Forests and the global economy
Sustainable forest management could create millions
of new green jobs:
Ten million new "green jobs" can be created by investing in
sustainable forest management, according to FAO.
The Gaudreau recycling centre in Victoriaville has 250
employees, including sorters, truckers, machine operators and
administrative staff |
"As more jobs are lost due to the current economic downturn,
sustainable forest management could become a means of creating millions
of green jobs, thus helping to reduce poverty and improve the
environment," said, Assistant Director-General of FAO's Forestry
Department Jan Heino.
Since forests and trees are vital storehouses of carbon, such an
investment could also make a major contribution to climate change
mitigation and adaptation efforts, said Heino.
According to a recent study by the International Labour Organization,
unemployment worldwide could increase from 179 million in 2007 to 198
million in 2009 under the best case scenario; under the worst case
scenario, it could go as high as 230 million.
Increased investment in forestry could provide jobs in forest
management, agroforestry and farm forestry, improved fire management,
development and management of trails and recreation sites, expansion of
urban green spaces, restoring degraded forests and planting new ones.
Activities can be tailored to local circumstances, including
availability of labour, skill levels and local social, economic and
ecological conditions.
A number of countries, for example the United States and the Republic
of Korea, have included forestry in their economic stimulus plans.
Similarly afforestation is an important component of India's rural
employment guarantee program. According to FAO, the global potential is
at least 10 million new jobs through national investments.
At the same time, improved forest management and new tree planting
could significantly reduce the downward trend in forest cover reported
by many countries. This would help to reduce carbon emissions from
land-use change and could potentially have a larger positive impact on
climate change than any other initiative currently being planned or
considered by world leaders.
How sustainable forest management can help build a green future and
meet society's changing demand for forest-derived goods and services
will be the main thrust of World Forest Week, to be held in conjunction
with FAO's Committee on Forestry, March 16 to 20 in Rome. The UN
Secretary General's Special Envoy on Climate Change Dr Gro Harlem
Brundtland, will deliver the keynote address.
She will emphasize the critical role of forests in society's response
to the challenges posed by climate change.
The meeting takes place against the backdrop of an unprecedented
global economic crisis. The forest sector has also been affected
severely, notes FAO's State of the World's Forests 2009, to be released
on March 16.
However, the forest sector has considerable potential to play a
catalytic role in the world's response to the global economic and
environmental crises.
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