Asian Forest, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development

by Percy E. Sajise Regional Director Bioversity-APO Serdang, Malaysia Email: P.Sajise@cgiar.org

Outline
Asian Forest: Status and Concerns Policy Platforms for Forest Conservation and Management Sustainable Development Forest Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Does Biodiversity Always Directly Relate to Sustainable Development Patterns of Biodiversity Utilization Conclusion

Several Countries in Asia are Mega Centers of Biodiversity: ExampleIndia- 2-4% global area; 7-8% of recorded species of the world Indonesia: 1.3% of global area; 17% unique species

Total Forest Area in Asia Almost the Same 15 Years Ago; Concern: Rapid Decrease in Area of Primary Forest

Deforestation Continue to Increase: In Asia Net Loss Offset by Increased Afforestation in China

Increase in Areas Designated for Conservation of Biological Diversity and for Protective Purpose

Table 2. Trends in Carbon Stocks in forest biomass, 1990-2005*

Carbon in Living Biomass (Gt) Regions 1990 East Asia South and Southeast Asia Total Asia Total Africa Total South American 7.2 32.3 2000 8.4 25.5 2005 9.1 21.8

41.1 65.8 97.7

35.6 62.2 94.2

32.6 60.8 91.5

* Source: FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment, 2005

Forests in Asia Largely Remain in Public Hands

Wood Removal in Asian Forests has Decreased Over the last 15 Years but NWFPs have Increased

Productive Function:
Significant decrease in forest areas Designated as production forest. Slowly being replaced by plantation Forest Concern: Stability of production of Plantation Forest as generally monocultures

Protective Function
Increased forest areas designated as protection forests- increased awareness of forest role in soil and water conservation Forest plantations designated as protection forests increasing in India, China, Thailand and Vietnam

Socio-Economic Functions
Value of total wood removals decreased for Asia due to lower values reported from Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Significant increase in the value of NWFPs in the form of food, exudates, ornamental plants bushmeat and other products.

 Trend towards conserving and managing forests for its multiple uses Trend towards increasing devolution through community-based forest management or co-management

Policy Platforms in Forest Conservation and Management

Agenda 21 and Forest Principles; 1992 Provided the platforms in directing countries to increase efforts to maintain and increase forest cover and productivity Non binding but enhanced formulation of national forestry programs

Convention on Biological Diversity

Biodiversity is sovereign rights of countries Places obligations to countries or Contracting Parties for formulating programs for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. Article 8a and 8f specifically required Contracting Parties to promote protection and rehabilitation of ecosystems COP6 adopted a forest biodiversity action-based work program which Contracting Parties have to report compliance and progress in their Annual Reports Legally binding

Framework Convention on Climate Change and Forests (FCC)

Clearly elaborated as the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 Objective is to stabilize concentration of greenhouse gases where forests are seen as a major element Afforestation, reforestation and improved forest conservation and management seen to offset emission targets and has to be promoted

Convention to Combat Desertification and Forests

Legally binding; 1996; more than 170 parties Objective is to combat desertification and to mitigate effects of drought in an integrated manner Adoption of national action programmes to address underlying causes of desertification, drought and deforestation

Trade Related Agreements

International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA)foster cooperation in trade and utilization of tropical timber with emphasis on sustainability. ITTO broke new grounds by formulating and publishing the first set of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)- Provides a forum and generate a list of species requiring various controls in trade to balance trade and conservation concerns.

International Processes
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF)- forum to discuss varying issues on forest and forest management. United Nations Forum on Forests- to develop a legal framework on all forests A significant output is on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management.

International Community Concerned with Loss in Forests; Tied up to loss in biodiversity; Loss of Indigenous knowledge woven into culture and materials comprising biodiversity; Its impacts on productive, protective and socioeconomic and regenerative capacity of the forest itself; Climate change and overall impact on sustainable development

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Sustainable Development
A complex, multi-dimensional, time-determined and highly contextual state or condition adhering to the basic principle that the natural resource base must be utilized in a manner that its ability to provide current and future goods and services useful to human society is not impaired. It is a type of development which is economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially acceptable.

