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Turkey is reforesting fire-ravaged areas with carefully selected species to strengthen resistance against future blazes, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said.  Source: Turkey Today “We select resistant species according to the soil structure, climate conditions, and ecosystem of each region,” Mr Yumakli said. “Species such as cypress, ash, carob, plane, sweetgum, oak, and stone pine are planted in five to 10 rows. In this way, resistance against fires is increased around strategic facilities and residential areas.” Speaking to Türkiye daily, Mr Yumakli said the rehabilitation of burned areas is a top priority. “With scientifically based afforestation efforts, the General Directorate of Forestry is giving breath to the future,” he said. “We carry out our work according to the soil structure, climate conditions, and ecosystem characteristics of each region. We carefully select fire-resistant species.” “Through the Project for the Rehabilitation of Burned Areas and the Establishment of Fire-Resistant Forests (YARDOP), different plant species are being used to change the behaviour of fire, reduce its intensity, and prevent its spread,” Mr Yumakli said. Each year, thousands of hectares of forest are destroyed by fires in Türkiye. Izmir, Antalya, Mugla, Bursa, Canakkale, and Balikesir are among the regions most affected in recent years. While efforts to combat fires continue, reforestation is underway in the burned areas. Yumakli also highlighted policies addressing the global climate crisis. “Within the framework of the Agricultural Drought Strategy and Action Plan we prepared for the 2023–2027 period, we aim to ensure sustainable water supply,” he said. “All the agricultural drought risks of our provinces are analyzed at the district level through field observations, as well as data on temperature and precipitation, reservoir occupancy rates in dams built for irrigation purposes, and many other variables, which are also discussed with stakeholders,” he added. Turkey has faced a prolonged drought since March, affecting over 60% of the soil and contributing to thousands of fires this summer. The country also recorded its hottest July in 55 years, the environment ministry said in early August. Temperatures at 66 of Turkey’s 220 weather stations showed an average rise of 1.9 degrees compared with previous years. The country also registered its highest-ever recorded temperature, 50.5 degrees Celsius in late July in Silopi, in the southeast. Weeks of scorching heat were accompanied by wildfires across Türkiye. Fourteen people lost their lives battling blazes in July in the western part of the country. On 8 August, wildfires in the west forced authorities to suspend shipping in the busy Dardanelles Strait and evacuate three villages.  

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Rising uncertainty around US trade policies is emerging as a significant challenge for many economies, including Vietnam, prompting local businesses to adopt long-term, strategic adjustments to preserve their competitive advantage and deepen integration into global supply chains. Source: Voice of Vietnam Wood production, processing, and export is one of Vietnam’s key industries, but it is currently facing a direct impact from trade competition and tariff barriers. Nguyen Chanh Phuong, vice president of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA), notes that in early August 2025, the United States imposed reciprocal duties of 20% on Vietnamese imports, and the figure could rise to 40% if illegal transshipment is detected. By the end of the month, the US also launched an investigation into Vietnam’s wood and furniture imports. “These moves are creating prolonged uncertainty for the wood processing industry,” Phuong says. “Although Vietnam’s wood exports grew by 8% in the first seven months of 2025, the risks remain high. The ability to control domestic raw material supply will be a decisive factor in maintaining Vietnam’s status as a sustainable source in the global market.” Similarly, the textile and garment industry is feeling the pressure. According to Pham Van Viet, vice president of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Garments, Textiles, Embroidery and Knitting (AGTEK), Vietnam’s apparel exports to the US face an average tax rate of 35.2%, including 20% in reciprocal duties which is far higher than competitors like Bangladesh or India. In addition, up to 50% of imported fibres and materials originate from China, making them vulnerable to origin-based tariffs. “Export growth to the US has already slowed, dropping from 9-10% down to just 4-5% in July 2025 alone,” says Viet. In addition to tariff policies, the United States is also ramping up selective protectionist measures. On August 19, the US Department of Commerce announced a list of 407 derivative steel and aluminum products, subject to a 50% tariff, including several strategic items such as wind turbines, mobile cranes, and ships, adding further challenges for Vietnam’s strategic manufacturing sectors. Professor Tran Ngoc Anh, from Indiana University and founder of the Vietnam Innovation Network, points out that US trade barriers are no longer broad-based but instead target specific industries they view as unfair competitors. “This is a new strategy aimed at protecting domestic industries while sending a clear signal to trading partners,” he analyses. According to experts, US trade policy has moved beyond isolated tariff actions to become a broader geopolitical instrument with far-reaching effects across continents. For Vietnam, while export opportunities persist, they now require a significant restructuring of key industries, particularly wood processing and textiles, to stay competitive and compliant with the evolving global trade landscape. For the wood industry, HAWA Vice President Nguyen Chanh Phuong emphasises that despite the shifting policies, the US is the top market and is more stable than others. To mitigate risks, he stresses the need to expand into new export markets, diversify raw material sources, and produce more value-added products that combine wood with materials like fabric, leather, aluminium, or steel, especially in items like sofas or composite furniture. Professor Tran Ngoc Anh suggests that companies explore hybrid models by manufacturing in Vietnam and completing final assembly or packaging in the US. This approach could help balance cost advantages with compliance to political and security expectations in the US market. He also urges businesses to focus on non-strategic product categories to avoid trade conflicts and to ensure transparency and traceability, potentially using technologies like blockchain. Instead of competing solely on cost, companies should build strong Vietnamese brands with unique value propositions.

