2009
| 17 December 2009 UK GOVERNMENT PRESS NOTICEAGREEMENT ON $3.5BN INITIAL FUNDING FOR DEFORESTATION Australia, France, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States have today collectively agreed in the context of an ambitious and comprehensive outcome in Copenhagen to dedicate USD3.5bn as initial public finance towards slowing, halting and eventually reversing deforestation in developing countries. A joint statement follows:“Actions to reduce emissions from forests can help to stabilize our climate, support livelihoods, provide biodiversity conservation, and promote economic development. As part of an ambitious and comprehensive deal, we recognise the significant role of international public finance in supporting developing countries’ efforts to slow, halt and eventually reverse deforestation. With this in mind, we collectively dedicate USD3.5 billion of fast-start climate change financing for ‘REDD+’ over the 2010 to 2012 period. We regard this as an initial investment in developing countries that put forward ambitious REDD+ plans and that achieve forest emission reductions according to their respective capabilities. We collectively commit to scaling up our finance thereafter in line with opportunities and the delivery of results. We invite other donors to join us in this effort to make early action on REDD+ a reality.” [more] |
 16 December 2009 "Forestry and agriculture need an integrated, holistic approach to combat carbon emissions and to fight hunger." Find out about the link connecting Buenos Aires to Copenhagen in an interview with Olman Serrano (FAO), Associate Secretary General of the XIII World Forestry Congress (Buenos Aires, 18-23 October 2009). [more] |
 16 December 2009 Today a new web site (available in English and Chinese) was launched. The web offers information about the Supporting China forest tenure reform project; its upcoming activities, news letter, Contacts, etc. [more] |
| 11 December 2009 The United Nations has proposed a framework known as REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) that would provide financial incentives to rainforest nations to protect their forests, in an effort to make forests worth "more alive than dead." Implementing a global REDD system will require that each nation have the ability to accurately monitor and report the state of their forests over time, in a manner that is independently verifiable. However, many of these tropical nations of the world lack the technological resources to do this, so we're working with scientists, governments and non-profits to change this. Here's what we've done with this prototype to help nations monitor their forests: [more] |
 28 October 2009 The Congress sent a strong message on climate change and forests to the upcoming UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December. The message stated above all: “Maintaining high carbon stocks by reducing deforestation and forest degradation and promoting the sustainable management of all types of forests, including the conservation of biodiversity, forest protection and restoration, should be amongst the world’s highest priorities for the forestry sector. Sustainable forest management provides an effective framework for forest-based climate change mitigation and adaptation.For forests to fully achieve their potential in addressing the challenges of climate change, forest governance should be improved, financing and capacity building should be enhanced, and processes to empower disenfranchised people, including indigenous peoples and other forest dependent communities, be strengthened.” [more] |
 28 October 2009 More than 7 000 participants from 160 countries attending the XIII World Forestry Congress in Buenos Aires (18-23 October 2009) have called for the broadest possible coalition to address the many challenges the forestry sector is facing. A final declaration, adopted by the Congress, called for immediate “multi-sector responses” to rapid global changes. “Today, the major pressures on forests are arising from outside the forest sector, such as changes in global climates, economic conditions, and population. These changes are creating impacts across multiple sectors. For example, population growth and migration to cities is creating environmental pressures on forests and farm lands. These changes are occurring more rapidly than they did in the past, creating more uncertainty and larger fluctuations - global economic changes and fuel demands and supplies are examples.The path forward lies in shifting to an integrated landscape approach for confronting these changes, working with partners outside the forest sector to develop sustainable multi-sector responses. The accelerating rate and the dimension of changes in economic, social, and environmental conditions require immediate action.” [more] |
 24 October 2009 Buenos Aires, Argentina - “We should not exclude any potential means of mitigating climate change¨ said Jan Heino, Assistant Director General of the Forestry Department at FAO, just as the World Forestry Congress drew to a close on Friday 23 October. In as little as five days, a major exercise of discussion, partnership and knowledge sharing occurred, seeing the involvement of the private sector as well as of civil society, the academia, NGOs and international organizations. With an initial expected number of 4 000 participants rising up to over 7 000, the meeting in Buenos Aires was evidence of the momentum generated by this crucial juncture. [more] |
