vitality of the          climate change. If the REDD initiative
the composition of tree species, a loss                           forest ecosystem. Forest fragmentation            succeeds, it will not only mitigate cli­
of biodiversity, a permanent or long                              can also result in species loss as the size       mate change but also reduce the rate of
                                                                                                                                                                                                             ����
term reduction in the crown cover and                             of a forest becomes too small to sup­             forest and biodiversity loss while at the                                           ���������

changes in timber volumes or carbon                               port a viable population of a certain             same time providing forest-dependent
                                                                                                                                                                                                           ���           + Conversion of original biomes, 1950-2050
retention levels. Degradation is often                            plant or animal species, or if migratory          communities with alternative sources                                    ��������                                                   ������������������������������������
caused by overexploitation of forest                              routes and corridors cease to exist.              of income. On a broader level, it will                                                                                     ���� �        ��    ��    ��     ��    ��   ��   ��   ��   �� ��� �
areas by humans, including haphazard                                  The loss of forests results in the loss       result in developing countries being                                                        ������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 �������������
and badly executed logging operations.                            of all the resources – such as timber,            paid to conserve and sustainably man­                                                                               �������
                                                                                                                                                                                  �������                                           ���������
It can also be caused by pests and dis­                           firewood and medicine – and services              age large areas of their forests for the                      �����                                              ���������

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ���������
eases or repeated forest fires. Degrada­                          – such as conservation of soil, water             benefit of mankind.                                                                                        �������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ������������
tion does not of itself result in the loss                        and biological diversity – that a forest
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ���������
of forest area but it is often the first                          provides. Loss of forest also means that                                                                                                                        �������������

phase of a process which ultimately                               the vital role the forest plays in carbon
                                                                                                                    & See also pages                                                                                               ������������

                                                                                                                      6, 20, 40, 42, 44                                   ���������                                                ������������
results in deforestation. No reliable                             sequestration is no longer possible.                                                                                                       ����              ����������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ����������������

+ Variation in area covered by forest, 1990-2005                                                                                                                                                         ���������                      �������
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12 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Vital Forest Graphics 13
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+ Traditional activities in the village of Mpâa, DR Congo

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The relationship
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              �������

between indigenous
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people and forests
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More than 1.6 billion people
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                                                    ndigenous forest people use their people of                               ��
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                                                                                                                                                    the Peruvian         ������
                                                                                                                                                                                Amazon call

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around the world depend                             land in many different ways – for the rainforest Titá, or mother (Krogh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ��
                                                                                                                                                                                                     ��

                                                fishing, hunting, shifting agriculture, 2006), referring to Titá as if to a person,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ��
to varying degrees on forests

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                                                the gathering of wild forest products who can be happy                                                        ���
                                                                                                                                                                  as well��������
                                                                                                                                                                                as sad, angry

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for their livelihoods – not just

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                                                and other activities. For them, the for­ ���������                          as well as indifferent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ��������

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for food but also for fuel, for                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ����������

