TL: Tropical Deforestation [gpi] SO: Greenpeace International DT: 23-OCT-90 Keywords: terrec deforetation greenpeace groups gpi tropical timber deforestation fao itto / 2.(a) Status of tropical deforestation: According to Norman Meyers the original extent of closed tropical forests was about 13,626,000 hectares. The FAO estimated that by 1980, this amount had been reduced to 10,783,700 sq. km. Meyers estimated that by 1989, this had been reduced to 7,783,500 sq. km. Of this amount of closed forests, he estimated that only 5,321,000 sq. km. of primary forest remained. Meyers estimated that by 1989, the annual rate of clearance of closed tropical forests was 138,600 sq. km. per year. A 1990 report by the World Resources Institute estimated the range of forest clearance lies between 161,878 and 202,347 sq. km. per year. Meyers estimated that the rate of forest degradation (clearance plus disturbance) had reached 300,000 sq. km. per year. 2. (b) Assessment of the role of forests as:Š (i) An important source of energy and timber for rural communities in developing countries; FAO calculates that tropical (dry and wet forest) wood extracted annually is used 85 per cent for fuelwood, 19 per cent for local timber and 5 per cent for timber exports. In terms of unsustainable exploitation, fuelwood collection is a problem in many dry forest areas of Africa and Asia. Timber extraction for local needs is more likely to use a wide range of species and secondary forest areas, but is a serious degrading factor where populations or their aspirations are high. Tropical hardwood extraction for the export market is the major factor degrading primary moist tropical forests in South East Asia, in several African countries and in parts of South America. In addition to the immediate destruction that these logging operations cause, they open up previously inaccessible areas to displaced poor, who lack the land areas, skills or incentives to practice sustainable livelihoods. (ii) Sinks of greenhouse gases, which may contribute to preventing Standing forests hold enormous quantities of carbon. The destruction of forests, and in particular the burning of tropical forests, releases this stored carbon into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming. In the late 1980's the burning of tropical forests contributed as much as 20 per cent of global CO2 accumulation. However, plans to conduct massive reforestation schemes in the tropics to balance the level of CO2 emmissions of industrial countries are fraught with difficulties, socially and ecologically, and should not be seen as a potential solution. The realistic solutions, ecologically, socially and economically are stopping further burning of tropical forests, and reducing industrial CO2 emmissions. (iii) Habitats and biological diversity. Moist tropical forests provide habit to perhaps as many as 30 million species of plants and animals, eqivalent to 90 per cent of all species on earth. Tropical moist forest loss is causing a massive extinction of species, presently estimated to be as high as a loss of 20 per cent of all species by the year 2000. Rain forests are only 7% of the earth's land surface, and yet contain more than half of all the known species in the world. Rainforests are being destroyed so rapidly that they will mostly disappear within the next century forcing hundreds of thousands of species into extinction. The species diversity of rainforests is legendary. For example, from a single leguminous tree in the Tambopata Reserve of Peru, E.O. Wilson recently recovered 43 species of ants belonging to 26 genera, equivalent to the entire ant fauna of the British Isles. Ashton found 700 species of trees in 10 hectors in Borneo, the same as in all of North America.Š At present rates it is estimated that by 2135 A.D. all the remaining rainforest will either be clear felled or seriously disturbed. Some of the most distinctive areas of high biodiversity such as Madagascar, has already lost 93% of the forest and with it uncalculated numbers of species. Species extinctions are occurring at 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate. (d) Quantification of the economic value of forests in terms of their multiple uses. This is an enormous and poorly researched topic. The tropical timber export industry presently amounts to US$ 8 billion annually. Although not quantified, the industry is responsible for a much larger net cost in terms of destuction of sustainable livlihoods based on non timber forest products, clean and perennial water sources, fertile soils etc. A study in Peru found that the value of non timber forest products sold on the local market added up to 9 times the income, over a thirty year period, that could be made from logging the forest or converting it to cattle ranching. (e) Socio-economic impact on timber-exporting countries of trade restrictions, including bans on imports of timber and timber products: While the tropical timber industry now generates more than $8 billion per year in exports, tropical timber exports only contribute a small fraction of the foreign exchange earned by the vast majority of timber exporters. While restrictions on tropical timber trade would have some short-term economic impact on those people benefiting most from timber industry profits, the economic well-being of timber exporting nations would scarcely be affected. On balance the socio-economic impact of curtailing the non-sustainable harvest of tropical timber would be a positive one. Logging in tropical forests currently accounts for a minimum of 25% of forest degradation and catalyzes substantial additional destruction by opening up new areas of primary forest  ts. Thus logging is causing significant environmental damage in the form of soil erosion, river siltation, reduction of wildlife and biological diversity. Logging activities, therefore, disrupt the ability of forest peoples to continue forest based lifestyle. In many cases, logging concessions are granted in ways which outright force native people off their land. Logging and sawmills may provide employment on a short-term basis, but the permanent