 22 October 2009 Buenos Aires, Argentina - “Work is under way to prepare for a new future as we are at the dawn of a new era for forestry”, the XIII World Forestry Congress was told on Wednesday by Tim Rollinson, Director General of the UK Forestry Commission, who chaired the Special Forum on Forests and Climate Change. [more] |
 21 October 2009 Buenos Aires (Argentina) - “In my life, I have planted some 3,000 plants, trees and roses” said President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner while planting a tree in front of the Casa Rosada, seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina. The ceremonial act, performed together with Jan Heino, Assistant Director General at the Forestry Department of FAO, officially marked the presidential opening of the XIII World Forestry Congress. [more] |
 20 October 2009 For the first time worldwide, free and ready-to-use high-resolution satellite data is now available to monitor forests and help reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The monitoring system has been launched by FAO and other partners as part of the Global Forest Resources Assessment. [more] |
 19 October 2009 Buenos Aires, Argentina - The Opening Ceremony of the XIII World Forestry Congress (WFC) was kicked off by a record amount of 5,200 participants in Buenos Aires on Sunday 18 October. Julián Dominguez, the newly appointed Argentine Minister of Agriculture, declared the XIII WFC officially open reinforcing FAO’s role as technical advisor to governments. Speakers at the Opening Ceremony used their opportunity to voice the most pressing concerns of the global forestry community. [more] |
 12 October 2009 “By considering forests as an integral part of wider economic and social development goals, we will make giant strides in our efforts to reduce poverty, hunger and malnutrition.” Read the interview with Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) who will be speaking at the opening Ceremony of the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. [more] |
 5 October 2009 “If we could give the correct impression that there isn’t a choice between poverty alleviation and stopping deforestation, I think it would be a very positive contribution to the Copenhagen deliberations.” Read the interview with Tony Juniper, Special Adviser to The Prince’s Rainforests Project (PRP) and one of England’s best known environmentalists. [more] |
 30 September 2009 “The continuing loss of forests and forest degradation pose a critical challenge. Research has demonstrated repeatedly that damage to forest ecosystems is significant and is affecting everyone.” This is the opinion of Jan Heino, Assistant Director General of the Forestry Department at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, under the auspices of which the World Forestry Congress has been held every six years since 1926. [more] |
 25 September 2009 "We should act now to curb climate change. We can do it if science, governments, businesses and communities come together and address this pressing issue." Read the full interview with Balgis Osman-Elasha, Nobel Peace Prize laureate together with theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who will be a keynote speaker on “Producing for development” at the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. [more] |
| 23 September 2009 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convenes today a Summit on Climate Change to mobilize the political will and vision needed to reach an ambitious agreed outcome based on science at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December 2009. It will include a specific high-level session on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) on 23 September. [more] |
 22 September 2009 “The world needs more effective and focused international action on tropical forests. That will help reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and also mitigate the effects of climate change.” Emmanuel Ze Meka, ITTO’s Executive President, will be urging more effective and focused international action on tropical forests at the XIII World Forestry Congress. [more] |
 17 September 2009 “In times of global financial and economic crisis and globalization of economy, the role of state forest management is essential for the sustainable development of society and the attainment of the goals formulated in United Nations Millennium Declaration.” This is the opinion of Alexey Savinov, Head of the Russian Federal Forestry Agency who will be speaking at the opening session of the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. [more] |
| 14 September 2009 The Forest Policy and Economics Division has launched the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Support Programme for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP-FLEGT) countries by issuing the first call for pilot projects and technical assistance proposals. The four-year initiative has two main components: providing assistance to ACP countries in putting the European Union FLEGT Action Plan into practice, and supporting the collection, analysis and dissemination of FLEGT-related information and lessons learned among stakeholder groups in ACP countries. [more] |
