06/06/2011
Investing a relatively small amount each
year in the forestry sector could halve
deforestation, create millions of new jobs
and help tackle the devastating effects
of climate change, according to a United
Nations report released yesterday (June
5) to mark World Environment Day.
The report, "Forests
in a Green Economy: A Synthesis", finds
that an additional US$ 40 billion spent
each year in the forestry sector - or just
0.034 per cent of global gross domestic
product (GDP) - could result in substantial
environmental improvements.
The rate of deforestation could be halved
by 2030, the number of trees planted could
rise by 140 per cent by 2050 and as many
as 30 million new jobs could be created
by that same year.
Achim Steiner, Executive
Director of the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP), which issued the report, said forestry
is one of the key sectors capable of helping
the world transition to a 'green economy'
model that is resource-efficient and low
in its use of carbon.
"There are already
many encouraging signals; the annual net
forest loss since 11000 has fallen from
around eight million to around five million
hectares and in some regions such as Asia,
the Caribbean and Europe forest area has
actually increased over those 20 years",
he said.
The area covered by
freshly planted forests has also grown from
3.6 million hectares in 11000 to just below
five million hectares last year.
Jan McAlpine, the Director
of the Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests,
said the capacity of poorer countries to
switch to green economies and protect their
stocks of forests needs to be strengthened.
"Encouraging a
transition to green economies will require
a broad range of financial, regulatory,
institutional and technological measures",
she said.
Forests and the benefits
they provide represent the theme of this
year's World Environment Day, which is marked
every year on 5 June. This year is also
the UN-declared International Year of the
Forests.
Celebrations are being
held across the globe, including in India,
which is this year's designated host.
On Friday (June 3) Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon described forests as central
to economic development, poverty reduction
and food security.
"By reducing deforestation
and forest degradation we can make significant
progress in addressing the combined threats
of climate change, biodiversity loss and
land degradation", he said in a message
to a forestry conservation meeting held
in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Source: UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
