|
|
|
Indonesia's Aceh, Papua pledge to protect forests Reuters April 26, 2007 Governors from three Indonesian provinces which are home to most of the country's rainforests pledged on Thursday to conserve them as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change. The governors of Aceh, Papua and West Papua provinces appealed for the government and the international community to provide financial incentives through carbon trading schemes. "We are determined to implement environmentally friendly policies, sustainable development and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions," the governors said in a statement after the World Bank sponsored meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. They said the policies would also help reduce poverty, create jobs and attract investment. Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf said his administration would enforce a moratorium on logging pending a review of forest sustainability. Papua governor Barnabas Saebu said he would revoke licences of timber companies unless they were proven to have contributed to the preservation of the regions' forests. Thousands more forest rangers would be recruited as part of the effort, the statement said. Environmentalists say illegal logging in Indonesia strips 2.1 million ha (5.2 million acres) of forest every year in a trade worth $4 billion. Indonesia wants rich countries to pay developing nations to preserve their forests and plans to push this proposal at a U.N. conference on climate change in December. The talks are expected to launch formal negotiations about extending the Kyoto Protocol after its first period ends in 2012. The pact is the main U.N. plan for curbing global warming and the annual gathering will attract government officials and non-governmental organisations from around the globe. Joe Leitmann, the World Bank's environment coordinator for Indonesia, said the bank had earmarked $200 million for pilot projects aimed at preserving forests. Conservation efforts would cost between $10-15 billion annually, he said. About 10 percent of the world's remaining tropical forest is found in Indonesia, which has a total forest area of more than 90 million ha (225 million acres), according to Rainforestweb.org, a portal on rainforests (www.rainforestweb.org). It said Indonesia has already lost an estimated 72 percent of its original forest and half of what remains is threatened. Related articles Papua New Guinea's rainforests disappearing faster than thought (6/2/2008) Logging is taking a heavy toll on the forests of Papua New Guinea, suggests a new study. Using satellite images to reveal changes in forest cover between 1972 and 2002, researchers from the University of Papua New Guinea and the Australian National University found that Papua New Guinea (PNG) lost more than 5 million hectares of forest over the past three decades — total forest cover declined from 38 million hectares in 1972 to 33 million hectares in 2002. Worse, deforestation rates may be accelerating, with the pace of forest clearing reaching 362,000 hectares (895,000 acres) per year in 2001. The study warns that at current rates 53 percent of the country's forests could be lost or seriously degraded by 2021. Al Gore's investment firm bets that rainforest conservation will be profitable (5/14/2008) Al Gore's investment firm has signaled an interest in the emerging market for ecosystem services by taking an equity position in an innovative Australian financial company. Papua signs REDD carbon deal to generate income from rainforest protection (5/14/2008) The government of the Indonesian province of Papua has entered into an agreement with an Australian financial firm to establish a forestry-based carbon finance project on the island of New Guinea. Papua New Guinea to ban log exports by 2010 (3/17/2008) Papua New Guinea (PNG) will phase out log exports by 2010 said Forest Minister Belden Namah last month. The move comes as the country seeks to gain greater control over illegal logging and promote expansion of oil palm cultivation. New rule grants rainforest to mining firms in Indonesia for $80/acre (3/10/2008) A new Indonesian rule will grant concessions to mining companies operating in rainforests for as little as $200 per hectare ($80/acre) according to Mining Advocacy Network, a conservation group. Comments? News options News index | RSS | Add to MyYahoo! |
MONGABAY.COM
T-SHIRTS 
CALENDARS 
CANVAS BAGS 
|
|
|
