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One year ago, Wetlands International released a report that revealed that the rate of deforestation in Malaysia’s province of Sarawak is about 2% a year. Most is being converted to oil palm plantations. “Total deforestation in Sarawak is 3.5 times as much as that for entire Asia, while deforestation of peat swamp forest is 11.7 times as much,” the report states.

 

To make matters worse, the rate of destruction is accelerating. Between 2005 and 2007, 1.89% of Sarawak’s forest was cleared. By 2009-2010, this figure had increased to 2.14%. The area of forest on peatland has decreased from over one million hectares in 2005 to around 700,000 by 2010.

 

The drivers of deforestation include conversion to massive oil palm plantations and hydropower dams. In June 2011, Survival International put out an alert about 1,000 Indigenous Penan who were to be evicted from their forest to make way for the Murum dam. The government had sold the land where they where supposed to move to Shin Yang, a Malaysian oil palm company.

 

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Late last week, Radio Australia revealed new figures which showed forest clearance on controversial land leases in PNG has pushed that country’s log exports to record levels. In 2011, PNG exported 3.5 million cubic metres of logs – making PNG the 2nd largest exporter of tropical hardwood logs in the world. 

 

The Swiss testing and verification company SGS says it was logging on Special Agricultural and Business leases that pushed exports into record territory.

 

Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, Professor Tim Flannery, warned this kind of logging has great dangers for the people and the environment in PNG. “I think that there are genuine concerns and there are many countries now that are doing things the right way. We’ve seen in Brazil, for example, a real turnaround in terms of the rate of deforestation. Forests are still being lost there but at a fraction of the rate of just a few years ago so there are good models out there to help and in PNG itself there has been some really significant initiatives in times past, where people have developed these walkabout saw mills, for example, where a local community can fell a tree in the forest, process the planks there and then sell the planks for whatever money they need, which is much more profitable and sustainable for them than selling the entire forest.” He said.

 

Tim Flannery further said, “I have watched communities struggle with unjust provincial and national government logging related issues. I’ve got some very dear friends in the South East of Papua New Guinea who have been fighting an ongoing battle to preserve their forests so yeah! Action is really needed. We need that clear framework, we need people to agree on what the law actually is and then stick by it and make sure they do it properly.”

 

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A Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) made a strong case for the business community’s role in protecting the mountain ecosystems in New Delhi.

 

The ICIMOD, issuing a press statement on Monday claimed that the event titled ‘Business Opportunities in Mountain Ecosystem Management’ jointly organised with TERI provided an opportunity for scientists, economists, members of the business community, and policy makers to focus on the role and responsibility of businesses in sustainable mountain development and to look at the emerging investment opportunities.

 

The mountain ecosystems of the Himalayas have a pivotal role in protecting the environment and in providing goods and services essential for human wellbeing and prosperity.

 

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Instead of protecting wildlife, the proposed wildlife preservation act focuses more on giving more power and dominion to an incompetent forest department widely criticised for its commercial forestry practices, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.

 

The draft law is worse than the 38-year-old Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Act, 1974 it is replacing. It needs a comprehensive review with increased focus on preserving biodiversity and rights of local inhabitants, improved monitoring and enforcement policies, they said.

 

The Daily Star organised the discussion on Wildlife Preservation Act 2010 at The Daily Star Centre in the city. Environmentalists, lawyers, indigenous leaders and wildlife experts took part in the discussion.

 

If passed, the law will declare much of the protected forests as “buffer zones” where commercial plantations will be in place, said Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) Chief Executive Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

 

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An international seminar on developing a framework for global REDD+ and scaling up of demonstration activities & integrating players’ roles will be held in Tokyo, Japan today and tomorrow. The event is organized by Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute. 

 

This seminar aims to explore possible ideas for effective and efficient implementation of REDD+, and to share information, experiences and challenges for promoting global sustainable forest management with current and emerging players, taking account of full-fledged implementation of REDD+. Participants include government officials, experts from international organizations, researchers, and staffs from private entities and NGOs.

 

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(Italy)Toscotec has extended its reach in Asia thanks to new agency agreements in Japan and South Korea. The first fruit of this cooperation is the order for Japan's first Steel Yankee Dryer...

(USA)Paradigm Group (www.Paradigm-grp.com), a leader in environmentally friendly office, break room and disposable products for businesses...

(USA)After an extensive examination of Buckman's practices in terms of engaging and enabling employees, coupled with its financial performance measures...

(Finland)Forest acquired in January from private forests 2.6 million cubic meters of wood. In January, the purchased amount of trees felled by storms was estimated at 1.5 million cubic meters...

(USA)TAPPI recently announced that Mr. Steven J. Shifman, President and CEO of Michelman, Inc., has been elected to serve on the 2012-2014 TAPPI Board of Directors...

(CANADA)Fibrek Inc. ("Fibrek" or the "Company") announces the results of Canaccord Genuity Corporation's ("Canaccord Genuity") formal valuation of Fibrek's common shares ("Valuation")...

(CANADA)Cascades (TSX: CAS) disclosed last week the names of the winners of the 3rd edition of the Sustainable Supplier Award, a contest that aims to acknowledge...

(USA)American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman released the following statement today in response to the proposed retroactive repeal of the renewable fuel tax credits...

(USA)Fourth-quarter net losses of $0.58 per share compared to net earnings of $0.31 per share a year ago...

(USA)Rock-Tenn Company (NYSE: RKT) today announced that it intends to redeem $300,000,000 of its 9-1/4% Senior Notes due 2016 (the "March 2016 Notes”), representing...

(USA)MeadWestvaco Corporation (NYSE: MWV), a global leader in packaging and packaging solutions, will showcase its full lineup of dispensing and carton solutions...

(Switzerland)WWF, the world´s largest conservation organisation, is calling worldwide for submissions to the WWF Environmental Paper Award 2012...

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus is trying to close the Son of Black Liquor tax loophole that has already provided U.S. paper makers with a windfall of more than $1 billion.

The Plan Vivo Foundation is seeking to recruit a programmes and operations manager to support a range of functions relating to the growing portfolio of Plan Vivo projects, and to play a key role in the development of the Plan Vivo System and Standard.

 

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The Trust Fund for Forests (TFF) is a multi-donor trust fund to address sectoral priorities to achieve the protection of the environment, improve livelihoods of people in forest dependent areas and enhance the contribution of forestry to the national economy.

 

TFF is seeking for a short- term consultancy including one International consultant and one national consultant to develop a project concept note into full Project document titled “Reviewing management and production situation of state forest enterprises and forest companies aiming at recommending development orientation, developing policy and management purpose” (SFE project).

 

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