 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
World Bank Vows To Improve Forestry Program In Cambodia
Phnom Penh (AFP) Jul 03, 2006 The World Bank on Friday vowed to improve its much-criticized forestry program in Cambodia, after an internal review found the scheme failed to prevent illegal logging. The review also found that the Bank's program did not meet its own environmental standards, and failed to preserve forests that local communities prized for cultural or economic reasons. "It is arguable whether and to what extent the project had a positive impact on what actually happened in the field," the report said. When the Bank project was approved in 2000, over-exploitation of timber resources and illegal logging were threatening to exhaust Cambodia's forest resources in as little as five years, the bank said in a statement. The five-million-dollar project focused on addressing the critical but difficult issue of preventing illegal logging, it said. Ian Porter, the Bank's country director for Cambodia, vowed to improve the scheme, saying: "Many poor communities depend on access to forest products for their livelihoods. "This is too critical an issue for the World Bank to simply walk away." In a statement, the Bank conceded to many of the problems cited in the review and vowed to overhaul the project. "But it acknowledged the (review) panel's finding that the project did not finance logging or directly cause the damages from unsustainable logging in the country," it said. Since the late 1990s, instances of illegal logging have dropped in number dramatically and the total area under forest concessions has decreased during the life of the project, it added. Global Witness, a British-based forestry watchdog, last year had accused the World Bank of condoning illegal logging for failing to reform the system that awarded concessions. Illegal logging is a major environmental issue in Cambodia. Vast tracts of forest that had been protected by years of war are increasingly under threat since the fighting ended in 1998.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links World Bank Forestry News - Global and Local News, Science and Application
Tropical Forest CO2 Emissions Tied To Nutrient Increases
Boulder CO (SPX) Jun 25, 2006U. of Colorado study shows phosphorus, nitrogen crank up greenhouse gas emissions in tropics Extra helpings of key nutrients given to tropical rain forest soils caused them to release substantially more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a concern to scientists monitoring global change, says a new University of Colorado at Boulder study. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
