WWF - Forest Protection News

Dilma silent as world calls for full veto of Forest Code reform

2012-05-11

Gland, Switzerland (11 May 2012) — Three of the world's leading conservation and advocacy organizations will today begin a mass mobilization of their 22 million supporters to call on Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to veto the Forest Code bill passed by the House of Deputies.

WWF, Greenpeace and Avaaz say the proposed changes to the Forest Code would threaten recent successes in reducing forest loss and compromise efforts to tackle corruption in the Amazon region.

Already more than 1.3 million people from around the world have signed Avaaz's petition calling on President Rousseff to veto the proposed Forest Code; this number is expected to rise dramatically in the next few days. Likewise, hundreds of thousands of WWF and Greenpeace supporters have echoed the call on social media channels such Twitter, using #SOSBrazil and #VetaTudoDilma, and by posting messages directly to the Facebook page of the president's political party, Partido dos Trabalhadores.

The petition will be bolstered by a campaign by the three groups to have their millions of supporters deluge Brazilian embassies around the world with messages and calls showing global opposition to the bill.

President Rousseff has not given public reaction nor indicated whether she intends to fight the measure since it was passed on 25 April. The groups say that only a full veto will safeguard Brazil's forests and the global climate. President Rousseff received the bill this week and has until 25 May to veto all or part of the bill, or to allow it to become law.

"Over the past decade, Brazil has achieved stunning progress in reducing deforestation in the Amazon. We recognize that President Rousseff is under massive political pressure from those who would burn the forest for short-term gain, but we urge her to stand firm for the protection of the forest resources that are so vital to the future of all Brazilians, and the world," said Jim Leape, WWF International Director General.

Brazil's Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) has estimated that the new legislation could lead to the loss of up to 76.5 million hectares (190 million acres) of forest, which translates to 28 billion tonnes of added CO2 in the atmosphere. This would make it impossible for Brazil to reach its carbon reduction targets.

"Thousands of people from all over the world are sounding the alarm and calling Brazilian embassies to urge President Rousseff to save the Amazon. Nearly 80 per cent of Brazilians want this catastrophic bill scrapped, and so far over a million people across the world support them. President Rousseff has a choice – sign the Amazon's death sentence or protect the planet's lungs and emerge a public hero," said Ricken Patel, Avaaz Executive Director.

"President Dilma Rousseff stands at a defining moment for her presidency. The choice is clear. She can ignore the Brazilian people and side with 'destruction as usual' as enshrined in the new Forest Code or exercise her veto and support the call for a new Zero Deforestation Law. We urge her to take the visionary path of a leader who understands that with power comes responsibility," said Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International Executive Director.

The groups further criticize the bill's amnesty provisions for past illegal forest clearance. The proposed amnesties would not only free environmental criminals from prosecution, but also forfeit an estimated US$4.8 billion in fines.

The groups are urging President Rousseff to listen to her own constituents – 94 per cent of whom say they are concerned about the environment, according to a recent survey conducted for the National Industry Confederation – and to the global movement that is calling for a veto.

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Note to Editors: the petition can be found here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/veto_dilma_global/?wwf

For further information:
In Switzerland: Gretchen Lyons, tel: +41 79 916 0136 email: glyons@wwfint.org
In Brazil: Regina Cavini tel: +55 61 8165 6812 email: reginacavini@wwf.org.br

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Revised Brazilian Forest Code good for environmental criminals, bad for forests

2012-04-26

Gland, Switzerland – Brazil's Congress passed legislation late last night that strips the Amazon and other key regions of critical environmental protections, and grants amnesty to individuals accused of past illegal deforestation.

WWF condemns the new Forest Code bill, driven by retrograde sectors of Brazil's powerful agribusiness industry, for its failure to account for severe social and environmental costs. Since 2006, Brazil has demonstrated that it can dramatically reduce its rate of deforestation while increasing agricultural production and reducing poverty. This bill threatens hard-won gains for both the environment and Brazilian society.

The bill now goes before President Dilma Rousseff, who will have 15 days to decide whether or not to sign it into national law or apply veto power to the full text or parts of it.

"President Rousseff made a promise that she would not tolerate laws promoting new waves of deforestation or amnesty for past forest crimes. She knows these changes are bad for Brazil and bad for the environment. We ask her to uphold her promises," said Maria Cecilia Wey de Brito, CEO of WWF-Brazil.

The proposed amnesties would not only free environmental criminals from prosecution, but also forfeit an estimated US$4.8 billion in fines.

"WWF looks to President Rousseff to resist the short-sighted and senseless reform to the forest law that has been passed by the Brazilian House of Representatives today," said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International.

"In a year that will see world political, business and civil society leaders gather in Rio de Janeiro for the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, it would be a shame indeed for Brazil to surrender its position as a global leader in forest conservation. I urge the president to vigorously resist the most egregious elements of the new law, for the future of Brazil's economy, its natural heritage and its people," said Leape.

WWF has highlighted the worst impacts of the proposed forest law reform, as well as viable alternatives – such as smarter land-use planning and compensating landowners for environmental services – that would optimise forest management, while minimising negative repercussions on precious and fragile natural resources.

Negative elements of the proposed amendment to the Forest Code:

The draft amendment notably complicates Brazil's forest legislation, making it nearly impossible to implement and enforce.
Millions of acres illegally cleared prior to 2008 will be legalized through amnesty, resulting in a forfeiture of fines worth an estimated US$4.8 billion.
In the Amazon region, landowners could be allowed to reduce the obligatory required forest cover from 80% to 50%.
Up to 90% of private properties in Brazil could be pardoned from the standing obligation to restore illegally cleared areas.
Large areas of floodplains and other sensitive areas will be opened to cattle ranching and farming.
Forecasted consequences
According to Brazil's government-led research organization IPEA (Institute for Applied Economic Research), the new legislation could lead to the loss of up to 76.5 million hectares (190 million acres) of forest, which translates to 28 billion tonnes of added CO2 in the atmosphere.
Brazil's economy, and in particular its agribusiness sector, will suffer from damaged global reputation, decreased access to markets for sustainably-sourced goods, and higher production costs as a consequence of increased erosion and greater need for fertilizers and/or pesticides.
Brazil will likely fail to meet its own international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation rates.

Alternatives to reduced environmental protections

Land-use planning for up to 61 million hectares (150 million acres) of underproductive pastures, which are readily available for cultivation without additional deforestation.
Increase the efficiency of Brazil's livestock sector.
Introduction of a strategy for sustainable production in Brazil's farming and livestock sectors.
Implementation and increase of national and international mechanisms for compensation to landowners for environmental services.

WWF calls for legal action in Indonesia forest clearing

2012-04-25

Banda Aceh – WWF is calling on Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and police to investigate and take strict legal action against the perpetrator of the recent clearing of land known to house around 200 critically endangered orangutan in Aceh's Tripa peat swamp.

Initial findings from the task force investigting the violations indicate several laws have been broken by the land owner, including the use of fires to clear land, clearing peat land deeper than 3 meters, and conducting land-clearing activities prior to the issuance of a permit.¹

"The area is home to about 200 critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. WWF is calling for a follow-up investigation and legal action to prevent further clearing and stop incidents like this from reoccurring in the future," said Dede Suhendra, WWF-Indonesia's Program Leader in Aceh. "WWF-Indonesia is prepared to help the Government further investigate the case," Dede added.

"WWF urges all oil palm companies operating in the Tripa area to implement best management practices on sustainable oil palm plantations to protect this very important peat swamp," Dede continued. "WWF Indonesia also calls on central and regional governments to halt new permits for oil palm plantations and conduct strict assessments to identify high conservation value forest and the presence of endangered species."

The Tripa peat swamp forest area is located in southwest Aceh Province. It is a primary habitat for Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae). Massive land clearing for oil palm plantations since the 1990s has significantly decreased the orangutan population in the area.

Data on the Leuser Ecosystem collected by the Save Tripa Swamp Coallition, shows that the area consists of close to 62,000 hectares of peat swamp forest owned by five palm oil companies. Around 35,000 hectares of this have been cleared following the rapid expansion of palm plantations since the signing of Aceh's peace aggreement in 2005.

