Commonwealth chief backs forest restoration to tackle climate change
The self-destructive mindset that can attach greater value to a dead forest than a live one has to be defeated if efforts to combat climate change are to succeed, Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, said today.
Mr Sharma made this comment when accepting an invitation to speak at the opening of the Commonwealth Forestry Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, in June 2010.
It will be themed “Restoring the Commonwealth’s Forests: Tackling Climate Change”.
Healthy forests act as a huge carbon "sink", or store. Their removal and destruction (known as deforestation) and degradation - usually for conversion to other land uses - is the second-biggest cause of the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the Earth's atmosphere and causing climate change.
The 18th Commonwealth Forestry Conference provides a unique chance to address the challenges and ways in which the Commonwealth’s commitment to contribute to global efforts on climate change can be fulfilled.
“Forests and forest lands play a pivotal, life-supporting role in the lives of Commonwealth citizens across the globe,” said Mr Sharma. “They provide us all with many benefits, including our livelihoods, vital ecosystem services, raw materials, fuel, and goods for trading.
"Yet these benefits are being seriously eroded by the mounting momentum of deforestation. If we are to restore the Commonwealth’s forests, and preserve and expand their role in sustainable development and tackling climate change, we need to share hard-won practical knowledge, of the type that we have learned over the past 20 years in the ground-breaking Commonwealth reforestation project in Iwokrama, Guyana. This can open up opportunities for the full and enthusiastic involvement of local populations in our endeavour.”
The conference is expected to attract influential scientists, foresters, policy-makers, civil leaders and others with a professional interest in forestry from many Commonwealth and other countries.
It will be hosted by the British Forestry Commission at Edinburgh's International Conference Centre from 28 June to 2 July 2010. Tim Rollinson, the Commission's Director-General, added,
"Forests are crucial to our very existence on this planet - without them we don't have a future. However, we're still losing more forest area than we're gaining, so we must put a halt to forest losses and restore forests that have been lost or degraded.
"Forests can be restored, as we've demonstrated here in the United Kingdom, and whole regions, habitats and communities can be improved as a result.
"Forest restoration is about rebuilding lost resources and putting forest goods and services back into their landscape. It can also directly help communities, organisations and even countries respond to the challenges of climate change.
"Next year's conference will pull together some of the most influential and dynamic people who are already doing this work. They will explore how Commonwealth countries can work together to tackle damaging climate change by restoring lost and degraded forests, and focus on practical measures for achieving this.
"It will also look at the role of forests in helping Commonwealth citizens adapt to a changing climate.
"It will not be a one-off event, but part of an on-going effort to influence the thinking of political, civil and business leaders on the importance of the role that forests can play in tackling climate change.
"I will be hosting an event at the World Forestry Congress in Buenos Aires on Tuesday 20 October this year as part of our activities to promote the Commonwealth conference."
An on-line registration form and further information, including a call for abstracts and a sponsorship opportunities brochure, are available on the conference website, www.cfc2010.org. The conference organisers are keen to encourage the submission of papers on successful restoration case studies; sharing this hard won-knowledge will be a vital part of the conference.
Information is also available from the conference organisers at
18th Commonwealth Forestry Conference, c/o In Conference Ltd, 4-6 Oak Lane, Edinburgh EH12 6XH, Scotland, United Kingdom; tel: +44 131 339 9235; fax: +44 131 339 9798; e-mail: cfcc@in-conference.org.uk.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
- The Commonwealth is an association of 53 independent states around the world, most of which are former British colonies, dependencies and other territories. Its combined population is 1.8 billion people – 30 per cent of the world’s population. There are significant forest resources and forestry expertise throughout the Commonwealth. Member nations work together to improve the lives of their citizens in an atmosphere of shared co-operation and understanding.
- The Commonwealth Forestry Conferences began as the Empire Forestry Conferences in 1920, and are held in different countries of the Commonwealth about every four years. They are highly regarded by Commonwealth forest services as a valuable forum for maintaining contact and exchanging knowledge and broadening experience. Conference discussions can make a real contribution to the sustainable management, conservation and development of the world’s forests. They are structured to stimulate debate, with less time devoted to formal presentation of papers. The emphasis is on the wider social, environmental, economic and political aspects of forestry. Each conference gives special emphasis to the promotion of Commonwealth co-operation, particularly in research, education and training, and has prepared practical recommendations that can be implemented to make a positive contribution to Commonwealth and global forestry.
- The conference is organised and administered by the British Forestry Commission. The conference organisers are supported by a domestic and international advisory committee, to ensure the conference reflects the current nature of the Commonwealth, and that the subject matter and proposed outcomes of the conference represent the unique and varied countries and communities of the Commonwealth.
- The Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA) works to enable people to effectively manage and sustain their forests and trees. It is a professional association linking foresters throughout the world to exchange information on developments in forest policy, science and practice. It also publishes the International Forestry Review and assists in reviewing voluntary papers. The CFA is represented on the Standing Committee and is closely involved with conference planning.
- The Forestry Commission is the government department for forestry in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales: Northern Ireland is served by the Forest Service of Northern Ireland).
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