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                                                est is the very basis of survival and its                                         Titá provides the Matses with every­                             ���
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livestock grazing areas and for                                                                                                                                                                    �����������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ���������
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                                                resources have to be harvested               ������ in a sus­               thing        they       need
                                                                                                                                              �������          –   as
                                                                                                                                                                  �����
                                                                                                                                                                         long      as   they        fol­
medicine. At least 350 million                                                              �����
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ��
                                                tainable manner.��������������
                                                                         But when trad­itional low her rules, including never                                                                 taking
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people live inside or close to                  life styles change ��������
                                                                             ����
                                                                             and, for example,       ��������������         more from the                     forest than is�������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                            needed
                                                                                                                                                                                         �����������������                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       �����������
                                                                                                                                                       �����
dense forests, largely dependent                industrial logging     ��������������
                                                                                or mining takes           �������������������
                                                                                                                            and       treating         all    things
                                                                                                                                                             ����������
                                                                                                                                                                            belonging
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                                                                                                                                                                                                  to it
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                                                                                                          �����������������������������������                �����������                                                                                                                               �����
on these areas for subsistence                  place, over use of resources ���������������� can lead
                                                                                                          ���������������������
                                                                                                               to ����
                                                                                                          �������           with respect.     ����
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                                                                                                                                                        Traditionally,
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                                                                                                                                                                                    the�����������
                                                                                                                                                                                             Matses
and income, while about                         conflict.                                                                   perform hunting ceremonies to ask the                                                 �               �                �                 � ��
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ����
60 million indigenous people                        Although indigenous people around animal spirits for permission to kill                                                                                                                                                                                     ��������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  �����������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ��������
are almost wholly dependent                     the world often have very different sets animals for food.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       �����                                            �������������������������
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ����������
on forests (FAO 2008).                          of beliefs and traditions, a special bond                                         As with the Matses, indigenous peo­                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         �����������������������������������                             �����������
                                                with the land is a common factor. For ples’ ideas of territory are not only con­                                                                                                                                                     �������������������                                                                                                                          ������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ���������������������                                           ������
                                                example, the semi-nomadic Matses cerned with controlling a geographical                                                                                                                                                              ����������������                    �������          ����                       ����                ������������                             �����������
                                                                                                                            area or using forest resources: territory
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       �                 �                �                 � ��
+ Forest concessions and protected areas                                                                                    also embodies fundamental aspects of
                                                                                                                            culture and geography (Franky 2000).
                         ������������������������
     �����������                                                                               �����                              Indigenous forest people see them­
     ��������������
                                                                                                                            selves as inseparably linked to the for­                                                                                                        cannot comprehend the idea that for­                    In the Philippines for example, land                                             One strategy which is increasingly
     �����������������
     ������������                                                                                                           est and everything in it – trees, plants,                                                                                                       ests and land can be bought and sold.                   issues in such areas are governed by the                                      being used by forest people in order
     �����������                                                                                                            rivers, animals and mountains. It is                                                                                                            However this does not mean they do                      Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act. Unfor­                                        to defend their rights is to provide
                                                              ��������                        ������                        impossible, according to community                                                                                                              not have a clear notion of their rights                 tunately such regulations are often con­                                      proof of their residence in, and use
                       ��������
                                                                                                                            beliefs, to separate any single object                                                                                                          (Odegard et al. 2006). The use of cer­                  travened by powerful local interests.                                         of, forest areas. In the Democratic
                                                                          �����
                                                                                      ������
                                                                                                                            or living thing in the forest – such                                                                                                            tain areas or resources may be granted                     Also, traditional tenure systems are                                       Republic of the Congo, indigenous
                                                    ����������
                                                      ��������                                                              as a particular plant, animal or min­                                                                                                           based on a number of criteria, such as                  not always recognized by governments,                                         groups and other forest-dependent
            �����                                                                     �������
                            ��������               ������������                                                             eral – from its symbolic position in the                                                                                                        belonging to a particular group, tribe                  leaving indigenous forest people with­                                        communities are participating in the
              ��������     �������                                                                                          cosmology of the people (Olsen 2006).                                                                                                           or clan. Land use can also be based on                  out formal rights to their territories.                                       mapping of their traditional terri­
                           ��������                                                              ��������
                                             �������   ����������                                                           These ideas are expressed through                                                                                                               reciprocal agreements with neighbour­                   This violates the United Nations Dec­                                         tories (FORUM 2007). Such maps are
                               �������
                                                                                                                            mythology, religious practices, and                                                                                                             ing groups or individuals.                              laration on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights                                        likely to be a vital tool in the future as
                                                                                                                            systems of social regulation, including                                                                                                            In many countries, the State is the                  (UNDIPR) as well as ILO Convention                                            indigenous people around the world
                                                                                                                            management of the environment and                                                                                                               official owner of most forest areas,                    169 – both of which place a clear obli­                                       struggle to gain formal recognition of
                          ������                                                                                            systems of production and exchange                                                                                                              even though some of the land may have                   gation on States to legally recognize,                                        their rights.
                                                                                                                            (Sanchez et al. 2000).                                                                                                                          been inhabited for generations by large                 demarcate and effectively protect indig­
                                                                                           ������
 �   ���      ������                                                                                                              Because of their special relationship                                                                                                     numbers of people. In some cases the                    enous peoples’ territories and natural                                        & See also pages 16, 54
                                                                                                                            with the land, many indigenous people                                                                                                           rights of such people are recognized.                   resources.