A recent investigation by the International non-profit organization PanEco, which specializes in nature conservation in Indonesia and Switzerland, reveals that over 1,000 hectares of land - the rough equivalent of 2000 soccer fields - was cleared for palm oil plantations between March 21 - 25th 2012, with a disastrous impact on the estimated 200 Sumatran orangutan living in the area.
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^{1 Violations include: Law No. 18 Year 2004 on Plantation; Law No. 32 Year 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management; and Law No. 26 Year 2007 on Spatial Planning juncto Presidential Decree No. 32 Year 1990 on Protected Areas.}

For more information contact:

Dede Suhendra, Project Leader WWF-Aceh, dsuhendra@wwf.or.id, +62 816343801

Two twice 'extinct' trees rediscovered in coastal Tanzania

2012-03-12

Scientists have confirmed the rediscovery of two tree species that were feared to have become extinct twice, according to a report published in the Journal of East African Natural History. The finds were made in highly threatened fragments of dry forest in coastal Tanzania.

One of the trees, Erythrina schliebenii, belongs to the genus of 'coral trees' which have spectacular red flowers and viciously spiny trunks. The tree was only known from two collections from the 1930s until it was recollected in a small patch of unprotected forest in 2001. It was feared that it might have gone extinct again when a Dutch company cleared part of that forest for a biofuel plantation in 2008.

The other tree, Karomia gigas, was only known from a single specimen cut down a few years after it was first discovered in coastal Kenya in 1977. Another tree was found some 600 km away in a tiny fragment of forest in Tanzania in 1993, but a more recent search at the same site was unable to relocate it.

Last year botanists from the University of Dar es Salaam set out to look for both trees near where they had been found. They discovered small populations of both in remote coastal forest near Kilwa in southeast Tanzania.

The coral tree Erythrina schliebenii was collected with mature seeds for the first time, allowing taxonomists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew to confirm it as a distinct species. This was only possible through consulting reference collections of coral tree specimens housed in herbaria throughout the world.

Neil Burgess, senior advisor to WWF's conservation and Africa programme, said: "The re-discovery of these two trees highlights the lack of information in a forested region where we could be losing species without ever knowing they are there.

"Conservation of these forests, in partnership with local villages, is essential. This can also lead to standing forest being used as an income source for communities through the development of sustainable logging initiatives."

Recent infrastructure development, together with a rapid population increase, are putting the coastal forests of southeast Tanzania under increasing threat of being degraded and cleared.

"Erythrina schliebenii has only survived because it grows in rocky areas that are not usually cleared for cultivation, but even those areas will be cleared one day if nothing is done," added botanist Cosmas Mligo from the University of Dar es Salaam.

Roy Gereau from the Missouri Botanical Garden, who coordinates the IUCN Red Data book listing of East African plants, said: "Both trees are still in critical danger of extinction, given that fewer than 50 individuals of each species are known."

Notes to Editors:
About WWF WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Recent fieldwork in Tanzania's Coastal Forests was supported by the Global Environment Facility through the United Nations Development Programme, WWF and the Tanzania Forest Service. Their work forms a part of the WWF's 'Coastal East Africa' Global Initiative and the UNDP GEF project 'expanding the protected area subsystem in the coastal forests of Tanzania'.

Further details are available online from the latest issue of the Journal of East African Natural History, available online at http://www.bioone.org/loi/eanh

Paper citation: Clarke, G.P., N.D. Burgess, F.M. Mbago, C. Mligo, B. Mackinder & R.E. Gereau (2011). Two 'extinct' trees rediscovered near Kilwa, Tanzania. J. East African Nat. Hist. 100(1&2):133–140.

For further information, please contact:
Robin Clegg, Tel: +44 7771 818707, email: rclegg@wwf.org.uk

Making parks part of daily life

2011-11-16

By Ligia Barros, WWF-Brazil

Sometimes it's hard to see what's right in front of us. How often do Parisians visit the Louvre? New Yorkers tour the Statue of Liberty? The same can be said for many residents of communities in or near parks and other protected areas. What draws tourists and scientists may be little visited by locals.

This was the case for residents in the region around the Montanhas do Tumucumaque National Park, in northern Brazil on the border with French Guyana. People were missing out on part of their national heritage, but the problem was bigger than that. A lot bigger: at 4 million hectares, this vast national park is too much for the three administration officers assigned to protect it. They need to enlist the support of the people.

"We decided to begin at the beginning," says Paulo Russo, one of the park's environmental officers. This means working with teachers and students to build understanding and appreciation of the wealth of biodiversity right on their doorstep.

A course, offered with the support of Ecosia and WWF-Brazil, was designed to inform teachers about the landscape and species the Montanhas do Tumucumaque National Park. After the course, the teachers are prepared to develop their own environmental education projects.

"The teacher training course opens the door to the community, because nobody in any of the small towns and settlements is ever going to be against a course given for their teachers," says Russo.

Reaching teachers, inspiring students
Teachers in three municipalities have taken the course, and the initial reaction is positive. Fifteen-year-old Daniel Negrão of Oiapoque says, "I was glad to hear that there is a national park and that there are so many beautiful places nearby that I never knew about. We are now learning to protect everything around us."

The Deputy Head of the Park, Marcela de Marins, says the courses have made a noticeable improvement in relations with the city residents. "Now they know who we are and they know a bit more about our work; this was not the case before."

Russo says the project has succeeded in building stronger bonds between the communities and the park, including paving the way for in-depth discussions about conservation and sustainable lifestyles. "The idea was not just to carry out yet another informative session – we wanted much more. We want the people to feel real pride and affection for their park. That's the only way they'll protect it for the future," says Russo.

Josenira dos Santos, a teacher in Serra do Navio, says the course's strength is its hands-on approach. "Small practical actions carried out in the classroom showed us how we can help our students to understand and incorporate environmental education into their lives. There was not too much theory in the course, but a lot of practice," she says. "Now we have better knowledge of the park and it has become closer to us; they have brought the park into our daily lives."

No amnesty on illegal Amazon deforestation, declares Brazil president

2011-06-09

Brasilia, Brazil; Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has marked the country's preparations for next year's landmark Rio +20 conference on sustainable development by repeating that there will be no amnesty granted to those that had carried out deforestation.

"There will be no negotiation or prevarication on the issue of deforestation," Rousseff said, without making any specific reference to the divisive debate on a proposed radical cut to forest protection measures that have cleared Brazil's National Assembly.

Anticipation of the changes - which still have to pass the Brazilian Senate and receive presidential assent - has been linked to a dramatic upsurge in deforestation rates in the Amazon and elsewhere in recent months.

Generous amnesty provisions

This has been linked to generous amnesty provisions for illegal clearing in areas under protection in the current law such as forests by waterways, on steep slopes and high elevation watersheds. Forest reserve requirements - and more vigorous enforcement - are credited with key roles in Brazil's leading record in reducing deforestation over recent years.

"We are determined to fulfil the commitments we have made and will not tolerate any steps backwards in the historical process," declared the President during her speech, which celebrated the setting up of the National Committee and the Organising Commmittee of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

The President was likely trying to strengthen Brazil's image overseas as a defender of the environment in the face of alarm that a revised Forest Bill would see a return to the devastating rates of forest destruction that was a key impetus to the original Rio conference.

Dilma reaffirmed Brazil's commitment to continuing its role as a global leader both in food production and as an environmental power and to making use of renewable energy sources.

WWF-Brazil CEO Denise Hamú, present at the ceremony in the Planalto Palace, considers the event to be an important milestone. "President Dilma was applauded for a full five minutes. The audience made up of diplomats, members of parliament, members of the government and other important guests demonstrated its enthusiastic support for the commitments made in regard to the environment," said Hamú.

"I think that Dilma Roussef sensed the force of society's wish for a serious policy committed to environmental conservation."

Senators responsible for crucial report named.

In another development, the Senators responsible for a pre-debate report on the proposed bill from the standing committee on Agriculture and the Environment have been named.

