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Africa: Forestry Newsletter
Africa: Forestry Newsletter
Date distributed (ymd): 000929
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains a sample issue of Semillero Africa, a new
newsletter dedicated to forestry issues in Africa, from the
International Center New Forests Project. The issue contains a
compilation of other related on-line sources. For earlier issues or
to get on the list to receive Semillero Africa regularly, please
contact the New Forests Project directly as indicated below.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Semillero AFRICA
Issue 1, No. 3: September 28, 2000
For Past Issues Go To http://www.newforestsproject.com
Welcome to Semillero AFRICA, a new resource for development news
and networking, produced and distributed free of charge by
International Center New Forests Project. Semillero means "seed
source" in Spanish, and the name embodies our goal to be a source
of information to the groups that work in development in Africa,
and to those who work on African issues around the world. To
subscribe or to stop receiving this newsletter, please follow the
directions at the end of this issue. Please send this newsletter
to anyone that would be interested!! Don't forget to subscribe so
you won't be dropped from our email lists! Any and all comments
and suggestions are welcome. Send to [email protected].
In this issue:
Focus on Forestry - Deforestation Linked to Natural Disasters
Developments in Development - Global Forests Watch Monitors
Threatened Forests Worldwide
Who's Doing What - Agencies and Info Sources for African Forestry
Projects
Coming Events
FOCUS ON FORESTRY - Deforestation Linked to Natural Disasters
There has been quite a lot of discussion about the link between
deforestation and desertification. And, for a number of years
groups have been making efforts to slow the increase of deserted
area by planting trees. Now, the important connection between
maintaining healthy forests and preventing another type of
environmental disaster is becoming ever more apparent.
Over the past few years the Earth has seen large areas on every
continent devastated by floods. These floods have taken a heavy
toll on human life, killing thousands in countries like Mozambique,
China, Venezuela, and India, while hundreds of thousands have been
displaced by floods and subsequent diseases. The toll on property
is also devastating. In 1998 it was estimated that $78 billion was
lost to floods worldwide.
But, climate change and the increasing severity of weather is not
the only culprit causing these floods. Research has begun to show
that land-use decisions have a large influence on the impact of
floods. Clearing trees from the land is proving to have
devastating effects.
The forests and wetlands act as sponges, soaking up the rains and
releasing them slowly. Without these natural sponges water
quickly runs off the land taking topsoil with it, raising rivers,
and washing away people and property. Almost all of the areas that
have recently been devastated by flooding, particularly China,
Venezuela, Southern Africa, India, etc., have all been heavily
deforested. Research and experience are showing intact forests to
be very important to keeping the ecological equilibrium and acting
as a safety net in the face of heavy rains.
To find out more about the link between deforestation and flooding
check out the articles below:
"Natural Disasters- At the Hand of God or Man"
http://www.enn.com/enn-features-archive/1999/06/062399/disaster_3932.asp
"Environment, Poverty Aggravate Latin America Floods"
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=5164&newsdate=Dec-1999
"Deforestation in Himalayas Blamed for Killer Flood"
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug2000/2000L-08-03-01.html
"UN Agency Blames Mekong Floods on Deforestation"
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=8322
DEVELOPMENTS IN DEVELOPMENT
- Global Forests Watch Monitors
Threatened Forests Worldwide
Global Forest Watch, an initiative launched by the World Resources
Institute in February 2000, is combining the latest in digital
technology with on ground observers to accurately map the threat to
the world's remaining frontier forests. The initiative is finding
that the remaining frontier forests are being rapidly opened to
logging and development. Today only one fifth of the world's
original forests cover remains, and Global Forests Watch is
predicting another 40 percent of the remaining forest will be lost
in the next 10 to 20 years.
Global Forest Watch hopes to check this rapid disappearance by
using digital technology and local observations to create an
accurate map of remaining forested areas and the threats to keeping
them intact. The information and findings are available through
the Internet, empowering local groups and organizations through
knowledge that is often hidden from them in an attempt to mine
local forests.
In a press release about Global Forests Watch World Resources
President, Jonathan Lash, summed up the scope of the project, "The
key is the power of information....What Global Forest Watch does is
to put communities, people, activists, and wood consumers together
to provide them with information about what is happening to
forests."