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To strengthen compliance and streamline the trade of forestry products, the Vanuatu Government has implemented the Forestry Module through its Trade Single Window (TSW). Source: Timberbiz This new module is a major milestone in the ongoing implementation of the Vanuatu Electronic Single Window (VeSW) Project, aimed at simplifying and accelerating international trade processes across the country. Developed in close collaboration with the national project team, the Forestry Module digitizes and automates the application, processing, and issuance of Export Permits for regulated forestry products. The system will be used by the Department of Forestry (DoF), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity (MALFB), and its key stakeholders, including exporters and customs brokers. “This is a critical step forward in modernizing how we manage our forestry exports,” said Mr. Tekon Timothy Tumukon, Director General MALFB. “By integrating the forestry permitting process into the Trade Single Window system, we are enhancing transparency, compliance, and ease of doing business for our exporters.” Prior to this development, the Department of Forestry operated a fully manual permitting system, centralized at its main office in Port Vila, limiting its ability to expand its regulatory oversight to a wider range of forestry products and geographic areas. Additionally, it was challenging for Vanuatu Customs to verify permits at the border before allowing exports. With the introduction of the Forestry Module, the entire permitting process becomes digital and streamlined. The new system enables: Electronic submission and processing of export permit applications Automatic verification of permit status by Vanuatu Customs at points of export Expansion of permit processing to additional DoF offices across the country Improved regulatory oversight of a broader range of forestry products. By implementing this module within the Trade Single Window system, Vanuatu ensures interconnectedness between the Department of Forestry and Customs, strengthening controls on regulated products while reducing administrative burdens on both traders and government officials. The initiative was brought to live with support from the UN Trade and Development as the Single Project Implementing Partner and the Vanuatu Government.

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‘Escalation Sensation’ chronicles the history of the last operational wooden railway escalators in Australia. After 60 years of service, the much-loved wooden ‘Otis’ escalators at Town Hall and Wynyard Stations in New South Wales were retired and replaced in 2017. Source: Timberbiz The NSW Railways first installed escalators for the deep underground stations at Wynyard and Town Hall when they opened in 1932. They were an innovative people-moving technology adopted by Bradfield to bring an ambitious transport plan to Sydney. Escalators proved to be an integral part of the new underground railway system moving large numbers of passengers quickly in peak hours between street, concourse and platforms. Adopting the ‘modern’ escalator was a signal that Sydney was on par with the latest railway technology and design from around the world. Despite metal alternatives being available at the time, replacements in the 1950s were again OTIS wooden tread machines. Once installed, the robust 1950s escalators were well maintained by dedicated railway staff that extended the machine’s working life considerably in two of the busiest stations on the network. Over the years they became a ‘must-see’ for Sydney visitors and a fond experience for regular users. While in operation the escalators moved thousands of Sydney commuters and visitors each day, right up until their retirement in 2017. After rumbling reassuringly for over 60 years, at the end of their working life they were some of the rarest and much-loved escalators in the world. Completed throughout 2017-18, ‘Escalation Sensation’ chronicles the history of the wooden escalators in Town Hall and Wynyard Stations. It also captures lasting memories and the final days of operation prior to their retirement in 2017. A booklet Escalation Sensation traces the introduction and evolution of escalators, and their use into the public transport network in NSW and Australia. It looks at the principals of how escalators work and how they have evolved over time. It then focuses on the much-loved wooden escalators installed at Wynyard and Town Hall Stations from their installation in the 1930s, their replacement in the 1950s and their replacement in 2017. A documentary is also available that has a series of interviews conducted with historians, railway staff and project teams who maintained and upgraded the historic escalators. The documentary captures their perspectives to produce an absorbing narrative, supported by motion graphics, historical images, archival and contemporary footage of the use, maintenance and final days of the wooden escalators. The video is at https://vimeo.com/265110938  