destruction of lifestyles based on a healthy forest is rarely considered. (f) Outcome of all discussions and reports by FAO, UNEP, WMO and ITTO in fields related to forestry: The ITTO has been struggling to find a way that brings together the more than 40 countries which are the primary producers and Šconsumers of tropical timber with the joint objective of supporting the development of the tropical timber industry and promoting the conservation of tropical forests. One landmark ITTO study established that less than 1% of tropical forests are being managed on a sustainable basis, and organization members have recently committed themselves to putting the industry on a sustainable basis by the year 2000. A set of guidelines concerning the sustainable management of tropical forests has likewise been recently adopted, but no concrete mechanism for implementing either the guidelines or achieving the 2000 goal has been reached. While timber supplies could come from plantations, agroforestry schemes, or secondary forests, the ITTO is unfortunately concentrating most of its resources in projects and policies which concern timber extraction from primary forests. Given the enormous technical, political and economic obstacles which lie in the way of making the logging of primary forests a sustainable venture and the horrific rate of loss of this biome, the ITTO needs to be urged to refocus its efforts away from logging of natural forests and seriously explore how timber needs can be met from other types of logging schemes. (h) Linkages bewteen the international economic environment and poverty and their effects on forest land use: While it is difficult to quantify, there can be no doubt that the mode of development which has been pushed on most third-world nations has had an adverse affect on tropical forests and forest peoples. Rather than considering the ecological (and indirectly economic) values inherent in conserving tropical forests and considering what forms of activity might benefit the people who have traditionally lived in the forests, tropical governments and first-world governments have promoted "developing" the resources of tropical forests for the economic benefit of primarily urban based business interests and used tropical forests as an escape valve for people marginalized by inequitable land distribution in  n effort to "develop" the forest regions, third-world countries have taken on huge debts from MDBs, bilateral aid agencies, and private investors to build expensive infrastructure projects and support government agencies to facilitate the export of timber, agricultural and industrial raw materials. The non-sustainability of many of these efforts combined with generally low world prices for these commodities has left many nations unable to pay back these debts. Forest peoples are inevitably left worse off than before the "development" process began. As the pressure from government and private creditors mounts, the vicious cycle creates further destruction as governments willingly dispense with concern for the forest and forest peoples to extract remaining commodities as quickly as possible. While the forests' greatest asset is undoubtedly its biological diversity, current laws give little or no protection to forest people whose intimate use of forest plants could be translated into commercial value. For example, a tribal group's knowledge Šof the medicinal use of a particular forest plant can easily be appropriated by a pharmaceutical company with little or no compensation to the tribe.. ---------- Command: 16 Green2 23-OCT-90 17:27 1330689 To: UNCED, Patrick Anderson, Molly Olson From: Roger Wilson Date: TUE 23-OCT-90 17:27:54 GMT Subject: deforestation - peer review ---------- 22 October 1990 Dear all, The peer review process for the UNCED reports to the Secretary General has begun. I apologise for the lateness of sending these reports to you, unfortunately it was unavoidable. I will be cometing to you (1) the original resolution with points to be included in the report and (2) the submitted report. Please bear in mind that these reports are comprised of segments of text from various sources, and so may not immediately read "smoothly". These will be edited properly when your comments are included. So, please just send me comments of a factual nature, or if you see an item has been excluded and you wish to add something, please do. Also, if you feel I have omitted someone from the peer review list, please feel free to send it on to them. Thanks. PLEASE SEND ME ANY COMMENTS BY MONDAY 29 OCTOBER AT THE LATEST. THANK YOU. Best wishes, Abigail Combating deforestation - A/CONF.151/PC/WG.I/L.4/Rev.2 "2. for the second session .... a comprehensive report on the following: (a) Status of boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical forest cover and its loss due to deforestation, acid rain and air pollutants, fire, desertification and other causes, and efforts towards reforestation, afforestation and sustainable forest management; (b) Assessment of the role of forests as; (i) An important source of energy and timber for rural communities in developing countries; (ii) Sinks of greenhouse gases, which may contribute to preventing possible climate change, (iii) Habitats of biological diversity; (c) Alternative sources of energy and energy-efficient devices to Šcombat deforestation arising from heavy dependence on fuelwood; (d) Quantification of the economic value of forests in terms of their multiple uses; (e) Socio-economic impact on timber-exporting countries of trade restrictions, including bans on imports of timber and timber products; (f) Outcome of all discussions and reports by FAO, UNEP, WMO and ITTO in fields related to forestry; (g) Compilation of information pertaining to the transfer of technology on the basis of the objectives set in GA resolution 44/228 of 22 December 1989; (h) Linkages between the international economic environment and poverty and their effects on forest land use; and to suggest to the Preparatory Committee at its second session options for the co-ordination of national, regional and international action on forests.