Solomon Islands to manage forests better for green growth |
Friday, 22 March 2013 20:15 | |
Friday 15 March 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) – Suva
The green growth of the forestry sector is a contentious issue given that the current conventional logging practice has made the sector one of the highest contributors to Solomon Islands’ gross domestic product. In addition, the country’s biodiversity-rich forests are under threat from other sectors that make major fiscal contributions, such as mining. Dr Wulf Killmann, Director of the SPC (Secretariat of the Pacific Community)/GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region programme and keynote presenter for the forestry session, said that there is a need to balance social, economic and environmental needs to ensure that forests are managed sustainably. Whilst attaining this balance may be difficult, Dr Killmann said that this can be achieved through proper land use planning, active participatory processes in planning and decision-making, enforcement of supporting legislation and good governance in the timber trade. The participation of the forest industry is necessary in all of the above measures.
The outcomes of the Prime Minister’s roundtable were presented at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Environment and Climate Change Ministers meeting in Nadi on 8 March 2013. The minsters applauded the efforts of Solomon Islands and expressed enthusiasm for a similar GGDF and consultation process in their country. The Solomon Islands Prime Minister’s roundtable was supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), SPC and GIZ. For more information please contact Dr Wulf Killmann: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Mia Rimon: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|