The scourge of global warming on humanity and forests, coupled with systematic destruction of the environment by humans, has left our planet on the verge of collapse. The need to secure sustainable development of what remains is pivotal to the future of mankind.
Given this, discussing forest issues at a global level has become increasingly paramount in our effort to create sustainable development. The XIV World Forestry Congress (WFC) 2015 convention, to be held between Sept 7-11, in South Africa, is one such event that promises to probe what is required to invest in a sustainable future for our forests and people.
To promote the event in Asia recently was Trevor Abrahams, secretary-general of XIV World Forestry Congress. To whet the interest of forests officials in Asia, a Pre-World Forestry Congress regional meeting on people and forests, titled "Investing In Local Communities For Sustainable Forests" was held in Bangkok. Represented at the forum were officials from Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia.
The gathering attracted a diverse crowd, everyone from smallholders from Asia's forests to indigenous peoples and community forest officials sat in the audience. The aim of the regional get-together was to ensure local community voices are heard at the convention, remarked Abrahams.
The message is simple, said the South African, "Investment in forestry is an investment in people and, in turn, an investment in national economies and sustainable development." He went on to explain that topics discussed at the seminar largely concentrated on how proper management of forests is advantageous on not just local level but also national and global. The audience was made up of representatives from the Thai government, media outlets, NGOs, civil societies and the UN.
The staging of the WFC 2015 event will be a key occasion for the world's foresters and forest supporters to unite, he remarked. Sharing their expertise and experiences with each other meant that they could then go on to build a new vision for the future of forests and forestry.
"Over 450 million people in Asia and the Pacific are reliant on forests for everything from fuel, fodder and other forest products, to water and micro climate regulation, biodiversity and cultural conservation.
"Despite the fact that we are largely reliant on forests for our essential needs, we haven't been kind to it. Despite numerous positive developments through the years, these forests are still target to wide-scale degradation and conversion, and are becoming fragmented within increasingly diverse and intensively used landscapes.
"Moreover, this often creates negative impacts on communities, particularly the underprivileged, as well as on national and global issues such as climate change."
Abrahams said the fact of the matter remained that forests are critical to not just Asean's development, but of the rest of the world. Forests continue to be sacrificed in the name of modernisation, a phenomena that has become a global issue. At the expense of forests, humans continue to abuse forest areas by deforestation and building factories and dwellings, which then go on to cause landslides and flooding.
To address this pressing issue, he said the WFC 2015 conference will zero in on raising awareness of the major issues facing forests and propose new forms of technical, scientific and policy action that can play a deciding role in safeguarding the interest of the forest for generations to come. Global warming, which will also be discussed, is another issue that continues to ravage forests. Flooding and droughts have become a common fixture due to this.
Abrahams urged people to continue with the awareness campaigns to protect and build forests.
"In the first week of September, we have a 'tree week' in South Africa. This is the time we introduce tree planting into communities, not just trees, as such, but also fruit trees, which can serve to give oxygen and edible fruit.
"In this manner, people are able to appreciate trees and their importance when they can tangibly experience the benefits. At government and state level I believe there are not many economic planning schemes that include the development of forests. Information gathered at the WFC 2015 conference can be used to draft policies and laws, so it is important that people are represented from all segments of society."
Abrahams believes global warming and forest development should be given the same importance when it comes to economic planning.
Most of the developing world is suffering from deforestation, he said, while in the more developed countries people are getting involved in afforestation. While one formula does not necessarily fit all, there can instead be combined strategies to address the diverse number of predicaments we face today.
One can harvest forests without killing them, where additional trees are grown in areas where there is greater sustainable management of forests. Adverse impact comes mostly when you start harvesting it in an unsustainable way, or when it is destroyed by fire. So it is important to be prepared to not let this happen, added the WFC secretary-general.
"One of the sad aspects of forestry globally is that it is often associated with corruption, between forestry officials and outsiders," said the South African.
"Often laws are there, but not enforced, or officials are bribed to not enforce them properly. In that instance, it is more the kind of public mobilisation that matters. Such unlawful dealings are far removed from the public eyes, so it is crucial for everyone to help.
"There are also instances where the laws become so draconian that it makes it impossible for communities to survive. So there has to be a delicate balance where everyone comes out a winner."
