94 Percent of World's Forests Unprotected
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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
9/14/96
OVERVIEW & SOURCE by EE
The World Wide Fund for Nature reports on the findings of recent research,
utilizing Geographic Information Systems data, which find that 94% of the
world's forests are unprotected. This is all the more disheartening when
one realizes that the 6% in protected areas have various degrees of real
protection, with many continuing to be degraded. Clearly we are witnessing
the destruction of the world's forest legacy in our lifetimes. This item
comes from WWF's internet site at http://www.panda.org/ The maps
referred to can be accessed at: http://www.panda.org/tda/forest/new/index.htm
Glen Barry
WWF News Releases
94 PER CENT OF WORLD'S FORESTS UNPROTECTED
Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature
GENEVA, Switzerland -- Only 6 percent of the 3,300 million hectares of
forests left in the world today are formally protected, according to new
data released on Monday by WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature as delegates from
53 countries meet in Geneva to discuss ways of halting forest destruction
at the third session of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF).
The information gathered in the WWF World Forests Map, a digital overview
of the Earth's remaining forest cover produced with data from over 80
countries, shows that only a very small fraction of the world's remaining
forests has been set aside for conservation within protected areas such as
National Parks and Nature Reserves.
"In many cases, the solutions to forest problems are obvious but
governments are refusing to act. What we need is a dramatic increase in
the number of legally protected forest areas as well as the controlled use
of forests which fall outside the protective boundary," said Francis
Sullivan, Leader of WWF's Forests for Life Campaign. "This issue must be
the central theme of IPF if we are to stop the continuing degradation of
the world's remaining forests."
To identify forests under threat around the world, WWF -- in collaboration
with the UK-based World Conservation Monitoring Centre -- gathered national
and international forest data covering the last 20 years. The subsequent
integration of the information gathered allowed the resulting set of GIS
(Geographic Information Systems) maps to be accurate at an scale of
1:1,000,000.
The data analyzed shows that, for example, in the Brazilian Amazon there
has been a 34 percent increase in deforestation since 1992; an area
equivalent to the size of Belgium has been lost. Also, countries like
Cambodia, Russia and Cameroon, where large areas of forest still remain
(many of them exploited by commercial loggers), have yet to establish
representative networks of protected areas to ensure adequate protection
for all their different types of forest.
"We now know that levels of forest protection are far below the
internationally accepted minimum of 10 percent of the world's forests.
With this new map, we can blow away the smokescreen which has hidden the
truth about the state of the world's forests for so long," said Mr.
Sullivan. "At last, people can look and see for themselves how few
forests are protected and understand the need for urgent action."
WWF is making available to the public a simplified version of the World
Forests Map over the Internet. This can be seen on the WWF Global
Network Website (at http://www.panda.org).
Notes to Editors:
* Francis Sullivan is available for interviews at the Palais des Nations in
Geneva on Monday, September 9. He can be contacted by calling the following
mobile number:+44 (0) 468 144 434.
* For more information, please contact Javier Arreaza at +41 22 364 9550,
or Alison Lucas at mobile number +44 (0) 468 688 011.
* Electronic and 35 mm colour slide reproductions of the World Forests Map
are available.
* 35 mm colour slide reproductions of national maps are also available for
the following 38 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bhutan, Brazil,
Cameroon, Canada (2 maps), Denmark East Africa, Ecuador, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia (3 maps), Italy, Japan, Laos,
Madagascar, Malaysia (2 maps), Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway,
Pakistan, Russian Federation (3 maps), South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America (3 maps),
Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia.
* The World Conservation Monitoring Centre is providing support to the WWF
Forest Programme in monitoring the conservation of the world's forests.
This work is part of the WWF "Forests for Life" Campaign. An operational
monitoring system is now being developed to monitor, compile and distribute
updated information on forests, protected areas and other forest
conservation measures.
This document is a PHOTOCOPY and all recipients should seek permission from
the source for reprinting. You are encouraged to utilize this information
for personal campaign use; including writing letters, organizing campaigns
and forwarding. All efforts are made to provide accurate, timely pieces;
though ultimate responsibility for verifying all information rests with the
reader. Check out our Gaia Forest Conservation Archives at URL=
http://forests.org/gaia.html
Networked by:
Ecological Enterprises
Email (best way to contact)-> grbarry@students.wisc.edu
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