Fuelwood and charcoal continue to be indispensable in cooking the daily meal for most people in sub-Saharan Africa; in addition, wood as a fuel represents an important source of income. Pressure on forest resources as well as health hazards through indoor air pollution have resulted in more calls for switching to alternative energy sources. Our authors suggest another alternative: improving the existing supply chains.

Against the backdrop of increasing deforestation in Natural Protected Areas due to illegal logging and shifting agriculture, the Peruvian association DRIS has implemented a programme in three districts of the country. The goal is to involve the families in forest protection activities while simultaneously providing them with income opportunities

Every year, 13 million hectares of forest are lost worldwide; that is an area the size of Austria and Switzerland combined. 90 percent of this deforestation involves tropical forests. Forest loss has devastating effects on the climate and is the source of between 15 and 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If global warming is to be kept below the critical threshold of two degrees Celsius, forest loss and degradation must be halted without delay

King prawns are a delicacy worldwide, but some breeding processes are responsible for extensive environmental damage, especially in mangrove forests. The widespread use of antibiotics also has a negative impact on human health. The cultivation of 'organic prawns' could be a real alternative.

The importance of forests for climate change mitigation and species conservation, as water stores and oxygen producers, soil protectors and humus providers, is well known. However, over 13 million hectares of forest are lost each year, mainly in the tropics.

Certification is viewed as one of the most effective ways of curbing unregulated logging and conserving natural forests in the tropics. In the meantime, there are several dozen certifying organisations. Among these, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) lead the field worldwide.

The Congo Basin Forest Partnership aims to reconcile forest conservation with forest use. This article explains what a “policy network” of this sort can achieve and where its limits lie.

The eucalypt sector in Lao PDR consists of several large eucalypt developers and a growing smallholder base. This Discussion Paper, developed through a multi-stakeholder process coordinated by Earth Systems, assesses the status of and explores key challenges and opportunities for the sustainable development of the eucalypt sector in Lao PDR. 

Dans les pays en développement, le secteur des combustibles bois constitue une importante source d’énergie, qu’il s’agisse du bois de chauffage ou du charbon de bois, et de moyens d’existence pour les pauvres vivant en milieu rural, aussi bien en termes de création d’emplois que de génération de revenus tirés de la vente de ces produits.

L’importance des forêts pour atténuer le changement climatique et favoriser la conservation des espèces, comme moyen de stockage de l’eau, de production d’oxygène, de protection du sol et comme source d’humus, est bien connue. Toutefois, plus de 13 millions d’hectares de forêt disparaissent chaque année, surtout dans les zones tropicales.

Le Partenariat pour les Forêts du Bassin du Congo vise à concilier la protection des écosystèmes forestiers et leur utilisation pour le développement des pays d’Afrique centrale. Cet article présente ce qu’un «réseau stratégique» de ce type peut donner comme résultats, ainsi que ses limites.

La république du Ghana, l'une des démocraties africaines les plus stables, fait face à une surexploitation continue de ses ressources naturelles résultant en d'énormes pertes financières et de graves implications pour les populations pauvres. Le projet « Forêts tropicales et adaptation au changement climatique », financé par l'Union européenne, tente d'identifier des instruments appropriés pour le financement de mesures d'adaptation au changement climatique. L'un de ces outils de financement pourrait être le paiement pour services environnementaux ou PSE.