N. 03-04/2010 INFOSYLVA is an information service of news clippings provided by the FAO Forestry Information Centre with news on forestry in English, French and Spanish. INFOSYLVA est un service d'information à partir de coupures de presse, mis à disposition par le Centre d'Information sur les Forêts de la FAO et qui fait le point de l'actualité dans ce secteur, en anglais, français et espagnol. INFOSYLVA es el servicio de información de recortes de prensa suministrado por el Centro de Informacion Forestal de la FAO con noticias sobre las actividades forestales, en inglés, francés y español. _________________________________________________________________________________ Forthcoming Events Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra Cochabamba, Bolivia - 19 al 22 de Abril 2010 Forests for the future: Sustaining society and the environment - 23d World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) Seoul, Republic of Korea - 23–28 August 2010 Taking stock of smallholder and community forestry: Where do we go from here? Montpellier, France - 24–26 March 2010 Workshop on forest governance, decentralisation and REDD in Latin America Mexico City, Mexico - 31 August–3 September 2010 World Water Week 2010: The Water Quality Challenge Stockholm, Sweden - September 5 – 11, 2010 New Publication Nature & Faune 24/1 – L’importance de la mangrove pour la pêche, la faune sauvage et les ressources en eau en Afrique Le 1er numéro du 24ème Volume de Nature & Faune offre une collection de 14 articles différents soulignant divers aspects des mangroves - des peuplements naturels luxuriants et des plantations d’enrichissement, aux diverses utilisations des écosystèmes de mangroves. L’article spécial met en relief un travail original effectué au Cameroun, qui fournit un aperçu de la gestion de l’écosystème de mangrove du niveau communautaire au niveau national. Le ‘Pays à la Une’ explique comment la faune sauvage, les ressources en eau et les pêches de Madagascar sont interconnectées avec les écosystèmes de ses mangroves. Et les défis que pose la gestion des mangroves dans la zone de la Mer rouge (côte nord-est de l’Afrique) font partie des divers sujets abordés. FAO Eduardo Rojas estará al frente del departamento Forestal de la FAO Eduardo Rojas es el nuevo director de este departamento donde intentará reforzar la función normalizadora de la FAO para que el cuidado de los bosques tenga mayor protagonismo en el mundo y crear un marco legislativo común a todos los países. _________________________________________________________________________________ Press review/ Revue de presse/ Informe de prensa: 1 - 28 February 2010 Africa El MARM impulsará la certificación forestal en África central El Director General de Medio Natural y Política Forestal del MARM, José Jiménez García-Herrera, ha mantenido una reunión con representantes de la organización para la conservación de la naturaleza "World Wildlife Fund", a los que ha trasladado el compromiso del Ministerio de apoyar la certificación forestal en África central y, de manera paralela, el impulso de políticas de compra pública que den preferencia a los productos certificados. ‘Great Green Wall’ to halt the spread of the Sahara A gigantic wall stretching over thousands of kilometres is being erected in Africa, which has no parallels in human history except the Green Wall of China designed to hold back the Gobi desert. The African fence - named the 'Great Green Wall', which will run through 11 countries - is purported to halt the southward advance of the Sahara. And it will be much more than a wall of trees stretching from Senegal to Djibouti. Australia Australia starts 10 million dollar initiative to find new species Known as the 'Bush Blitz', Australia will spend 10 million Australian dollars (8.88 million US dollars) over the next three years to conduct biodiversity surveys in far-flung places. The program hopes to both uncover new species and gather more data about innumerable little-known plants and animals on the continent. Could toxins from plantation trees be causing cancer cluster, oyster deaths in Tasmania? A local medical doctor, a marine ecologist, and oyster farmers are raising an alarm that a nearby monoculture plantation of Eucalyptus nitens may be poisoning local water reserves, leading to rare cancers and high oyster mortality in Tasmania. However, the toxin is not from pesticides, as originally expected, but appears to originate from the trees themselves. Bangladesh Realistic step to make Barind Tract free from desertification Speakers at a discussion unequivocally called for undertaking a need-based step to make the vast tract of barind area free from the possible desertification. They said that enriching the surface water resources by re-excavating the existing ponds and canals across the area could be the means of preventing the desertification process. Botswana Permits needed for residents to sell firewood Residents have now come to an understanding with the department of forestry to sell firewood, on condition that they are in possession