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A Tasmanian woman who went on a bushfire-lighting spree that destroyed 56 hectares of commercial timber plantations has been ordered to pay almost half a million dollars in compensation. Source: Pulse Tasmania Michelle Dawn Frankcombe, 55, forced emergency crews to battle multiple blazes across northern Tasmania in early 2023. She pleaded guilty to nine counts of unlawfully setting fire to vegetation, with her fires stretching from Lower Beulah to Stoodley. The Supreme Court heard her first blaze tore through timber plantations at different stages of growth, owned by forest management company Forico. The fire burned for days and left all damaged timber unsalvageable. Justice Tamara Jago described the $464,000 worth of destroyed plantations as showing “the extent of the fire associated with this charge” when sentencing Frankcombe to 15 months’ home detention. The fires became more frequent through February and March, with Frankcombe lighting blazes on February 25, then on March 4, 5, 6, 10, 15, 23 and 24. Most of the later fires burned only small patches – some as little as 30 square metres of grassland – but one spread across 300 square metres of bushland before firefighters contained it. CCTV captured Frankcombe’s car near several fire locations, while forensic testing of matches found at one scene produced a positive DNA match. When first questioned, she denied involvement and even tried to implicate her adult children. After repeated police interviews, she admitted to lighting some of the fires. “You repeated this dangerous conduct, many times, over a number of weeks,” Justice Jago said. “It is most fortunate that the main of the other fires did not get out of control, but of course it cannot be overlooked that many emergency personnel resources were engaged in ensuring that did not occur.” The court heard Frankcombe’s fire-lighting began after confronting her father about childhood sexual abuse. A forensic psychologist found she used the fires to release intense emotions linked to chronic post-traumatic stress disorder. Frankcombe must pay $464,000 compensation to Forico and serve her sentence under strict electronic monitoring conditions.

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WA’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is managing the delivery of the WA Tree Recovery Program, working closely with residents, local governments and the Perth Zoo to replant trees lost from the effects of Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB). Source: Timberbiz To support the replacement of lost trees, $7.2 million in WA Government funding over four years has been made available for replanting initiatives by local governments, residents and the Perth Zoo. The program will provide funding to local governments impacted by PSHB through round 1 of the Local Government Grant Program, which closed on 7 July 2025. Applicants will be advised on the outcome of applications week commencing 8 September 2025. Currently, the WA Tree Recovery Program is offering rebates to residents who buy a tree to replace one lost as a result of PSHB. It’s as easy as One, Two, Tree. West Australian residents impacted by tree loss as a result of Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) can now access a rebate of up to $150 for every tree replanted. PSHB, a tiny beetle that digs deep into the trunks, stems and branches of trees and plants, has been impacting trees across Perth in recent years. The State Government is committed to strengthening Perth’s urban canopy for the future. Eligible Western Australian landowners can now claim up to $150 for every tree removed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) as a result of PSHB. Tree planting establishment items can also be included in this $150 claim. Eligible establishment items include soil, soil improver, fertiliser, mulch, soil wetting agent, tree support stakes and guards and additional eligible trees. Residential rebate program is open to Western Australians who have had a tree removed from their property under DPIRD authorisation due to PSHB. To receive the rebate you must ensure: Your replacement tree’s canopy must reach at least three metres in height when mature. Your replacement tree must not be a box elder maple (Acer negundo), coral tree (Erythrina x sykesii), or a robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia, also known as mop top robinia or black locust). These tree species are extremely susceptible to PSHB and increase the risk of infestation to surrounding trees. You have a photo of the plant label showing the tree’s scientific or common name to submit in your claim. You purchase your tree and any establishment items in one transaction and ensure you get a tax invoice as proof of purchase. You will need a valid tax invoice to claim your rebate. The national biosecurity response to PSHB has transitioned to a management phase following a decision by the National Management Group that it is no longer technically feasible to eradicate the pest. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is leading the transition to management in WA to minimise the impact of shot-hole borer on Perth’s tree canopy and help protect the State’s horticultural industries. Over the next 18 months, DPIRD will work with industry, community and local government partners to build capacity to manage the pest.

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