Global Forests Watch also focuses on identifying and promoting
successful management of forests and to enable government and local
groups to have the information they need to network and participate
in management practice. The networks can then use the information
and share their resources to keep an accurate picture of the
threats to the forests and work on keeping the forests intact.
To date Global Forests Watch has released reports on logging in
Gabon, Cameroon, and Canada. These are available on the Global
Forest Watch website:
http://www.globalforestwatch.org. Over the
next five years the initiative is planned to expand to a network in
21 countries to cover over 80 percent of the world's remaining
frontier forests.
The web site has a lot of interesting information, and interactive
maps to let the user draw an accurate picture of the forests and
its threats, as well as reports.
For background information on frontier forests and the threats to
these important areas, visit the Forest Frontiers Initiative (also
sponsored by World Resources Institute) at
http://www.wri.org/wri/ffi The Global Forest Watch was born of this
initiative. A report full of information on frontier forests
worldwide, "The Last Forest Frontiers: Ecosystems and Economies on
the Edge," is available at that site. Of particular importance in
this report is the map that shows the scale of historical forests
to the remaining forested land. There are also charts showing how
much forest has been lost, how much is being threatened, and lists
some causes and effects of this destruction. This and several
other reports that focus on specific areas are available at
http://www.wri.org/wri/ffi/pubs
WHO'S DOING WHAT - FORESTRY
- Agencies and Info Sources for African
Forestry Projects
For those working on forestry issues, finding good information,
case studies, and sources of financial and material help can be
very difficult. Below is a list of organizations that offer
information and help on forestry issues. Many of these
organizations have information, reports, and studies on
forestry-related issues available directly on their websites, some
of them will offer guidance and advice, and many will supply free
publications upon request.
AfricaLink - http://www.info.usaid.gov/alnk/ AfricaLink is a USAID
sponsored project that offers technical and financial assistance to
USAID partner networks. Support is aimed at networks in the
environmental, agricultural, and natural resource management
sectors.
Agroforester: Resource for Tropical Forestry and Agroforestry
http://www.agroforester.com A seed source and consultancy group
based in Hawaii, Agroforester offers an excellent source of
information on agroforestry species and training materials for
agroforestry projects. They even have regional focus projects
online. Another bonus is that they offer an electronic newsletter
featuring info on agroforestry EXCELLENT RESOURCE: Email:
[email protected] Agroforester, PO Box 428 Holualoa, HI
96725
Tree CABweb - http://tree.cabweb.org Tree CABweb offers access to
online journals concerned with forestry, forest products and
agroforestry.
Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE)
http://carpe.gecp.virginia.edu CARPE is USAID initiative that
addresses the important issue of deforestation in the Congo Basin.
The Congo Basin is second only to the Amazon Basin in forested
area.
CIDA Forestry Advisors Network (CFAN) - http://www.rcfa-cfan.org
A project of the Canadian International Development Agency, CFAN
aims to stimulate thought on international forestry issues and to
provide a medium to show how CIDA is addressing world
deforestation.
DANIDA Forests Seed Centre - http://home4.inet.tele.dk/dfscdk/
DANIDA is the Danish international aid group. The Forests Seed
Center works to conserve forests genetic resources, for the control
of seed quality, and to solve problems with procuring seeds. This
program also aids the development of national tree seed programs by
supplying information, training, and consultancies.
ECHO - Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization
http://www.echonet.org ECHO offers information on sustainable
agriculture and agroforestry. This group emphasizes
self-sufficiency. The main focus of ECHO is to empower people to
solve problems of food scarcity through the wise use of resources.