They are the senator for Santa Catarina, Luiz Henrique (Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro -PMDB) linked to the 'ruralista' parliamentary group (agribusiness and big landholders) and senator for Acre, Jorge Viana (Partido dos Trabalhadores- PT) connected to the pro-environment group.

Both have both declared their intention to achieve consensus on a final text that is representative of the positions of both groups.

This marks a distinct change from the lower house process, where the report advocating proposed "reforms" was under the control of the ruralista grouping who pushed forward the controversial measures in the face of complaints of inadequate consultation with scientists and community groups.

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Indonesian decree to halt primary forest loss

2011-05-23

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has signed a presidential decree that bans logging of 64 million hectares of carbon-rich primary forests and peatlands and suspends the granting of new permits for clearing these lands for two years.

The moratorium signed late last week, which goes into effect immediately, is part of an agreement worth US$1 billion between Indonesia and Norway aimed at reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Indonesia has vowed to cut its emissions by 26 percent from business-as-usual levels by 2020, or by 41 percent with sufficient international support.

"WWF recognizes the two-year ban on logging and clearing of primary forests and peatlands as a foundation for Indonesia's ambitious shift towards a low carbon economy," said Dr. Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia.

President Yudhoyono announced plans to reduce forest loss by moving economic development practices, such as pulp and palm oil plantations, onto degraded lands at the Business for the Environment Global Summit in April of this year. "The government can now shift its focus to the bolder steps necessary to protect high carbon stocks found in secondary forests, as well as their biodiversity and cultural values."

According to a WWF analysis, the moratorium will extend protection to only an additional 14 per cent of primary forests, as the majority of Indonesia's primary forests are already protected by law. The potential emissions reductions from land use, land-use change and forestry could be far greater under this decree if the moratorium was extended beyond primary forests to include secondary forests as well, said WWF.

"Because concessions can continue being awarded in secondary forests, the moratorium's impact will be limited as it will reduce deforestation and cut carbon emissions by only about 4 percent," said Nazir Foead, Director of WWF-Indonesia. "There is clearly much more that must be done if Indonesia is to achieve its ambitious emissions reduction targets."

Still, the moratorium could be an opportunity to help put in place effective forest governance and sound ecosystem-based spatial planning, particularly in settling overlapping land-uses. WWF is calling on Ministries and other government agencies to use the two-year period of the moratorium to review and improve governance on issuing licenses to industrial timber plantations, agro-industrial plantations and mining in secondary forests and other land uses. Strengthening the analysis of ecological and cultural values in these forests could contribute to this, said WWF.

"We must absolutely make the most of these two years to strengthen this commitment from Indonesia, so that it indeed catalyses the international community to address deforestation," said Rasmus Hansson, CEO of WWF Norway and chair of WWF's global Forest and Climate Initiative. "The Norwegian government and other donor countries must step forward and support Indonesia's efforts to advance the conservation, sustainable management and enhancement of these globally significant forests."

Brazil forest law again under fire

2011-05-11

Brazil's most important environmental legislation is on the chopping block again, with politicians in the country's lower chamber proposing to alter it by claiming it impedes economic growth.

Brazil's Forest Law (also known as the Forest Code) was first enacted in 1934 and determines how much a landowner can deforest and how much must be kept as a "legal reserve". The percentage of a forested property that needs to be set aside as a legal reserve varies from region to region. Currently in the Amazon, the law states that 80% of a property has to remain forested. For the Cerrado, this figure is 20%.

A proposed amendment to the law by the 'ruralistas', and put forward by Federal Representative Aldo Rebelo of the Brazilian Communist Party would make profound alterations to the law.

Representative Rebelo has said the changes will address the outstanding needs of Brazilian agriculture, especially in the case of small-scale farmers and livestock producers.

In June 2010, a proposed revision to the Forest Law was submitted to Brazil's Congress that claimed that the current law is holding back Brazil's economic development. This proposal is led by a disproportionately large delegation representing the agribusiness sector. In July, a congressional committee approved the proposal, moving it for consideration to the full Chamber of Representatives and then to the Senate.

Voting on the alterations by the lower chamber has been delayed several times, as recently as late last week. The vote now is expected to come up again soon, possibly as early as next week.

If it passes, it will then move onto senators, and then to the country's president for consideration.

This comes as Brazil prepares in 2016 to host the Olympic Games, and ahead of the United Nations' Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in June 2012. Rio+20 is a major meeting attended by heads of state focused on securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development.

Ignoring advice

If the amendment is approved, it will be done without heeding suggestions made by the federal government, the scientific community, the evaluations of environmental groups, or the opinions of the family-based agriculture sector who have all weighed in against the proposed changes.

"If the amendment is voted as it stands now, it will be the first Forest Law elaborated in Brazil since 1934, without any scientific input whatever. If we had more time to debate the issue we would have an opportunity of constructing environmental legislation suitable for the 21st century, modern and scientifically illuminated," stated Antônio Nobre, a researcher at the National Institute of Space Studies (Inpe).

The proposed changes also would roll back one of the most effective pieces of legislation to protect forests and biodiversity in the country, while at the same time slowing Brazil's reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

"Representative Aldo Rebelo is creating a series of snares and agendas hidden in the modifications he made to the text," said Carlos Alberto de Mattos Scaramuzza, Conservation Director at WWF-Brazil.

"His behaviour is imperilling a historical opportunity to construct legislation that simultaneously promotes conservation and benefits rural production. Organised civil society and scientists have not had a hearing in this process. Putting the text to the vote as it stands would be a very serious mistake."

Among the tricky catches Aldo Rebelo has included in the text is empowering more than 5,500 municipal authorities to authorise forest clearing, even in areas currently under environmental protection. The legislation opens up the possibility of doing so for "any area that is to be dedicated to the production of foodstuffs". It also transfers the onus for the demarcation and registration of the legal reserve areas – areas of natural vegetation that must remain undisturbed on every rural landholding – to municipal government bodies.

This will effectively pass control of deforestation will pass from the federal government to a piecemeal state by state approach among local municipalities, in turn allowing for strong agribusiness interests being influential in the interpretation of the law. Under this scenario, a strong upsurge in deforestation is expected.

The proposal now before the Chamber of Representatives additionally brings with it a series of other threats to Brazil's great natural wealth, and not only to the Amazon region.

It reduces the mandatory width of the protective strip of gallery forest vegetation that must be preserved along the courses of streams and rivers; liberates the tops of hills, mountains and plateaus for cattle raising activities; permits the felling of tree species under threat of extinction like the Brazilian Pine, and reduces the socio-environmental functions of rural landholdings by diminishing the percentages of natural vegetation that must be maintained on them.

Contributing to disappearing forests

The debate about Brazil's Forest Law comes as a new global analysis released last month showed that more than 230 million hectares of forest around the world will disappear by 2050 if no action to stop deforestation is taken.

The first chapter of WWF's Living Forests Report, released April 27, examines the drivers of deforestation and identifies the opportunities to shift from business as usual to a new model of sustainability, which can benefit government, business and communities.

The report proposes that policymakers and businesses unite around a goal of zero net deforestation and forest degradation (ZNDD) by 2020 as a groundbreaking global benchmark to avoid dangerous climate change and curb biodiversity loss.

"We are squandering forests now by failing to sort out vital policy issues such as governance and economic incentives to keep forests standing," said Rod Taylor, WWF International Forests Director.

NOTE: This story was updated May 12 and May 17.

Camera captures tiger cubs in forest under imminent threat of clearing

2011-05-09

Pekanbaru, Indonesia – WWF camera traps recorded an astounding 12 tigers in just two months in the central Sumatran landscape of Bukit Tigapuluh, including two mothers with cubs. A video camera trap in the same area has also captured footage of three young tiger siblings playfully chasing a leaf.

"Our team was thrilled to discover 47 tiger images in our camera traps, from which we identified six unique individuals," said Karmila Parakkasi, who leads WWF's tiger research team in Sumatra. "That was the highest number of tigers and tiger images obtained in the first month of sampling we've ever experienced. And then the results from the second month were even more impressive—not just one tiger family but two, with another six tigers."