14 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Vital Forest Graphics 15
+ Forest cover in relation to poverty

Forests sustain livelihoods
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ���

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                                                                                                                                                                                        ������������������������������                     �����������                  ���
Forests play an important role                              a large number of households across                           more of total household income, with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               �������
                                                                                                                                                                                 �����������������������
in the livelihoods and welfare                              virtually all forest types (e.g. Scoones                      the poor the most forest dependent                                                                                                            ���

of a vast number of people                                  et al. 1992; Neumann 2000; Cunning­                           (e.g. Cavendish 2000; Aggelsen 2003;                                                                                    ��������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         �

in both developed and                                       ham 2001). Such assets therefore make                         Vedeld et al. 2004).                                                                                                                                �   ���   ���    ���     ���   ���    ���   ���    ���
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   �����������������               ��������������
                                                            up an important contribution to live­                            There is evidence that forests are                                                    ���������                                                       �����������                     ������������
developing countries; from
                                                            lihoods.                                                      often of particular importance to                                                                                                                        ��������������                  �����������������
urban citizens taking                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ��������                               �����������                     ������������
                                                               Examples are numerous. Forest                              women, children and ethnic minori­
a recreational stroll in a nearby
                                                            harvested fuel wood is an important                           ties. For instance, forest foods are cru­                                ���������                           ���������
forest to isolated hunter-                                  source of household energy for heating                        cial to many children (McGregor 1995)                                                                                                       preferential treatment to influential
gatherers who live                                                                                                                                                                                                            ���������� ���������
                                                            and cooking in many countries. Non-                           and involvement of women in non-                                                                                                            companies and organizations and pro­
in and off the forest                                       timber products, such as bush meat, are                       timber forest product collection and                                                                                                        motes corruption. Such is the case in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ��������������
                                                            important to help meet dietary deficits                       trade improves intra-household equity                                                                                        ���������      Honduras where local communities
                                                                                                                                                                                                              ������������
                                                            and a vital source of protein. Medi­                          (Kusters et al. 2006). There are also                                                                                                       cannot gain secure rights to the for­
                                                                                                                                                                                                           ������������
                                                            cinal plants from the forest, used either                     studies indicating that richer house­                                                                                                       ests in which they live while common,

T     he World Bank has estimated
      that 1.6 billion people around the
world depend to some degree on for­
                                                            in self-medication or in traditional
                                                            medicine systems are in many regions
                                                            the sole or main source of medicinal
                                                                                                                          holds may be highly forest dependent
                                                                                                                          – though such dependence relates to
                                                                                                                          other sets of products than the ones
                                                                                                                                                                                                              ���������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ��������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      systematic and high-level corruption
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      has characterized the workings of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      timber industry (Larson 2007). There
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ���������
ests for their livelihoods (WB 2004).                       remedies for maintaining or improv­                           extracted by poor households. For                              ���������           ������������                                             is thus scope for increasing the contri­
Although only an estimate this clearly                      ing health. Small-scale forest product                        instance, fuel wood and the use of dung                                              ������������                                           bution of forests to poverty prevention
indicates that forest dependency is                         processing, such as wood carvings or                          has been found to decrease as income                                                                                                        and reduction.
widespread. In developing countries,                        cane furniture, may be an important                           rises in India while fodder and the use                                                                                                         Building upon the emerging evi­
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ���������
it is projected that a large number of                      source of non-farm employment.                                of wood for construction increases                     �������                                                                              dence of the absolute and relative
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ��������
people will remain at or below poverty                         Even though forests are often very                         (Narain et al. 2008).                                                                                                                       importance of forests and forest prod­
levels (Collier 2007). In relation to for­                  important to households, there is sur­                           The evidence regarding the role of                                                                                                       ucts to livelihoods, governments and
ests, this raises the question of whether                   prisingly little knowledge on the actual                      forests in allowing households to move                 �������                                                                              other development bodies should take
forested areas can play a role in poverty                   level of household forest income and                          out of poverty is scant and mixed; there                                                                                                    action to: make policy reforms in nego­
alleviation.                                                the role of such income in maintaining                        are examples such as the above study                                                                                                        tiation with small-scale forest users in
    A livelihood involves income-gener­                     livelihoods. Households typically use                         from India indicating that income                                                                                                           order to create conducive production
ating activities determined by natural,                     forest products for subsistence pur­                          from forests allows households to accu­                                                                                                     conditions, including securing owner­
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ���������
social, human, financial and physical                       poses or products are traded in infor­                        mulate assets and escape poverty. How­                                                                                                      ship and rights use; revise legislation
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ��������
assets and access to these (Ellis 2000).                    mal markets. Much forest use is there­                        ever, by way of contrast, figures from                                                                                                      in order to remove bias against house­
Trees, shrubs, herbs, game and a wide                       fore not recorded in regular income                           Madagascar show that areas there with                                                                                                       hold-level producers and supporting
range of other forest products all con­                     surveys. However, available evidence                          high forest cover have low densities of     FAO 2005). There are also international                Being able to not only harvest for­      small-scale commercial units, includ­
stitute important natural assets that are                   indicates that income derived from the                        people but high poverty rates.              initiatives aimed at improving our                  est products but also to transport and      ing community-based forestry. Such
harvested in significant quantities by                      forest may constitute 20 per cent or                             The World Bank and the United            understanding of the relation between               sell such products is important for         initiatives would allow households to
                                                                                                                          Nations Food and Agriculture Organ­         forests and livelihoods and the impact              hundreds of thousands of households         actively use forests, enabling them to
+ Level of dependence on forests
                                                                                                                          ization (FAO) have urged that forests       of policies on such relations, including            in order to fully realise the benefits of   build up their assets and improve their
 ��������������                                                                                         ���������������   can and must play a far bigger role in      the Poverty and Envir­onment Network,               the forest. However, legislation often      livelihoods.
                       ������������
    ��������         �����������������
                                                           �������������������
                                                           ���������������������
                                                                                                                          meeting the UN’s Millennium Develop­        the Programme on Forests and the                    discriminates against small forest
������������
 �����������
                                            �������������                    ������������������������
                                                                                                                          ment Goals, including the target of halv­   International Forestry Resources and                users, typically by heavily regulating      & See also pages 30, 54
                                         ��������������������                      �����������                            ing extreme poverty by 2015 (WB 2004;       Institutions research programme.                    their access rights. It also often gives