of the relevant permits. The harvest and dealer permits, which the residents are required to have in order to engage in the firewood business, have to be renewed every month Brazil Agricultura eficiente, clave para salvar el Amazonas Mientras camina sobre un polvoriento arrozal que alguna vez fue una selva, el investigador Flavio Wruck explica de qué manera la agricultura, el mayor exterminador del Amazonas, puede convertirse en su mejor defensor. Amazon rainforest will bear cost of biofuel policies in Brazil Business-as-usual agricultural expansion to meet biofuel production targets for 2020 will take a heavy toll on Brazil's Amazon rainforest in coming years, undermining the potential emissions savings of transitioning from fossil fuels to biofuels. Brasil tardaría 250 años en pagar una deuda de carbono La extensión de plantaciones para producir biocombustibles, proyectada por el gobierno de Brasil para los próximos años, podría generar una deuda de carbono que el país tardaría más de dos siglos en pagar. Utilizando un modelo matemático, los autores estiman que la producción de etanol y de biodiesel será responsable de prácticamente la mitad de los 121.970 kilómetros cuadrados de deforestación proyectada para el año 2020. Brazil celebrates 72% drop in deforestation, credits it to green arch An area of 247 square kilometers (95 square miles) of Brazilian rainforest was cut down in the months of October and November 2009, which may seem like a lot, but it was a significant drop in Amazon deforestation. In fact, it was 72.5% less than in October and November 2008. Brazil grants license for controversial Amazon mega-dam The Brazilian government has granted an environmental license for the construction of the controversial Belo Monte hydro-electric dam in the Amazon. The dam, planned for the Xingu River in the northern state of Pará, will be the third largest in the world and is estimated to cost $17 billion. It will flood 500 square kilometers of land, causing huge devastation to the rainforest, and have a major impact on fish stocks. Brazil to build controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in Amazon rainforest Environmentalists and tribal leaders oppose massive flooding, while Brazil minister states 'not a single Indian will be displaced'. Brazil's biofuel expansion doesn't directly lead to deforestation - But the ranches it displaces do Here's an interesting one on the connection between biofuel expansion in Brazil, cattle ranching, and deforestation: the expansion of biofuel production in Brazil won't directly lead to more deforestation, but will indirectly do so as it takes over land previously used for cattle ranching. Brésil: feu vert à un barrage géant et controversé en Amazonie Un projet de barrage géant en Amazonie brésilienne, le troisième au monde, a reçu lundi le feu vert du ministère de l'Environnement, un projet très critiqué pour ses conséquences sur l'environnement et les populations indigènes. Environmentalists and indigenous groups decry approval of massive dam in Amazon The approval of the hydro-electric Belo Monte Dam from the Brazilian environmental agency, IBAMA, has raised condemnations from environmentalists and indigenous groups. The dam will divert the flow of the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon River, which runs through the Amazon in northeast Brazil. According to critics the dam will destroy vast areas of pristine rainforest, disrupt sensitive ecosystems, and relocate 12,000 people. From Savannah to saving the rain forest Albert George has gone from a childhood in the Hostess City to working with a wealthy Brazilian to restore portions of the Amazon jungle. Huge hydroelectric dam approved in Brazil's Amazon Brazil's government has granted an environmental license for the construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Smarter farming key to saving Amazon rainforest Walking on a dusty field of cut rice that was once rainforest, researcher Flavio Wruck explains how farming, the Amazon's biggest killer, can be turned into its best defender. Tribe sights uncontacted Amazon Indians A previously unknown Indian tribe has been spotted in the south-western Amazon. The group, who were encountered by members of a neighboring tribe known as the Katukina, were apparently short, long-haired, and had painted their bodies with urucum [red annatto] dye. Yanomami fear for their lives as miners invade their land Yanomami shaman and spokesman Davi Kopenawa has made an urgent appeal for support as the Yanomami territory in northern Brazil is being invaded by gold-miners. Cameroon World Wetland's Day - Gov't announces reinforced conservation methods The government of Cameroon has promised to step up the fight against climate change to conserve the country's humid zones and consolidate biodiversity so as to contribute to the nation's development. The Minister of the Environment and Nature Protection, Pierre Hele made the disclosure while presiding at commemorative activities at the Yaounde Conference Centre to mark the 14th World Wetlands Day.