The forest where the tigers were recorded is under imminent threat of being cleared by the pulp and paper industry, despite being designated a "global priority Tiger Conservation Landscape". It is one of six the government of Indonesia pledged to protect at last November's tiger summit of world leaders in Russia. The area, known as Bukit Tigapuluh, or "Thirty Hills", is located in Riau and Jambi provinces in Central Sumatra.

There are an estimated 400 critically endangered Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Evidence of three cubs surviving is extremely rare, WWF tiger experts said, and was captured by cameras located in the forest that are triggered by infrared sensors.

"What's unclear is whether we found so many tigers because we're getting better at locating our cameras or because the tigers' habitat is shrinking so rapidly here that they are being forced into sharing smaller and smaller bits of forests," said Parakkasi.

WWF's analysis found the tigers are concentrated in locations with good forest cover, which includes natural forest areas inside a land concession belonging to a subsidiary of Barito Timber Pacific. As soon as pending permits are granted by the government, the company could clear the forest to supply the wood to Asia Pulp & Paper of Sinar Mas Group. Prominent conservation groups including WWF have urged the two companies and the government of Indonesia to protect these forests instead.

"This video confirms the extreme importance of these forests in the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem and its wildlife corridor," said Anwar Purwoto, director of WWF-Indonesia's Forest and Species Program. "WWF calls for all concessions operating in this area to abandon plans to clear this forest and protect areas with high conservation value. We also urge the local, provincial and central government to take into consideration the importance of this corridor and manage it as part of Indonesia's commitments to protecting biodiversity."

Between 2004 and 2010, Bukit Tigapuluh lost 205,460 hectares of forest to pulp and paper and the palm oil industries.

The Sumatran tiger and the other five surviving tiger subspecies – the Amur, Malayan, Bengal, Indochinese and South China – number as few as 3,200. WWF is working to build the political, financial and public support to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.

-Ends-

Notes to editors
Video, still images and maps of the tigers illustrated in this press release can be downloaded from

Video: http://gvn.panda.org/pages/view.php?ref=3138&k=d4fe799aad
Images: http://www.mediafire.com/?luly4a8fd15ajoa
Maps: http://www.mediafire.com/?jvy71krny3wre35

About Bukit Tigpuluh
The Bukit Tigapuluh landscape includes a national park and the surrounding buffer zones with close to 320,000 hectares of natural forest. Only 42 percent of the remaining forest is under protection as Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. It is the largest of the last remaining dry lowland forest blocks in Sumatra and contains one of the broadest collections of Sumatran megafauna and flora, with close to 200 bird species and 59 mammal species.

The Bukit Tigapuluh landscape was designated a global priority tiger conservation landscape in "Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of Wild Tigers: 2005–2015," which was produced by the world's leading scientists. The categorization means it offers the highest probability of persistence of tiger populations over the long term.

The landscape is also one of the six priority landscapes that the Government of Indonesia committed to protecting for Sumatran tigers at tiger summit of world leaders in Russia in November 2010.

Around 130 critically endangered Sumatran orangutans thrive in the landscape and particularly in the Barito Pacific concession, part of the only successful reintroduction program for Sumatran orangutans.

The wildlife corridor between Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Rimbang Baling Wildlife Sanctuary consists of the following: Protected Forest Bukit Batabuh, Protected Forest Bukit Sosa and some inactive selected logging concessions and some active timber plantation concessions.

For more information contact

Desmarita Murni, WWF Indonesia, dmurni@wwf.or.id +62 21 5761070 ext 509, +62 811 79 3458

Chris Chaplin, WWF International cchaplin@wwf.sg +65 9826 3802

Camera captures tiger cubs in forest under imminent threat of clearing

2011-05-09

Pekanbaru, Indonesia – WWF camera traps recorded an astounding 12 tigers in just two months in the central Sumatran landscape of Bukit Tigapuluh, including two mothers with cubs. A video camera trap in the same area has also captured footage of three young tiger siblings playfully chasing a leaf.

"Our team was thrilled to discover 47 tiger images in our camera traps, from which we identified six unique individuals," said Karmila Parakkasi, who leads WWF's tiger research team in Sumatra.

"That was the highest number of tigers and tiger images obtained in the first month of sampling we've ever experienced. And then the results from the second month were even more impressive—not just one tiger family but two, with another six tigers."

Forest could be cleared for pulp and paper industry

The forest where the tigers were recorded is under imminent threat of being cleared by the pulp and paper industry, despite being designated a "global priority Tiger Conservation Landscape". It is one of six the government of Indonesia pledged to protect at last November's tiger summit of world leaders in Russia. The area, known as Bukit Tigapuluh, or "Thirty Hills", is located in Riau and Jambi provinces in Central Sumatra.

There are an estimated 400 critically endangered Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Evidence of three cubs surviving is extremely rare, WWF tiger experts said, and was captured by cameras located in the forest that are triggered by infrared sensors.

"What's unclear is whether we found so many tigers because we're getting better at locating our cameras or because the tigers' habitat is shrinking so rapidly here that they are being forced into sharing smaller and smaller bits of forests," said Parakkasi.

WWF's analysis found the tigers are concentrated in locations with good forest cover, which includes natural forest areas inside a land concession belonging to a subsidiary of Barito Timber Pacific. As soon as pending permits are granted by the government, the company could clear the forest to supply the wood to Asia Pulp & Paper of Sinar Mas Group. Prominent conservation groups including WWF have urged the two companies and the government of Indonesia to protect these forests instead.

"This video confirms the extreme importance of these forests in the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem and its wildlife corridor," said Anwar Purwoto, director of WWF-Indonesia's Forest and Species Program.

"WWF calls for all concessions operating in this area to abandon plans to clear this forest and protect areas with high conservation value. We also urge the local, provincial and central government to take into consideration the importance of this corridor and manage it as part of Indonesia's commitments to protecting biodiversity."

Between 2004 and 2010, Bukit Tigapuluh lost 205,460 hectares of forest to pulp and paper and the palm oil industries.

The Sumatran tiger and the other five surviving tiger subspecies – the Amur, Malayan, Bengal, Indochinese and South China – number as few as 3,200. WWF is working to build the political, financial and public support to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022.

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Business, government meeting ends in emissions reductions commitment

2011-04-29

Jakarta, Indonesia - The Business 4 Environment (B4E) Summit closed today in Jakarta with the release of the B4E 2011 Business Declaration supporting Indonesia's commitment to reduce emissions by between 26 percent and 41 percent by 2020.

This Declaration has been developed as a pledge from the Indonesian business community to support President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Government of Indonesia to reduce emissions by a minimum of 26 percent by 2020, against a targeted 7% economic growth.

"Governments cannot do the efforts alone," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a keynote address on Thursday. "As all of us move towards low-carbon development, we will need the greater participation of civil society and business leaders as our partners to realize a robust green economy," he continued.

The President also highlighted Indonesia's commitment to allocate the expansion of plantations and other economic activities to already degraded - or low carbon- areas.

"WWF is very pleased with the bold commitment by the Indonesian President. This is a foundation for all business players to synergize with relevant stakeholders to reach the target of 26 to 41 percent emissions reduction, as laid out in 2009 at the G20 meeting in Pittsburg," said Dr. Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia.

The summit's nearly 700 representatives from business, governments and NGOs were included in the declaration, delivered by H.E Hatta Rajasa Indonesia's Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

A key component of the Declaration is an agreement to support Zero Net Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2020 (ZNDD), and at the same time phasing out of products coming from deforestation of ecologically important forests by 2020.

Based on the first chapter of WWF's new Living Forests Report, which was released at the B4E summit on Wednesday, 27 April, more than 230 million hectares of forest will disappear by 2050 if no action is taken. The report proposes that policymakers and businesses unite around a goal of ZNDD by 2020 as a global benchmark to avoid dangerous climate change and curb biodiversity loss.

The Declaration is an encouraging sign that we are moving towards the kind of cross-sector collaboration that is crucial if we are going to halt forest loss and mitigate the damaging impacts of climate change," Dr. Efransjah added.

The Declaration also included promises to reduce resource intensity with investments in energy and resource efficiency, support for areas of high biodiversity, investment in sustainable urban planning and better supply chain management.