16 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Vital Forest Graphics 17
A hiding place for fighting forces                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ) Forests and conflicts

and a refuge for victims                                                                                                                                                                                                       ������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ���������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ��������� ��������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          �����
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ���������� ������������� ����������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ����

Around the world, conflicts
                                                                      A     round the world, conflicts and                                cratic Republic of Congo (DRC)                                                              ������                                                                                        affected by woodcutting and animal
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ����
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ��������
and wars are taking a toll                                                  wars are, directly and indirectly,                            where the Garamba forest has been a                                                                    ������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       �����������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   �����������                                      poaching associated with the humani­
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ������� �������             ������
on forests and on the                                                 taking a toll on forests and the com­                               rebel stronghold for nearly two dec­                                                                                        ����� ��� ������������������                                  tarian crisis. An estimated 600 tonnes
communities that rely on                                              munities that rely on forest resources                              ades. Many other wars and conflicts,                                                                                   ������                                                             of wood per day was cut by refugees for
                                                                      for their livelihood. Dense forests in                              for example, in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea,                                                �����������������������������������                                                                 fuel, charcoal and shelter, according to
them for their livelihood.                                                                                                                                                                                                      �����������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ����������

                                                                      remote areas can serve as hideouts for                              Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, and the lib­                                                 �������������������������������                                                                     the UNEP-World Conservation Moni­
Dense forests in remote areas
                                                                      insurgent groups. They also provide                                 eration struggles in southern Africa,                                                                                                                                                     toring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). Interna­
can serve as hideouts
                                                                      safe haven for refugees fleeing from                                were also based in and launched from                                           and other gemstones. However given                         by the Liberian government, the timber          tional assistance to the refugees included
for insurgent groups                                                  conflict. Both cases can result in over-                            forest areas.                                                                  that logs are bulky and difficult to                       sanctions were lifted. Subsequently, in         vital food, water and health care. Yet in
                                                                      exploitation of forest resources.                                      Forest resources can be a vital source                                      transport, illegal timber trading in con­                  2007, the diamond sanctions were also           most cases fuelwood and poles to build
                                                                          Known cases of forests as sites of                              of revenue, used by warring parties to                                         flict zones can be difficult, requiring                    lifted; however regulations concern­            shelters were not provided, leaving the
                                                                      rebel camps include Colombia where                                  finance and sustain conflict; common                                           access to reasonably good and secure                       ing arms sales, travel bans and asset           refugees with no choice but to exploit
                                                                      left-wing guerrillas have camps deep                                conflict commodities are timber and                                            transport systems, as well as access to                    freezes are still in force (UN Security         local resources.
                                                                      in the Amazonian forest and in moun­                                mineral resources extracted from for­                                          export markets and consumers.                              Council 2008).                                     Sustainable management of for­
                                                                      tainous forest areas, and the Demo­                                 est areas such as coltan, gold, diamonds                                           “Natural resources, including forests,                                                                 est resources can play a critical role in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         will continue to fuel deadly conflicts as                  Important forests                               post-conflict reconstruction and peace
+ Forests in narcotics and arms trafficking areas                                                  + Forests affected as hideouts and refuges                                                                            long as consumer societies import materi-                  Protected forest areas are seen as a            building activities. In 2003, the United
                                                                                                             ���������
                                                      ������
                                                                                                                                                                       ����
                                                                                                                                                                      ������                           ������            als with little regard for their origin or the             place of refuge by people fleeing from          Nations Environment Programme
                        �����������                              ���������                                                                ��������                                                    ��������
        ��������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         conditions under which they were pro-                      civil unrest, as they tend to be located        (UNEP), in its post-conflict environ­
                                                                                       ������                                                     ������������
                                                                                                                                                                          � ��

  ������                                                                               �������                                                                �����
                                                                                                                                                                                                        ���������        duced. This also makes consumers part of                   in remote areas often with dense                mental assessment of Afghanistan,
                                                                                                                                                                             �
                                                                                                                                                �

                                                                                                                                                                       ��� �

                                                                                                                                          �������                                                      ���������
                                                                                                          ������
                                �����     �����                                       ������
                                                                                                                     �����
                                                                                                                                                          �������                                                        the equation, either knowingly or other-                   vegetation where people can hide                found that more than 50 per cent of the
                                                                                                                                               �

                                                                                                                     ����                                             �������               �������     ���������
                     ������         ��������                                           ������                                     ����������              ��������
                                                                                                                                              �

                                                   ��������������                     �������       �����                         �����������              ����                                       ������             wise ” says Michael Renner, a security                     (Ogle thorpe 2007). Mwiza Vareriya,             country’s natural pistachio woodlands
                                                                                                                      ����
                                                                                                                                            �

             ������                                                                                                                ���������                      ��������                             ������
                              �������������                                                                                                                        �������                                               specialist and senior researcher at the                    caught up in the genocide in Rwanda,            had virtually disappeared as a result
                                                                                                                                           �

  ����                                                                            ������                                                                                                   ������
                                                                                                                                                                   ������                  ��������
                                                                                                                                          �

                                                                                  �������                                                      ������                                                                    Worldwatch Institute in Washington.                        described the feelings of those hiding          of warfare, civil disorder, institutional
             �����                                                                                                                                                                          ����
                                                                                                                                      �

                                                                                                                                                                      ��������                             ������
    �������                                                                                                                                                                                                                  United Nations action to prevent                       in the Gishwati forest: “We were very           collapse and drought. Trees were cut
                                                                                                                                      �

                                                                                                                                                                 �������               ������
                                                                                                                                  ������                         �������� ��������
                                                                                                                                      �

           ���������                                                                                                                                    ��������� ����      �������
                                                                                                                                                                          ������                                         the trade in conflict timber has centred                   scared, but then we got to the forest, and      for the illegal sale of timber or to create
                                                                                                                                                                         �������������
                                                              ����                                                                                                                                                       on resolutions, commodity sanctions,                       we felt safer” (Hanes 2006).                    stockpiles of fuelwood.
                                                                                                                   ������
  �����                                                                                                                                                                             ���������
                                                                                                                                  �

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         and so called smart sanctions, includ­                         Large-scale cross-border migrations            In other parts of Afghanistan, the
                                                                                                                                  �

                                                                                                                  ������                       ����                          ���������
                                                                                                    ������                                                                        �  �
                                                                                                                                                                                  ���������                              ing travel bans and asset freezing of                      by refugees and internally displaced            presence of landmines drove farmers
                                                                                                                                  �

                                                                                                                                                                            �������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ������

                                                                              ������                                                                        �������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         companies and individuals engaged in                       persons (IDPs) who then settle �������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        in for­     to clear forests to grow crops (UNEP
                                                                                                                              �

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                                                                                                                              �

                                                                                                                         �����                         ��������                                  ������
                                                                                                                                                                                                    ������               illegal trading. For more than a decade                    ested areas often result in biodiversity        2003). Programmes to restore these
                                                                                                                                                        ������
                                                                                                                              �

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                                                                                                                              �

                   ����                                                                                                                   ������
                                                                                                                                                                                 �
                                                                                                                                                                                 �������                                 forest resources were used to finance                      loss and deforestation as trees are cut for     devastated areas and create sustainable
                                                                                                                                                                  ������                         ��������
                                                                                                    ��������������������                                     �����������������������                                     war in Liberia (1989 to 1996 and 1999                      firewood or shelter and land is cleared         livelihoods are under way; up to now,
  ��������                                     ���������������������                                   ���������������������������������                         ����������������������������������
   ������              ��������������          ������������������                                      �����������������������������                             �������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         to 2003). In 2003, the UN Security                         for planting crops. In 1994, nearly             the Afghanistan Conservation Corps
   ��                  ��������������          ��������           ������                               ���������������������                                     ������������������������
  ���                                          ����               �������                              ������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Council called for an import ban on                        1 million refugees from the conflict in         (ACC) has planted more than 5 million
  ���                  ����������������                                                                                                                          ���������������
                       ��������������           �������������������������                              ������������������                                                                                                timber products and rough diamonds                         Rwanda poured over the border with              trees and generated income equivalent
  ���
                                                ������������������������������                                                                                   ��������������������������������
  ���                  ����������������                                                                ����������
                                                �����������������������������������                                                                              ����������
�����                  �����������
                                                ���������������������                                  ��������������������                                                                                              from Liberia and an end to arms sales                      the DRC and into camps in and around            to over 700 000 labour days (UNEP).
�����                  �������������������                                                                                                                       ����������������������������������
�����                                           �����������                                           �      ��     ��       ��   �����                          ����������������������������������                      to Liberia (UN Security Council 2003).                     the Virunga National Park (Debroux et
�����                  ���������������������������������������������������������                                                                                 ���������������������������������������
 �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                         In 2006, following the implementation                      al. 2007). It is estimated that 50 000 hec­     & See also pages 16, 40
 ���������������������������                                                                        ���������������������������������������������������������������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         of new forestry legislation and reforms                    tares of the park’s lowland forest were

18 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Vital Forest Graphics 19
Forests under threat as                                                                                                   farming                                       commodities take over
Growing global demand for land for the production
of agricultural commodities has resulted in inevitable and                                                                D     eforestation is driven by the need
                                                                                                                                for land for uses such as agricul­
                                                                                                                          ture, agro-forestry, human settlements,
                                                                                                                                                                        could grow back, more recent forest
                                                                                                                                                                        clearances are often carried out on a
                                                                                                                                                                        much larger scale and aim to establish
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ity – are most likely to be converted
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   for agricultural purposes (Kanninen,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2007; Stickler et al. 2007). Tropical for­
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       has high agricultural potential or high
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       population densities, while in other
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       nations such as Bolivia, Congo, Vene­
sometimes irreversible changes to the world’s forest cover
                                                                                                                          infrastructure and mining. Some of            permanent agricultural settlements.                                        est nations vary greatly in suitability for         zuela and Guyana one third to one half
                                                                                                                          the most serious deforestation occurs            Forest areas with the most favour­                                      mechanized agriculture. In some coun­               of the forests are unsuitable for agri­
                                                                                                                          when there are various commodity              able environmental conditions – those                                      tries such as Malaysia, French Guiana               culture or have low concentrations of
                                                                                                                          booms at the domestic and interna­            with good drainage and soil fertil­                                        and Cameroon, virtually all forest land             farmers (Stickler 2007).
                                                                                                                          tional levels. At such times farmers and                                                                                                                                        To address pressures on forest land
+ Major producers of soya beans and sugar cane                                                                            large agribusiness enterprises clear for­
                                                                                                                                                                        + Major producers of palm oil and cattle meat                                                                                  the Brazilian government enacted a law
                                                                                                                          est areas to plant more profitable mar­        ������������������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       in 2006 stipulating that landowners
  ������������������
                                                                                                                          ket crops such as palm oil, rice, sugar        ��������������                                                                                                                can clear cut no more than 20 percent
  ��������������
                                                                                                                                                                           ��
   ��                                                                                                                     cane, banana and soya beans – or forest                                                                                                                                      of their forests, while the remaining
   ��                                                                                                                     is cleared for animal grazing. In add­           ��                                                                                                                          80 percent has to remain under forest
   ��                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ��
                                                                                                                          ition, new road networks mean previ­                                                                                                                                         cover. Though this can be seen as an
                                                                                                                                                                            ��                                                                                                  ��
   ��
                                                                                                                          ously remote areas can be reached and                                                                                                                                        important step in forest conservat­ion,
   ��
                                                                                                                          infrastructure built up, often leading            ��                                                                                                                         problems over land ownership and
   ��
                                                                                                                          to the eventual settlement of former             ���
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       clear land title mean that the law is
   ��                                                                                     �����
                                 ������                                                    ��                             forestlands.                                                                                                                                                                 often not properly implemented.
                  ������                                            ������
   ��             ������                                ����� �������             �����
                    ��                                                              �                                         A combination of increase in                                                                           �������                                                              Increasing populations in urban
   ��                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ��������
                                            ������
                                             ��
                                                     �������                                                              demands for food, land fertility, rising                                   ��������                                                        ��������                          and rural areas also raises demand for
   ���                                                                                            ���������                                                                                                                                                                ���������
                                    �������               �����                                                           market prices for commodities and a                                                                                                                                          food and other commodities, requir­
                                      ��������            ������
                      ���������                                                                                           lack of clear and enforceable ownership                                                                                                                                      ing ever more land to be used for pro­
                         ��            �������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ��������
                                                                                                                          rights to forest land results in agricul­                                                                                                                                    duction (CIFOR 2007). At the present
   ����������������������
                                                                        ����������                                                                                       ����������������

                                                                                                                          ture being the major cause of deforest­                                                                                                                                      time, production of commodities such
                                                                                                                                                                         ������������������
 ������������������                                                                                                       ation. Such deforestation is often exe­        ��������������                                                                                                                as soya beans and palm oil are reach­
 ��������������                                                                                                                                                           ��                                 ������
                                                                                                                          cuted through slash and burn practices,                                            ������                                                                                    ing record levels, with world soya bean
                                                                                                                                                                                                              ��
 ���                                                                                                                                                                      ��
                                                                                                                          with forests and woodlands cut and                                                                                                                                           production in 2006 reaching about
 ���
                                                                                                                          burned and the land cleared for crop             �                                                                                                                           222 million tonnes. Brazil is the world’s
                                                                                                                          production or for livestock pastures.            �                                                                                                                           biggest soya bean producer, accounting
 ���                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ������
                                                                                             �����                        This method, practised by small-scale                                                                                        ������                                          for 23 per cent of the global total. About
                                                                                              ���                                                                          �                                                                             �
                        ������                                                                                                                                                                                                  ������
                        ������                                                                                            farmers for centuries, releases a pulse of                                                           �������       �������                                                   220 thousand square kilometres land in
                                                                       ��������                                                                                                                ������
 ���                      ��                                                 ��                                                                                            �
                                                                                    �����                                                                                                                                                                          �����
             ������                                            �����                 ���               �����������
                                                                                                                          nutrients that serve as fertilizers for the                       ������                                                                   �                                 Brazil is now planted with soya (FAO­
              ��                                                                                                                                                           �                  �                                            �����
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ������
 ���           ���������                  ������                                                  �������
                                                                                                                          soil. However, while traditional slash-                             ��������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        �                                       �����                  ���������
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       STAT 2007), mostly in the south-east­
                                                                                    ��������
                                           ���                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            �
                      ��������                                                         ��
                                                                                                   ���������
                                                                                                                          and-burn or so called shifting cultiva­                                ���������                                                                                             ern part of the countryl (FAOSTAT).
                                                                                                                                                                                                         �                               �����
                                                          �����                                               ���������
                                                                                                                          tion practices involved the growing                                                                            ������                                                           Indonesia and Malaysia are major
   ���                      ���������                     ������                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ���
                                                                       ����������                                         of crops for a few years, followed by a                                                                                      �����������                           �������   producers of palm oil: in 2006 these
  ����������������������                                                                                                                                                  ����������������������
                                                                                                                          fallow period during which the forest                                                                                                                                        two countries accounted for 85 per &

20 Vital Forest Graphics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Vital Forest Graphics 21
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