The Hindu : National : Sustainable forest management can create ‘green’ jobs: FAO

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Sustainable forest management can create ‘green’ jobs: FAO

Gargi Parsai

U.S. and Republic of Korea include forestry in their economic stimulus plans
Activities can be tailored to skill levels and ecological conditions

NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of global economic recession, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has projected that 10 million new “green jobs” could be created by investing in sustainable forest management.

Since forests and trees were vital storehouses of carbon, such an investment could also make a major contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, said the U.N. body.

The observation came on the eve of the World Forest Week from March 16 to 20 to be held in conjunction with FAO’s Committee on Forestry. How sustainable forest management could help build a green future and meet society’s changing demand for forest-derived goods and services would be the thrust of the forest week to be held in Rome.

The U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Change, Gro Harlem Brundtland, will deliver the keynote address on the critical role of forests in society’s response to the challenges posed by climate change.

“As more jobs are lost due to the current economic downturn, sustainable forest management could become a means of creating millions of green jobs, thus helping to reduce poverty and improve the environment,” according to Assistant Director-General of FAO’s Forestry Department Jan Heino.

According to a recent study by the International Labour Organisation, unemployment could increase from 179 million in 2007 to 198 million in 2009 under the best-case scenario; under the worst-case scenario, it could go as high as 230 million.

Opportunities

In such a scenario, increased investment in forestry could provide jobs in forest management, agro-forestry and farm forestry, improved fire management, development and management of trails and recreation sites, expansion of urban green spaces, restoring degraded forests and planting new ones.

Activities can be tailored to local circumstances, including availability of labour, skill levels and local social, economic and ecological conditions.

A few countries such as the United States and the Republic of Korea, had included forestry in their economic stimulus plans. Similarly afforestation was an important component of India’s rural employment guarantee programme, noted the FAO, adding that the global potential was at least 10 million new jobs through national investments.

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