"We will continue working to encourage forestry and plantation companies to use sustainable practices. Good governance and incentives will provide the certainty businesses need to operate successfully using existing degraded land," said Rod Taylor, WWF International's Director of Forests.

Business collaboration in the Heart of Borneo
The B4E Summit opened with the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Green Business Day, organized by WWF's Heart of Borneo Initiative, providing an opportunity for open dialogue between key business leaders in the palm oil, forestry and mining sectors with operations on the island of Borneo.

Adam Tomasek, WWF's HoB team leader, said the HoB Initiative was committed to using a multi-stakeholder process to achieve conservation and sustainable development across the 22 million hectares landscape.

"The HoB Green Business day represented this commitment and the productive dialogue that emerged with the key sectors, government and civil society helped deepen the understanding of challenges and opportunities of achieving sustainability."

He said the event moved commitments forward in a number of ways, in particular with the announcement of the first pulp and paper participants to join GFTN Indonesia.

Governments, business must unite in joint action to stop forest loss

2011-04-27

Policymakers and business leaders must quickly back a bold target to stop forest loss as part of efforts to conserve biodiversity and fight climate change, according to a new WWF report.

The first chapter of WWF's Living Forests Report, released today, examines the drivers of deforestation and identifies the opportunities to shift from business as usual to a new model of sustainability, which can benefit government, business and communities.

Based on a new global analysis showing that more than 230 million hectares of forest will disappear by 2050 if no action is taken, the report proposes that policymakers and businesses unite around a goal of zero net deforestation and forest degradation (ZNDD) by 2020 as a groundbreaking global benchmark to avoid dangerous climate change and curb biodiversity loss.

"We are squandering forests now by failing to sort out vital policy issues such as governance and economic incentives to keep forests standing," said Rod Taylor, WWF International Forests Director.

Business and governments need forests

The first chapter of the report comes as business and political leaders meet this week in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the Business 4 Environment Global Summit (B4E). The conference will be addressed by His Excellency Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia.

"The dual imperatives of ZNDD and meeting global demand for materials and energy pose both challenges and business opportunities for the forest products sector," the report states. "Forest products are renewable and, when sourced from well-managed natural forests and plantations, tend to have a lower footprint than alternatives like steel, concrete and plastic based on fossil sources."

On the first day of the conference, businesses from the forestry, mining and palm oil sectors operating on the nearby island of Borneo will meet as part of WWF's Heart of Borneo Green Business Network.

At the summit, WWF will call on forestry companies to join the organization's Global Forest & Trade Network, and also on other business sectors to support our goal in achieving certification of 75% of key global commodities in the region by 2020. More than 40% of the island's forests are under concession to the private sector, with around 23% (6 million hectares) under management by the forestry industry.

Carrefour, a leading retailer in Indonesia is answering this call by endorsing WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN). Today, the group's two biggest suppliers for tissue paper in Indonesia, PT Graha Kerindo Utama and PT Graha Cemerlang Paper Utama are pledging to implement sustainable business under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

"Our ambition is both simple and strong: to become the preferred retailer. This can only be achieved by managing our retail business in a responsible and sustainable manner," said RM Adji Srihandoyo, the Corporate Affair Director PT CARREFOUR

Heart of Borneo – a model for collaboration

More businesses than ever before are working toward sustainable forest management, and governments are strengthening land use criteria and developing groundbreaking economic and fiscal incentives on the island, one of the most forest-rich places on the planet.

On the ground, WWF and its local partners are developing pilot projects to demonstrate the feasibility of these approaches.

"In the Heart of Borneo, tangible examples of how these systems work are emerging. WWF-Indonesia acknowledges that sustainability does not occur overnight. We call on the business sector to join with us as we make the first steps on the road to a green economy and low carbon future, not just in Borneo, but in Sumatra and Papua as well – step by step," said Dr. Efransjah, WWF-Indonesia CEO.

Right now on the island of Borneo in a 220,000km2 area designated for conservation and sustainable development called the Heart of Borneo, these are the ideas being put into practice.

ZNDD no barrier to sustainable forest-based business

Zero net deforestation and forest degradation by 2020 means no overall loss of forest area or forest quality, so a new monoculture plantation does not offset the loss of primary natural forest. The target requires the loss of natural or semi-natural forest to be reduced to near zero, down from the current 13 million hectares a year, and held at that level indefinitely.

To understand what this would mean in practice, WWF developed the Living Forests Model with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), which forms the basis for the Living Forests Report.

The Living Forests Model projects that by "doing nothing" we could lose more than 230 million hectares between now and 2050.

"The Living Forests Model shows that conserving our forests is possible – and urgent. But it won't be easy," said Taylor.

Making a difference now and towards 2050

"Better governance and economic incentives will enable sound stewardship of forests and more productive use of already- degraded land," Taylor said. "This would ensure enough farming land, timber plantations and well-managed forests to meet current global demand for wood and food without further forest loss."

The report concludes that maintaining near zero forest loss in the longer term will require responses to rising pressures on forests due to demand for food, materials and fuel for a growing population, expected to hit 9 billion people by 2050.

"In the short term, halting deforestation is all about better governance," said Taylor, "But as we get out towards 2050 and the population passes 9 billion, we will need to cut over-consumption and waste of food and energy, and boost productivity of farms and forestry to keep forest loss at near zero."

More to come

Held in partnership with WWF, Global Initiatives and the Government of Indonesia, the B4E Summit hopes "to generate collaborative solutions to address the most urgent environmental and climate issues facing the world today."

Additional chapters of the Living Forest Report will be released throughout the year to form a comprehensive analysis of the choices and decisions that must be made to secure a forested future for people and nature.

World's first five country protected area to conserve "Europe's Amazon"

2011-03-25

Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia today signed a historic declaration to establish a trans-boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to protect their shared nature and wildlife along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers, "Europe's Amazon".

The declaration - signed during the Informal Ministerial Meeting within the Hungarians EU-Presidency - paves the way for creating the world's first five-country protected area and, with an overall size of about 800,000 ha, Europe's largest riverine protected area.

"This landmark cross border agreement is a powerful demonstration of a shared green vision that builds on and reinforces regional cooperation and unity in Europe," said Jim Leape, WWF International Director General.

The declaration was signed today by Mr Nikolaus Berlakovich, Mr Sándor Fazekas, Mr Oliver Dulić and Mr Roko Žarnić, the ministers responsible for environmental protection in Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia, and Mr Jasen Mesić, the minister of culture in Croatia.

Given the global importance of this outstanding commitment in initiating the trans-boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve between five countries, WWF today presented the five ministers with the WWF "Wild Heart of Europe" award, handed over by Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme and Gábor Figeczky, CEO of WWF Hungary.

"It is not only a significant step forward in protecting the region's natural treasures but serves as a striking example of how nature conservation can bring countries together," said Andreas Beckmann.

"WWF hopes the declaration signed today will accelerate the country's efforts to fully establish this critical trans-boundary protected area within the next couple of years to protect this green belt in the heart of Europe," Beckmann added.

In 2009 Croatia and Hungary signed an agreement to protect their shared biodiversity hotspot along the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers. This agreement has served as a basis for the current five-country declaration.

With rare floodplain forests, river islands, gravel banks and oxbows, the new five-country protected area spans 700 kilometres of rivers and 800,000 hectares of unique natural and cultural landscapes. The area is home to the highest density in Europe of breeding pairs of white-tailed eagle and endangered species such as the little tern, black stork, otters, beavers and sturgeons. It is also an important stepping stone for more than 250,000 migratory waterfowls every year.

"The five countries have agreed to protect an area which is one of the richest in Europe in terms of species diversity," said Arno Mohl, Project Coordinator of the "Mura-Drava-Danube" Biosphere Reserve project at WWF Austria. "Such floodplain areas can only be topped by the tropical rainforests."

The river ecosystem is also vital for the socio-economic well being of the trans-boundary region. It is a major source of good drinking water, natural flood protection, sustainable forestry, agriculture and fisheries. It also has an important role in promoting eco-tourism, awareness raising and environmental education in the region.

"We trust that this agreement will end unsustainable river regulation and gravel and sand extraction projects which are still threatening this unique river ecosystem," Arno Mohl said.