Email: [email protected] ECHO, 17430 Durrance Rd., N. Fort Myers,
FL 33917 USA
Forest, Farm, and Community Tree Network (FACTNET) -
http://www.winrock.org/forestry/factnet.htm
FACTNET is provided by Winrock International, and provides a large
amount of information about nitrogen fixing tree and multipurpose
trees. This is a great information source for agroforestry related
information. Email: [email protected] FACTNET, Winrock
International, 38 Winrock Drive, Morrilton, AK 72110 USA
Forestry Programme of the FAO - http://www.fao.org/forestry The
Forestry Programme of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the
United Nations focuses on how to use trees, forests, and resources
to improve environmental, social, and economic conditions. E-mail:
[email protected] Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, Italy
The Institute of International Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
http://www.cav.pworld.net.ph/~iiri/ An excellent source of
information on agroforestry, sustainable and integrated
people-centered development. Email: [email protected]
IIRR Bookstore, Publications Unit of IIRR, YC James Yen Center,
Silang, Cavite 4118 Phillipines
The International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) -
http://www.cgiar.org/icraf Part of the CGIAR, ICRAF conducts
strategic and applied research for sustainable and productive land
use. ICRAF often conducts research in partnership with national
agricultural research projects. ICRAF has a wide range of
information on agroforestry, a seed suppliers directory, and even
information on courses in agroforestry. Email: [email protected]
ICRAF, PO BOX 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
International Union of Forestry Research Organizations
(IUFRO)-http://iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/iufronet/d1/hp11500.htm The
Research Group on agroforestry aims to promote exchange of
information amongst researchers active in agroforestry and to
periodically review the state of the subject or key parts of it and
thereby stimulate new lines of research and set priorities. It
reaches this aim through networking
Multipurpose and Fruit Trees
Commonly Used in Agroforestry
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/hort400/mpts/MultiPurpose+FruitTrees.html
National Tree Seed Program (NTSP) Tanzania -
http://home.twiga.com/ntsp/ This site provides information on
procurement of seeds, tree improvement, botany, training and
marketing
Coming Events
30 Oct - 1 Nov 2000, Nairobi, Kenya An international workshop "Tree
Seeds: Matching Demand and Supply in Tropical Countries" sponsored
by ICRAF, DANIDA, FAO, GREEN COLLEGE OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY, and
Kenyan Forest Seed center will address issues of distribution
(delivery for NGOs, NARIs, CBOs), dissemination (delivery to
farmers), diffusion (farmer to farmer exchange). The immediate
objectives are: (1) Determine practical ways to accurately forecast
tree germplasm needs (2) Identify key constraints in tree seed
supply and ways to reduce their effect (3) Recommend ways to set up
and organise tree seed production and procurement (4) Elaborate
technical aspects required with decentralized germplasm supply
systems (5) Sharing of experiences and literature (formal and
extension) among participants. Approximately 30 participants from
a range of disciplines who have experience with tree seed supply or
related issues will be invited. These will include persons
representing: international institutions, NGOs, National Tree Seed
Centres, private seed dealers, extensionists, nursery owners and
farmers. For information about this workshop contact: Dr Tony
Simons, Programme Leader, Tree Domestication, International Centre
for Research in Agroforestry, PO Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya, tel:
254-2-524151 (or via USA 1-650-8336645), fax:254-2-524001 (or via
USA 1-650-8336646), email: [email protected]
20 November to 8 December NETWAS, in cooperation with IRC, will
organise its first training course on Community Management of Rural
Water Supply Systems in Nairobi, Kenya. It will address the main
principles and key requirements for the successful implementation
of community management of rural water supply systems The course is
targeted at sector professionals, managers and planners working in
the field of water, health, hygiene education and community
development. All participants will receive a "community management
kit" with manuals, a video and basic reference materials on
community management. For more information contact: Pauline Ikumi
at NETWAS, mailto:[email protected] or Ton Schouten at IRC,
mailto:[email protected]
Editorial Contact and References
This newsletter is published by the International Center New
Forests Project, 731 Eighth Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 USA.
TEL: 1-202-547-3800 FAX: 1-202-546-4784 EMAIL: [email protected]
Find out more about the New Forests Project at
http://www.newforestsproject.com
To obtain further information about the New Forests Project, or to
obtain electronic copies of articles or information in this issue
please contact the editor: Thomas Minney at [email protected].
To subscribe or to stop receiving this newsletter, please send an
email to [email protected]. Please place "subscribe Semillero
Africa" or "cancel Semillero Africa" in the subject heading and
supply the following information: 1) Name 2) Email address 3) Your
organization and the reason you are interested or not interested in
our newsletter. 4) Your local postal address
All the information that you supply to Semillero will be held in
strictest confidence, and will never be shared with any other
groups or publications. We welcome any comments or suggestions!!!
Write us at [email protected]
We also welcome authors to submit information and articles to be
published in Semillero AFRICA. Please send them to [email protected]
attention Thomas Minney.
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC provides
accessible information and analysis in order to promote U.S.
and international policies toward Africa that advance economic,
political and social justice and the full spectrum of human rights.
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