 9 September 2009 “At regional and global levels, especially in inland Amazonia and other regions in southern central Brazil, if the rate of deforestation is not reduced, removal of plant cover can affect rainfall, as has been scientifically demonstrated.” Read the interview with Dr Jose Carlos Carvalho, the State Secretary for Environment and Sustainable Development of Minas Gerais, who will be taking part in the World Forestry Congress as keynote speaker on “Organizing forest development”. [more] |
 18 August 2009 “This relationship and feeling of being part of nature and not opposed to it should be an example for western culture to follow.” By resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on 9 August every year. Among other things, this event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to addressing such worldwide issues as environmental protection. Read the interview with Macuxi leader Euclides Pereira, who will be speaking on behalf of indigenous peoples worldwide at the XIII World Forestry Congress. [more] |
 31 July 2009 Every year fires affect an estimated 350 million hectares of land, with damage to property, livelihoods and frequently loss of life. Uncontrolled vegetation fires also contribute to global warming, air pollution, desertification and loss of biodiversity. Fire prevention is one of the most effective counter measures, and efficient fire monitoring can help in early warning, intervention decision- making and measuring impacts. [more] |
 31 July 2009 “This single-biggest thing in trying to address climate change if you’re in forestry is keeping the forest.” Listen to Avrim Lazar, President & CEO of FPAC (Forest Products Association of Canada) and keynote speaker on Forests and Climate Change at the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. [more] |
 17 July 2009 “In Brazil, there are 1.7 million ha planted with eucalyptus or pine trees. Some 50,000 families are already benefiting from practicing small-scale agriculture there – whilst the planet benefits from the responsible use of resources.” This is the opinion of Elizabeth de Carvalhaes, Executive President of BRACELPA (Brazilian Pulp and Paper Association) and keynote speaker on “Producing for Development” at the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. [more] |
 18 June 2009 “We have all the elements in our industry, the willingness and the potential to contribute, to be part of the solution to climate change.” Teresa Presas, Managing Director of CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries), will be a key-note speaker on Opportunities for Development at the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. [more] |
 8 June 2009 Over the last few years, two key environmental issues, closely related, have been on the top of the environmental agenda: climate change and deforestation. Forest is a subject for these two concerns. Deforestation, estimated at above 13 millions hectares a year, or an area roughly equivalent to the size of Greece, has immediate consequence in terms detraction of livelihoods for people, increased carbon emissions, and loss of biological diversity to mention few. Most of the forest cover losses are taking place in developing countries, in particular in South America, Africa and South-East Asia. One of the root causes behind deforestation is the weak governance structure for forest conservation and sustainable management of forest resources. This applies particularly to public-owned forests that represent over 80 percent of the global forest cover. One of the recent mechanisms to battle deforestation through attaching economic value to the carbon stored in the forest was launched in Montreal in 2006. The “Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation” (REDD) initiative is already part of the international negotiations on climate change. However, understanding real values of losses and gains of forests still needs improvement. [more] |
 8 June 2009 In the era of global warming, forests are a fundamental requirement for the balance between carbon emission and carbon absorption. Read the full interview with Professor Swaminathan, key-note speaker on Trees and Forests in Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) at the XIII World Forestry Congress. [more] |
 11 May 2009 The President of the Republic of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, accepted the role of Ambassador of the XIII WFC 2009 during the announcement ceremony in San Fernando, Buenos Aires of the renewal of law 25,080 for the promotion of planted forests. [more] |
| 1 April 2009 Finland and FAO signed a €14 million partnership agreement to improve forest data collection and analysis as well as management skills in selected developing countries for sustainable forest management.The aim of the four-year programme is to help developing country governments protect their forest resources, build sustainable forest livelihoods and provide governments with the knowledge to mitigate and adapt to climate change. [more] |