WWF also hopes that no new hydropower dams will be planned for the area and the gravel excavations will not threaten river dynamics.

The new protected area was declared with the help of WWF, EuroNatur and local partner organisations such as Drava League, Green Action and DOPPS-Birdlife Slovenia.

"Since the 1990's EuroNatur has invested a great deal to foster regional cooperation to preserve the natural values of the rivers. We are very proud about the achievement of this joint commitment that will trigger transboundary regional development based on natural values of the riverine landscape", said Martin Schneider-Jacoby from EuroNatur.

The WWF project "Protecting Europe's lifeline - the creation of a Trans-Boundary Biosphere Reserve along the Danube, Drava and Mura rivers" is carried out with the support of the MAVA Foundation, Asamer Holding and The Coca Cola Company.

For further information:
Arno Mohl, Project Coordinator, Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, WWF Austria +43 676 83 488 300

Download the management concept for the Biosphere Reserve has already been developed by WWF and EuroNatur.

Scientists back rethink of Brazil forest law, but with biodiversity in mind

2011-03-15

Two of Brazil's most important scientific associations have taken stances in the ongoing debate about proposed alterations to Brazil's national forest legislation, saying that while the law needs to be changed, current proposals fall short of what is needed to protect biodiversity and natural resources.

The Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC) and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) made their opinion public following a seven-month study on the issue.

One of their conclusions was that although the current forest law does indeed need to be revised, the ideal changes are far different from those proposed by federal representative Aldo Rebelo and approved by a special committee of the Brazilian House of Representatives in July 2010.

The current reform proposal approved by the Brazilian House in July states that the protection of forests is a hindrance to agribusiness, as claimed by those that supported the report behind the current legislative proposal, which downgrades protected area requirements for private land, steep land and watercourse fringes.

The reform proposal is expected to be voted on this year.

New data

The scientists late last month displayed data underpinning the vital role of forest areas under permanent protection and legal reserve areas in the conservation of biodiversity and natural resources, and in making it feasible to improve Brazilian agribusiness and avoid tragedies like the landslides that have devastated many regions in summer 2010.

Professor Dr. Ricardo Rodrigues, of the University of Sao Paulo said: "The law currently in force need to be reviewed, but not along the lines of the proposals presently undergoing consideration in the parliament".

WWF-Brazil's CEO Denise Hamú said a technical analysis of proposed reforms to the forest law is an important step in the debate.

"We hope that the study presented by the SBPC and the ABC will set a new tone to the discussions of an issue that is of the greatest importance to Brazil. Up until now, scientific considerations have been entirely left out of the parliamentary process elaborating the reform proposal. Fortunately, there is still time to correct that serious mistake," she said.

"The proposal should be formulated on the basis of a document that the Ministry of the Environment is preparing using rigorous criteria and incorporating the invaluable contributions of the SBPC and the ABC researchers", states WWF-Brazil's CEO.

The entire study made by SBPC and ABC will be available within a few weeks.

A debate during the Year of the Forests

The study, and the ongoing debate around Brazil's forest laws comes as the United Nations has designated 2011 as the International Year of the Forests

Simultaneously throughout this year, WWF will be running a Living Forests Campaign that will combine cutting edge science, new perspectives from partners and decades of on-the-ground experience to help address the challenge of saving the world's forests.

In particular this year, WWF will be asking the public, policymakers, and businesses to support the goal of Zero Net Deforestation by 2020. This isn't as simple as planting a tree for every one that's cut -- which could leave the world without any natural forests. Zero net deforestation by 2020 means replacing "like with like," so if natural forest is lost, an equal area must be restored.

The goal encourages the wise use of forests and their resources. It leaves room for some change in the land-use mosaic, as long as biodiversity is maintained and enhanced, and the net quantity, quality and carbon density of forests is maintained.

Al Gore and WWF unite to promote business solutions for forest conservation in the Heart of Borneo

2011-01-09

Jakarta, Indonesia - More than 600 hundred Indonesian government and business leaders joined former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate, Al Gore and WWF Indonesia's CEO, Dr. Efransjah at a gala dinner to celebrate the United Nation's International Year of the Forest and to discuss the role of business in finding forest solutions to the challenge of climate change.

Co-hosted by the Republic of Indonesia's House of Regional Representatives (DPD), WWF-Indonesia and Global Initiatives (GI), the dinner was part of the 2011 Business for Environment (B4E) Forest Dialogue - the forerunner to the world's leading international conference for business-driven action for the environment -the B4E Global Summit, organised by GI and scheduled for 27 - 29 April, 2011, in Jakarta.

As one of the world's most influential voices on the environment and climate change, Mr. Gore delivered an exclusive keynote address sharing his vision for the role of forests in a sustainable future.

"The beginning of the U.N. International Year of the Forests is the perfect time to have the impressive collaboration that this dinner and forthcoming B4E gathering between the business community, government leaders and NGOs represents," he said.

He went to outline the huge advantage for Indonesia to become the regional leader in the pursuit of a green economy in partnership with business.

"This may not be the easy choice today, but history will show that it is the right choice, morally, economically and environmentally," he said.

Heart of Borneo - Green Business Network

WWF marked the event by launching a new initiative called the Heart of Borneo - Green Business Network (HoB-GBN). This network aims to get business engaged in delivering the Heart of Borneo Declaration, made by the governments of Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia in 2007, to conserve and sustainably manage the 22 million hectare of trans-boundary forests called Heart of Borneo.

WWF's CEO, Dr Efransjah said: "we know the commitments under the Heart of Borneo Declaration cannot be achieved without the support of the private sector. Tonight, we highlight solutions for involving business in green growth and offer then a range of tools to help them to do that."

Business Solutions in the Heart of Borneo: Report

A report also launched by WWF on the night found that only 54% of businesses in the HoB had heard of the Tri-lateral government agreement - the 'Heart of Borneo Declaration - but that once they found out more information, many were willing to be involved and felt that business, as well as government, would have an important role to play.

"That's why we're launching the Green Business Network, to support business that wants to be part of the solution to climate change and environmental damage, not part of the problem," said Dr Efransjah.

The report, 'Business Solutions: Delivering the HoB Declaration' was prepared for WWF with project assistance by international business consultants, PwC, and focused on engaging with businesses in the HoB. The firm's global Sustainability and Climate Change team, including environmental specialists from the firm's Indonesia, Malaysia and the UK offices conducted research and analysis with 84 businesses in the region.

Malcolm Preston, global leader of Sustainability and Climate Change, PwC said: 

"The report demonstrates that early progress has been made in realising the Heart of Borneo vision. Without business engagement, however, sustainable economic development will be an uphill struggle. This is about working with business to build capacity and include them in a green growth economy, rather than excluding them, so that everyone in the area benefits."

In 2011, the United Nations' International Year of Forests, mean the eyes of the world will be on Indonesia as one the most forest rich nation on the planet and business will also be under the spotlight for their role in saving the remaining globally significant tropical rainforests. WWF hopes that HoB-GBN initiative helps to ensure that this is not a year of just further discussion of the problems but a real chance to start delivering solutions.

- ENDS -

For more information about the Green Business Network please contact:
Nazir Foead, Corporate Engagement Director – WWF Indonesia.
Tel +62 8119917857. Email: NFoead@wwf.or.id

Katie Stafford – Corporate Engagement Strategy Leader with WWF's Heart of Borneo Initiative
Tel +62 8111806948. Email: kstafford@wwf.or.id

For general media enquires on the Heart of Borneo Green Business Network:
Christopher Greenwood, Int. Communications Manager, Heart of Borneo Initaitive, WWF
Tel: +60 128281214 E-mail: chris.greenwood@wwf.panda.org

For more information about the Al Gore (B4E) Forest Dialogue and Dinner, please contact:
Devy Suradji, WWF-Indonesia Marketing and Communication Director, dsuradji@wwf.or.id
Tony Gourlay, Global Initiative Chief Executive Officer, tony.gourlay@globalinitiatives.com

Notes to editors

2011 Business for Environment (B4E) Forest Dialogue
Former VP Gore was also joined at the gala dinner, held the Shangri-La Hotel, by speakers: Irman Gusman (Chairman of the Indonesian House of Regional Representatives), El-Mustafa Benlamlih (Resident Coordinator for the United Nations) and Gita Wirjawan (Chairman of the Indonesian National Investment Board-BKPM).