Figure 1. Conceptual model of the relationship between biodiversity and sustainable development

Natural Resources

Technological

Sustainable Development

Biodiversity

Ecosystem(s) Community Species Genetic

Socio-economic & cultural

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Conservation Strategy for In Situ Conservation of Forest Diversity

Strategy in the form of a Guideline Represents the Technology Natural Resource Base- represents the requirements of the site, the reproductive patterns of the species, the diversity factors to maintain and others Socio-cultural- policy, incentives and capacity

Biodiversity as a Critical Element of Sustainable Development

Biodiversity was transformed from an esoteric ecological term to a global concern because of:
Greater recognition for what human society can derive from it in the face of rapidly increasing population; and Dwindling natural resources as well as ecosystem destruction

Globally enshrined in the CBD

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Cardamon in Midmontane Forest in Sri Lanka

Global biodiversity has greatly shrunk 90% of world food supply come from:
20 species of plants 14 species of domesticated animals

However, it does not mean that the socalled lesser species are not important

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 Beneficial biological agents such as pollinators US$ 40B per year Biological nitrogen fixation agents US$ 50B per year All in all, agents of biodiversity services account for US$ 100-200B per year in the U.S. alone!

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Relationship
Durian flowers pollinated by bats at 1-2 am What is the pollinator at this time? Bats Where do bats live? In limestone caves What is the material used for making cement? Lime from limestone What happens if construction demands more cement? More bat caves will be destroyed What will happen next? No more bat pollinators, NO MORE DURIAN FRUITS

Biodiversity also plays an important role in ensuring that the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for Sustainable Development set by the UN are successfully achieved

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Figure 2. Examples of the Critical Role of Biodiversity and sustainable Ecosystem Management under WEHAB Priority Areas
Biodiversity and Energy Biodiversity and Health

promotes sustainable sources of

woodfuel, biomass. climate changes, need for bioDiversity-rich, resilient ecosystems grows.

provides raw material for new and

traditional medicines functioning ecosystems are Essential for peoples health

Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Management

genes, species and ecosystems

growing under pressure

Biodiversity and Agriculture

Biodiversity and Water

provides genetic input for new

crop and livestock varieties maintains soils structure and quality ensures pollination of crops

Provides clean and abundant water

supplies

Provides abundant goods for

aquatic ecosystems (food, fibre and so on)

Does Biodiversity Always Relate to Sustainable Development?

Types of biodiversity:
1.Natural honed by the process of natural selection and co-adaptation 2.Human-managed true mainly for agrobiodiversity; can be good or nonsustainable biodiversity

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 Biodiversity is not just about the number of species or adding more species. It is good biodiversity if: It is a functional diversity governed by homeostatic and well-ordered relationships among component species at all levels genetic, species, communities, ecosystems, etc It is managed by traditional knowledge or knowledge systems based on these positive relationships It is biodiversity of a natural resource base which is positively interacting with technology and the sociocultural elements of the ecosystem

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 Biodiversity interpreted as simply increasing the numbers and kinds of species of living organisms does not always lead to Sustainable Development The case of Eucalyptus in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries

Patterns of Biodiversity Utilization

Crop and Animal Improvement through conventional breeding and others such as use of root stocks Biotechnology or genetic engineeringneeds a strong risk assessment; biosafety regulation

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Conclusion
Asian forests over the last 15 years have experienced positive and negative changes Forest management has shifted from purely production to multiple use management It has also shifted to more sustainable management objectives

Conclusion
Sustainable orientation anchored on the multifunctional role of forests at all levels; local, national, regional and global It is recognized as a major ecosystem which hosts biodiversity or the web of life Basic relationships between different elements of sustainable development where biodiversity is a major component needs to be better understood to attain the goal of sustainable development

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Biodiversity is the Life Insurance of Life Itself Mc Neil and Shei (2002)

Thank you.. Terima Kasih

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