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Forests & Trees (FAT)
Forests and trees play significant roles in the lives of Pacific Islanders,
economically, socially, culturally and environmentally. In many Pacific
island countries, especially on the smaller islands and atolls, agroforestry and
tree crops provide most of the food, medicines, contruction materials, firewood,
tools and myriad of other products and services that cannot be replaced with
imported substitutions. For the larger countries, forests have contributed
significantly into their economic development in terms of foreign exchange
earnings, employment and infrastructure development.
Unfortunately, forests and trees in the Pacific are increasingly threatened in
many ways including over-utilization, improper land-use and climate change. The
significant loss of biodiversity due to destructive human activities associated
with mining, agricultural clearing and unsustainable logging, particularly
within the larger Melanesian countries, has been featured in many international
fora where issues like extreme poverty, climate change and environmental
degradation are now the main focus of concern. Many tree species have become
rare, including culturally valuable species, caused by over harvesting for both
commercial and traditional uses such as wood carving, firewood and medicine.
Given the limited land masses in most of the countries, continuous pressure to
clear forests and trees for agriculture and other economic developments in the
face of climate change and current financial situation will continue.
Thus, a major challenge for Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) is
to ensure sustainable management of their scarce and diminishing forest and tree
resources, taking into account demands for economic development and the social
and environmental needs of their growing populations. The important role of the
forest ecosystem in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change through
carbon sequestration and as a main carbon sink, has even made it more urgent to
ensure that forestry resources are managed and developed in a sustainable way to
protect the resource base of PICTs for the future.
The FAT thematic group aims to contribute to the sustainable management of
forestry resources (SFM) by assisting PICTs in addressing major issues and
challenges on the following major areas of concerned:
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Assist in developing and improving regulatory frameworks (policies,
plans, legislations and strategies) for the widespread application of
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) to natural forests (including mangrove
forests) and plantation forests.
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Promote sustainable timber harvesting regimes that balance
economic viability with environmental requirements and needs, to maintain
our island biodiversity.
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Support participatory community-based forest management
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Promote Agroforestry and Community Forestry
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Promote Restoration and Rehabilitation of deforested areas
and degraded lands
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Promote the conservation, management and sustainable
utilization forest genetic resources.
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Promote the integration of climate change concerns into core
forestry activities.
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Support capacity building and institutional strengthening.
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Promote public awareness and education on the importance of
forests and trees to the socio-economic and environmental well-being of the
community.
For more information, please contact
Sairusi Bulai, Team Leader/Coordinator for the Forests and Trees Programme.
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