L'Afrique contribue pour 7 pour cent seulement aux émissions mondiales de gaz à effet de serre. Soixante-dix pour cent des émissions du continent proviennent du changement d'usage des terres, essentiellement de la déforestation. Par contre, le continent africain est potentiellement le plus exposé aux conséquences négatives des changements climatiques.

Global estimates of forest emission trends show that total emissions have decreased by over 25 percent between the period 2001–2010 and the period 2011–2015. FAO data show that the decrease is due to a decline in deforestation rates globally. They also reveal that emissions from forest degradation, estimated for the first time, are increasing over time and represent one-quarter of total emissions.

The range of efforts required to develop the full potential of NWFPs is wide indeed. Land-use and forest policies need to be evaluated and where necessary adapted to ensure that potential impacts on non-wood forest resources and products are taken into consideration. Increased research on the abundance, distribution, biology and ecology of non-wood forest resources is essential. Of particular importance are investigations into ways to improve the employment- and income-generating potential of NWFPs through better harvesting, storage, transport, processing, manufacturing and marketing.

Revista internacional de silvicultura e industrias forestales

This paper examines the drivers of deforestation and the loss of forest services, and the various mechanisms that exist to protect forests in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). In most cases policy mechanisms play a greater role in forest protection than payment for environmental services (PES) which has yet to develop in the subregion. Scenarios presented suggest that higher income countries will have much greater scope in protecting forest environmental services that low income countries.

Meeting symbol/code: COFO 99 INF.7

The FAO Forestry Department promotes, among others, the responsible use of wood as an environmentally friendly raw material. In the last decades, wood and wood-based products have been faced with stronger competition from substitute materials, such as plastics, concrete, steel, glass or aluminium, as these materials appear to offer wider options to the customers. Some of the factors that can influence customers' decisions on what kind of end products to acquire include marketing efforts, product prices, quality, durability and image.

Revue internationale des forts et des industries forestires

En conclusion, des informations actuelles, fiables et transparentes sur le secteur forestier sont un ingrdient vital du processus d'amnagement durable. Toutes les organisations et institutions engages dans la gestion durable des forts devraient exploiter les moyens offerts par Internet pour coordonner et relier les serveurs et optimiser ainsi la valeur des informations disponibles. Comme promis dans la prcdente dition, ce numro d'Unasylva contient de nouveaux articles sur le dveloppement durable des montagnes, qui viennent ainsi complter le tour d'horizon de la question.

As in the past, the Unasylva issue immediately preceding the World Forestry Congress examines a number of the broad challenges facing forestry. In an interview, FAO Director General Edouard Saouma considers the world forestry situation and highlights the Organization's priorities for work in forestry over the coming decade. The cutting edge of FAO's forestry activities is exemplified in the assistance provided to member countries; M.K. Muthoo, Director of the FAO Forestry Operations Service, describes the recent evolution of the department's field programme. M.R.