Deforestation and Climate Change Deforestation is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions and the vast forests of Indonesia can play a vital role in the fight against global warming. Indonesia has the opportunity to be a world leader in the pursuit of a low carbon growth economy which both conserves large areas of forest and ensures only sustainable development of remaining forest reserves. With initiatives such as REDD+, payment for eco-system services (PES) and carbon trading, the global community is increasingly willing to make financial contributions towards a sustainable future for Indonesia's forests. This Forest Dialogue marks Indonesia's first steps during the International Year of Forests to further explore these issues.

WWF's Heart of Borneo Initiative and its Green Business Network
WWF's Heart of Borneo Initiative was established to support the three governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in their development of the Heart of Borneo Declaration. The Green Business Network (GBN) and the Business Solutions report were developed with support from international consultancy PWC.

The International Year of Forests 2011
The International Year of Forests 2011 is the United Nations' global platform to celebrate people's action to sustainably manage the world's forests. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. 

Global Initiatives
Global Initiatives promotes partnership solutions to global challenges through a portfolio of international events, television programmes and media projects. These initiatives bring together world leaders, CEOs, media and NGOs to advance multi-stakeholder action on some of the greatest challenges facing the world.

WWF- Indonesia
WWF as an international conservation organization in the world with the support of more than 5 million members faces a high challenge in implementing conservation programs and the challenges of encouraging environmentally friendly practices in the corporate world. WWF recognizes that support from all parties, both government, society and especially from companies operating in Indonesia is extremely necessary. So the partnerships with all parties are expected to reduce pressure on natural resources that are already in an alarming condition. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science should be able to bridge the conservation and corporate needs, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature. Please visit www.wwf.or.id

Baim: the story of a rescued baby orangutan in the Heart of Borneo

2011-01-03

By Trishna Gurung, WWF-US

Baim has precious little in common with his Indonesian celebrity namesake. He is tiny—less than two feet stretched end to end—and weighs scarcely more than the cardboard box that he clutches at with desperation. His face has traces of dried baby formula and his wrinkled frame is surrounded by a nimbus of soft rust red hair. His eyes hold the gaze of the humans peering down at him while he keens, terrified to find himself separated from his mother.

"Orangutan mothers never willingly give up their babies, so in most cases we must assume the worst—that the mother was killed by poachers in order to get the infant," says Jimmy, WWF-Indonesia's communications coordinator in West Kalimantan.

"While I'm happy that this orangutan was rescued, it is a real tragedy to lose even a single member of this subspecies from the wild because their numbers are already dangerously low."

Baim belongs to the most threatened subspecies of Bornean orangutans. Experts estimate less than 4,500 Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus are left in the fast disappearing forests of West Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Sarawak (Malaysia). Disappearing forest homes and a rabid demand for baby orangutans to supply the illegal wildlife pet trade are taking their toll.

The baby Bornean orangutan is the second to be rescued by villagers in the remote hamlet of Lanjak in just a month. Forest ranger Andy Tarsita has already named the orangutan Baim when he shares the news at WWF's project office in Lanjak.

"I think Baim is lucky because if we hadn't found him then he would have been sold as a pet or abandoned, but at least now he has a chance of being released back into the wild," says Tarsita.

"Of course, the luckiest future for this little fellow would've been to live in peace with his mother in the forests."

If Baim is truly lucky his journey will end where it began, back in the forests at the Heart of Borneo. But the way back home begins with the decision of district officials at Lanjak to entrust Baim's care to WWF until he can be handed over to the correct authorities in faraway Pontianak.

Ahead lay a five-hour drive over rough roads and a noisy airplane ride into the provincial capital of West Kalimantan. There, among much fanfare, he will be given to the care of BKSDA (Natural Resources Conservation Office), and put in an already overcrowded orangutan rehabilitation center where he will live for a few months, a few years, or the rest of his life if he is not released back into the wild.

The lush, fertile alluvial plains and lowland valleys of Borneo are home not only to Bornean orangutans and other wildlife but to humans as well.

The past few decades have seen an influx of migrants coupled with aggressive and ambitious economic development plans. A map of the last forests on the world's third largest island are overlaid with a grid of interlocking concessions that the government has already parceled out to be cleared and replaced with vast plantations for oil palm and acacia.

Between 1980 and 2000, it is estimated that more timber was harvested from Borneo than was exported from the Amazon and Congo basins combined. As more of Borneo falls to the axe, orangutans are getting squeezed into ever shrinking forests.

Jimmy had come to Lanjak to meet community leaders from the Dayak tribes to assess forest restoration programs and the community-led monitoring of wild orangutans. Several villages in the forest corridor connecting Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun national parks are involved.

"The sad truth is that Baim is not the first or the last orangutan rescued as new roads open up the forests to illegal logging and poachers whose only concern is turning a profit," says Jimmy.

"We need to step up our anti-poaching work and redouble outreach to local people to show them that conservation pays through alternative income schemes and eco-tourism."

In 2007, the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei signed an historic agreement to save the Heart of Borneo. WWF is working with these nations to conserve 220,000 km2 of rainforest, almost a third of the island, through a network of protected areas and sustainably-managed forests.

At the UN climate change conference in Bali that same year, Indonesian President Yudhoyono outlined a national strategy to protect orangutans, stating that by 2015 all orangutans still in rehabilitation centers would be returned to the wild.

"The good news is that it is possible to reintroduce rescued orangutans into the wild and we've seen it happen with success in some areas," says Dr. Barney Long, WWF's Asian species expert.

"Unfortunately, in the bigger picture, rescue and rehabilitation doesn't address the double threat facing wild orangutans—severely reduced habitat and the persistent demand for the illegal pet trade."

Logging, land-clearing and conversion to oil palm plantations are the biggest threats for the remaining rainforests in Borneo and the species that inhabit them. The Heart of Borneo is a refuge to orangutans, elephants and rhinos, and lesser-known species such as the sunda clouded leopard, sun bear, banteng (wild ox) and endemic Muller Bornean gibbon, as well as indigenous Dayak people.

"Good intentions require committed action if they are to make a difference," says Long.

"If orangutans go the way of the Javan and Bali tiger, then Asia will lose its great apes, and humans will have put a full stop to the existence of one our closest relatives."

For now, Baim resides at Ketapang Orangutan Centre of International Animal Rescue-Indonesia. He will grow to adulthood here and like the others, wait for a future that leads back home into the lush Heart of Borneo.

New method emerges to deter "indirect" land grab for biofuel production

2010-10-08

Utrecht/Nürnberg/Brussels – A new methodology that could deter the "indirect" conversion of virgin or tropical forests for biofuel production was published today by prominent consultancy Ecofys, WWF and Conservation International.

The Responsible Cultivation Area [RCA] methodology could complement emerging bans on converting high value ecosystems directly into biofuel productions by providing a measure to reduce the risk of indirect biofuel production impacts such as biofuel displacement of food production into conservation areas.

RCA, which has been field tested in Indonesia and Brazil, works by setting up guidelines for the expansion of energy crop production in ways that reduce the potential for it to impact on food production.

Acceptable measures would include increasing yields on existing energy crop plantations, integrating energy crop and food production and directing additional production towards 'unused land' with low biodiversity and low carbon stocks.

Future likely developments, such as the use of residues or aquatic biomass such as algae for energy production, will be taken into account in future versions of the methodology.

"The new methodology contains practical guidance for companies on how to identify responsible production areas with a minimum risk of unwanted direct or indirect land use change," said Bart Dehue, Managing Consultant at Ecofys. "It also offers suggestions for legislators on how to distinguish biofuels with a low risk of indirect land use change",.

Addressing the biofuel "sustainability gap"

At first heralded as an ideal way to decarbonising the road transport sector by delivering a low-carbon alternative to petrol and diesel, biofuels were soon facing issues over whether production that involved extensive forest clearing meant more carbon was being emitted than could be saved over even lengthy periods.

