02/03/2011
The Brazilian Institute of Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) trained,
last week, a group of 35 people of the Macuxi
ethnic group, which lives in the far north
of Roraima State, to fight forest fires.
Called Turuka, the brigade
has received training in the Maturuca Community,
in the mountain region of the Raposa Serra
do Sol Indigenous Land. The classes were
given by experts from the National Center
for Prevention and Combat of Forest Fires
(Prevfogo).
All members of the Turuka brigade also participated
in the Volunteer Environmental Agent Program,
also coordinated by IBAMA. The request for
training was made by the Indigenous Council
of Roraima, according to demands of the
local indigenous peoples.
In the northern part
of Roraima State, the rainy season occurs
between May and September. The rest of the
year, the weather is very dry, which facilitates
the spread of fire.
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World must better protect
forests in face of looming water scarcity
21/03/2011
With 1.8 billion people threatened by absolute
water scarcity by 2025, and two-thirds of
the world's population facing potential
shortages, countries must better protect
and manage forests to ensure the provision
of clean water to vulnerable communities,
a United Nations-backed forum warned last
Friday (March 18).
"Forests are part
of the natural infrastructure of any country
and are essential to the water cycle",
said UN Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) Forestry Department Assistant Director
General, Eduardo Rojas-Briales.
The FAO is part of the
14-member Collaborative Partnership on Forests
(CPF), a grouping comprising 14 international
organizations, including several other UN
agencies and bodies.
"They reduce the
effects of floods, prevent soil erosion,
regulate the water table and assure a high-quality
water supply for people, industry and agriculture",
Rojas-Briales said, speaking ahead of UN
World Water Day, which will be celebrated
this year on March 22.
Today, at least one
third of the world's biggest cities, such
as New York, Singapore, Jakarta, Rio de
Janeiro, Bogotá, Madrid and Cape
Town, draw a significant portion of their
drinking-water from forested areas. If properly
utilized, forest catchment areas can provide
at least a partial solution for municipalities
needing more or cleaner water, according
to CPF.
"The management
of water and forests are closely linked
and require innovative policy solutions
which take into account the cross-cutting
nature of these vital resources", said
Jan McAlpine, Director of the UN Forum on
Forests Secretariat.
The UN General Assembly
has proclaimed 2011 the International Year
of Forests and this "provides a unique
platform to raise awareness of issues such
as the water-soil-forests nexus, which directly
affect the quality of people's lives, their
livelihoods and their food security",
she added.
Moreover, forests and
trees contribute to the reduction of water-related
risks such as landslides, local floods and
droughts, and help prevent desertification
and salinization. They are in most cases
an optimal land cover for catchments supplying
drinking water, and forest watersheds supply
a high proportion of water for domestic,
agricultural, industrial and ecological
needs.
Source: UN News Centre