| 31 March 2009 On Monday 27 April, in the framework of the eighth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), to be held in New York from 20 April to 1 May 2009, the Secretariat of the XIII World Forestry Congress will be hosting a side event. This side event will take place in the Conference Room 2 (CR2) UN Headquarters, from 13:15 to 14:00 hrs.The international forestry community is cordially invited to participate and share, with FAO and the Government of Argentina, views about the main programme, special events and roundtables of the XIII WFC.Additional information on the two main subjects leading the XIII WFC: "Forest and Climate Change" and "Forest and Energy" will be provided during the side event. [more] |
 30 March 2009 Effective forest protection requires reliable information about the biology, ecology and distribution of pests and diseases, their impacts on forest ecosystems and possible methods of control. This publication represents a rare effort to address forest pests and diseases comprehensively at the global level. Part I summarizes the results of a thematic study reviewing forest pests in 25 countries. Part II presents profiles of some globally important forest pest species, and Part III discusses select forest trees species and their associated pests. This information will assist forest health specialists, forest managers and policy-makers worldwide to make informed decisions. [more] |
| 26 March 2009 This special double issue addresses how forests and forest-dependent people will adapt to climate change. Topics provide examples of the links between climate change and sustainable development; the impacts of climate change on forest health and on forest species composition and distribution; and ways in which science and policy can promote adaptation of forests and communities. The issue was developed from presentations to the international conference on Adaptation of Forests and Forest Management to Changing Climate with Emphasis on Forest Health: A Review of Science, Policies and Practices (Umeå, Sweden, August 2008). [more] |
| 20 March 2009 A United Nations programme aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from forests and boosting livelihoods in tropical nations has approved $18 million in support of five pilot countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Funds will back forestry programmes combating climate change and boosting local livelihoods [more] |
 17 March 2009 The dual challenges of economic turmoil and climate change are bringing the management of forests to the forefront of global interest. The need to reform forestry institutions and increase investments in science and technology are key to the better management of forests, notes FAO’s latest State of the World’s Forests report [more] |
 10 March 2009 Rome - Ten million new “green jobs” can be created by investing in sustainable forest management, according to FAO. “As more jobs are lost due to the current economic downturn, sustainable forest management could become a means of creating millions of green jobs, thus helping to reduce poverty and improve the environment,” said Jan Heino, Assistant Director-General of FAO’s Forestry Department. Since forests and trees are vital storehouses of carbon, such an investment could also make a major contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, said Heino. [more] |
 10 March 2009 Welcome. Registration for COFO has opened. The 19th session of the FAO Committee on Forestry and the first World Forest Week will be held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy 16-20 March, 2009. This year’s themes are sustainable forest management and climate change and institutional change in a dynamic world. [more] |
| 9 March 2009 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation (NWCF) and the Institute of Geography of the University of Berne (GIUB) jointly organise a Side Event at the forthcoming 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul with the title "Mountains of the World: Water Towers for the 21st Century?" The side event takes place on Friday, 20 March 2009, from 5-7 PM in the Sutluce / Haskoy Hall. The event aims at sending a clear message to the water community that mountain water resources are getting under increasing pressure and that innovative management approaches and forward looking political decisions are required in order to face the future challenges. For further information about the Side Event please contact thomas.hofer@fao.org. [more] |
| 27 February 2009 Rome – With two-thirds of potential industrial wood production available from planted rather than naturally occuring forests, the contribution of planted forests has become increasingly critical to future wood supplies, notes a new FAO study. [more] |
 26 February 2009 Alfred (Alf) John Leslie, ex Director, Forest Industries Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), passed away peacefully in Te Awamutu, New Zealand on Saturday, 24 January, approaching his 88th birthday. [more] |
| 11 January 2009 United Nations Secretary General Special Envoy on Climate Change Gro Harlem Brundtland will be the keynote speaker at the 19th Session of the Committee on Forestry. [more] |
| 10 January 2009 This 17-minute video presentation, produced by FAO and the Forestry Commission of the United Kingdom, shows how much forests can contribute to the mitigation of climate change, stressing the importance of reversing forest loss. With striking imagery and simple language, this informative presentation is suitable for classroom, conference hall and individual viewing by all who care about the future of the planet. [more] |
last updated: Tuesday, October 11, 2011