This has become known as the biofuel "sustainability gap", and was behind an EU directive in 2009 adopting sustainability criteria for biofuels and bioliquids These criteria include a minimum for Greenhouse Gas emission reductions compared to fossil fuels. In addition, biofuel and bioliquid production may not lead to unwanted direct land use change, such as the conversion of forests or highly biodiverse grasslands.

However, the possibility of indirect pressure on forests and the environmental and social costs involved was initially overlooked in the European sustainability criteria, currently the world's strongest.

"There is a need to close this sustainability gap to ensure a sustainable future for biofuels", says Imke Luebbeke from the WWF European Policy Office.

There is some recognition of this need, however. The EU is currently conducting consultations on indirect land use change pressures from biofuel production, and it is hoped the RCA methodology would be of some interest to these deliberations.

Argentina puts legal muscle behind Atlantic Forest protection

2010-09-17

Buenos Aires, Argentina: The Argentinean province of Misiones has approved a major new land use law for native forests in that area, legally backing a commitment last year to help save the Atlantic Forest and move toward a goal of zero net deforestation by 2020.

The new land use law, approved earlier this month, will better protect more than 1.2 million hectares of Atlantic Forest in the province.

The decision follows a special ceremony at the XIIIth World Forestry Congress in 2009, where the province and the Paraguayan government agreed to work towards zero net deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, and to implement a package of measures that include legislation to enforce those commitments.

The Atlantic Forest initially spanned 500,000 square kms, shared between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, only 7.4 percent of the forest is left today – or about 35,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most threatened and fragment subtropical forests in the world.

The development of Misiones' land use law began after the passage of a national law forcing provincial governments to stop deforestation until land use plans for native forests were established.

That 2007 law was passed with the backing of 1.6 million public supporters from a December 2007 petition, and with the active participation of WWF's Argentina partner Fundacion Vida Silvestre.

Since the law's approval, Vida Silvestre promoted citizen participation, organized discussion workshops, and developed materials for raise awareness about deforestation. In April 2010, Vida Silvestre presented a preliminary land use proposal plan to the Government of Misiones.

The resulting map of land use law in Misiones, officially sanctioned earlier this month, is similar to the proposal submitted by Vida Silvestre and establishes more than 1.2 million hectares under yellow (sustainable use forests) and red (protected areas).

The approved provincial law, also allows the province of Misiones the access to part of the money that the national law assigns for the compensation of forest ecosystem services (approximately USD$ S 200 million per year).

Big dry and legal doubts fuel progress to new forest burn boom in Brazil

2010-09-03

Brasília, Brazil – High temperatures, low humidity and uncertainty over the future of forest laws are fuelling a boost in forest fires over much of Brazil.

Overnight on August 30, satellite data collected by the National Institute of Space Researches (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) showed 177 fire spots in central and central west Brazil and also in the north, south and south east of the country.

The 45,860 forest fires recorded so far this year is nearly 50 per cent higher than from the equivalent January to August period in 2009, putting Brazil on track to exceed the fire totals for 2007, the highest in the last five years.

While high temperatures – 30-35 degrees C in central Brazil – and humidity readings of under 20 per cent are undoubtedly contributing, Alberto Setzer, INPEs Forest Fire Monitoring coordinator, believes that the increase of fire occurrences this year is also related to the undefined future of the Brazilian Forest Code, which has been under severe attack by some sectors of the Brazilian Congress.

The current forest-burning season will not figure on the next release of annual deforestation rates, but the intense degradation facilitates illegal deforestation.

"Soon, many of these areas will no longer be forests," Setzer said. "In fact, burning the forest is usually the first and cheapest step to clean out a forest area."

Blame put on "the usual illegal practices"

The proposed forest code changes particularly downgrade protected area requirements for private land, steep land and watercourse fringes. According to the Institute, 130 state and federal reserves also registered fire spots inside their areas or within their buffer zones.

Denise Hamú, WWF-Brazil's CEO, agrees with the possibility of criminal fires being connected to the Forest Bill currently under discussion at the Congress.

"The uncertainty about the future of our Forest Code may perfectly be leading some of these criminal fires," she said. "The possibility of reducing the compulsorily protected areas within properties may be encouraging farmers to prepare new areas for agriculture or cattle breeding, in advance, with an eye on the proposed amendment in the law."

Brazil's Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira, has called for investigations to identify possible criminal actions behind these fires which she attributed to "the usual illegal practices".

One of Brazil's leading climate researchers, Dr Antonio Marengo of the Centre of Terrestrial System Sciences, said "We cannot assure the unusual season we are going through right now is caused by the climate changes. But it is, no doubt, a picture of what may happen in the future, when droughts and high temperatures will become more frequent and severe."

Strong and severe laws and public policies seem to be the only possible adaptation measures for a future of climate changes, as related to forest fire, he said, calling for more preparation of local governments, populations and hospitals for more and more smoky atmosphere, lung diseases and fire disasters.

"These are palliative measures, of course, but theres not much that can be done, once the use of fire in the agriculture is cultural in Brazil," Dr. Marengo said.

For him, the hope relies on education for the future generations.

Analysis shows up deadly combination in fire disaster States

2010-08-23

Moscow & Athens – Analysis of catastrophic wildfires in Russia and Greece has highlighted a deadly combination of climate change impacts and the neglect of forest management, WWF offices in the two fire-prone countries said today.

In the joint statement, WWF-Russia and WWF-Greece highlighted common elements of the catastrophic wildfires that hit Russia during the first two weeks of August and the tragic Greek "black summer" of 2007.

While the Russian fires have been brought under control, fires are now flaring up in Greece where the national budgetary crisis has seen fire defences downgraded.

"Although the weather did not favor mega-wildfires during June and July, as the 2010 summer ends Greeks witness once more the dramatic ecological consequences of forest fires, " said Demetres Karavellas, Director of WWF Greece.

"Yesterday, we lost to the flames one of the most important forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean, the rare and endemic palm forest of Preveli in Crete."

Key factors turning wildfire into wildfire disaster

The analysis of key contributing factors that turn wildfire into wildfire catastrophe highlighted gaps in national forest legislation, understaffed and under-equipped forest management and fire suppression authorities, little emphasis on cost effective prevention measures and poor mobilization of public support for forest protection.

"According to the official data, this summer about 1 million hectares of forests were burnt, 14 natural protected areas of federal importance are burning at this very moment, at least 127 villages turned into ashes and 52 people were killed because of forest fires," said Dr Evgeny Shvarts, conservation policy director for WWF-Russia.

"Most of forests and villages destroyed by fire were located in the most heavily populated European part of Russia, where forests have a special social and ecological value.

"This catastrophic situation has roots in recent thoughtless administrative reforms of forest management, resulting in decreased federal control over forest resources planning and use, elimination of the federal forest rangers service and decreased potential from specialized forest fire monitoring and fire fighting centers.

"We believe that urgent measures are needed by the Government of Russia to revise results of the forest management changes made since the year 2000."

Deadly gaps

A similar message is now coming from Greece as the threat of end of summer fires rapidly worsens.

"The financial crisis that looms over Greece has resulted in decimating the already scant funding for forest management and protection," said Demetres Karavellas, Director of WWF Greece.

"The memory of the tragic summer of 2007, when over 270 thousand hectares of precious Mediterranean forest land was burned and more than 80 human lives were lost, should teach us that the cost of prevention and integrated management is always a cheaper and more effective solution, compared to the real cost of environmental crises, such as wildfires."

The two branches of WWF called on their governments to address numerous and deadly serious gaps in the national forest legislation.

"Forests need to be managed and protected primarily as vulnerable ecosystems, which are vital for human survival through climate change and not as land offered for easy profit," they said.

Emphasis should be put on prevention, rather than fire suppression. Integrated management of forests as dynamic ecosystems throughout the year is cheaper and more effective than the army of aerial and land-based fire fighting means needed to combat mega wildfires.

"Public participation and constant alert is crucial securing a better future for forests," WWF said. "Volunteer fire fighting teams and organized social mobilization have on numerous occasions averted forest disasters."