Forestry

In many developing countries, forest restoration at home has led to deforestation abroad, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

REDD has the potential for creating serious inter-community conflicts that could ignite explosive violence among tribes that have historically been antagonistic. Many tribal communities in heavily populated tropical countries have disputes with neighboring communities over control over forests that have remained largely un-demarcated. Fights over these ‘disputed’ lands have been contained because of low economic value of these forest lands. This is now set to change because the compensation under REDD Plus is expected to be large.  Once intercommunity disputes among tribes begin it is very difficult to stop them. The most efficient, and just, way of preventing such conflicts is to ensure that the approach to REDD Plus becomes activity oriented rather than compensation oriented with the largest share of REDD funds reaching as wages for the tasks carried out to those members of the neighbouring communities who actively work to meet the REDD objectives. The REDD funds must be utilized in carrying out REDD activities, not disbursed among claimants.

South America's tropical forests flourished when temperatures skyrocketed 56 million years ago. Could this mean that climate change will spare the Amazon?

A chronic timber shortage has hit Kenya forcing the country to turn to expensive imports from neighboring countries.