Context:
Report on International Forest Governance (IFG) Released
International Forest Governance (IFG) Report:
- Released by – International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), a non-profit organisation
- Released in the backdrop of the 19th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF19).
Key Findings:
- IFG has had limited success in reducing deforestation.
- Rate of deforestation is about 10 million hectares per year as of 2020 (Food and Agriculture Organization).
- Climatization of forests – Emerging trend where the emphasis has shifted primarily towards the valuation of forests as carbon sinks, overshadowing their crucial ecological and social roles.
- It focus on short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability and justice.
- Role of Community-led and philanthropic financing mechanisms is limited.
International Forest Governance:
- Comprised of the policy, legal and institutional frameworks for international decision-making on forests.
- Stakeholders include –
- Key institutions like UNFF, a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with universal membership.
- Forest-related international conventions like Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), etc.
- Regional Agreements like Amazon Cooperation Treaty
Source: UN
Previous Year Question
In India, in which one of the following types of forests is teak a dominant tree species?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) Tropical moist deciduous forest
(b) Tropical rainforest
(c) Tropical thorn scrub forest
(d) Temperate forest with grasslands
Answer: (a)
