Communities Can Benefit From Sustainable Forest Management

CANCUN, Mexico (December 9, 2010) – Replanting and restoring tropical forests will prove to be a critical tool in combating global warming, according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) during the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico. The organization, a U.S.-based nonprofit science-based advocacy group, called on participating nations to reduce emissions and increase carbon “sequestration” on forested lands by promoting tree planting.

Deforestation and forest degradation in tropical countries account for some 15 percent of global warming pollution annually. To help avoid the worst consequences of climate change, the report suggests that the world would have to cut global warming emissions from tropical forests 50 percent by 2020, and zero them out end them completely by 2030.

“Merely reducing deforestation and forest degradation will not be enough to save tropical forests,” said Pipa Elias, a UCS policy analyst and co-author of the report. “Each year poor management degrades nearly 8,800 square miles—about 2.3 million hectares—of tropical forest, emitting carbon dioxide and impairing forest health and productivity. Tropical nations have to take immediate action to restore these lands by promoting forest growth and increasing carbon sequestration.”

The report, “The Plus Side: Promoting Sustainable Carbon Sequestration in Tropical Forests,” recommends practices that can transform tropical forests from a carbon emissions source to a carbon “sink.” One example is agroforestry—growing crops and trees on the same piece of land—which can help farmers produce more from their land, sequester carbon in the soil, and restore degraded land.

“Of course the first step is for agribusiness and loggers in the tropics to stop cutting down trees,” said Elias. “They also need to restore degraded forests and do a better job logging in forests that are already being logged. They can still reduce emissions and boost sequestration.”

Elias pointed out that “reduced-impact” logging, where highly trained loggers use smaller equipment to avoid damaging neighboring trees can curb emissions and boost the growth rate of the next generation of trees. Likewise, she added, “community forestry,” where the state grants local residents the right to manage their forests, can ensure economic growth and provide incentives for managing forests in a sustainable way.

“The nations participating in the Cancun conference should commit to net zero emissions from tropical forests by 2030 by supporting a full range of responsible forest protection and management practices,” Elias said. “This commitment would spur actions today that would help ensure that forests reach their full potential for fighting climate change over the next few decades.”

 

The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C.