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This is the 11th year that the world celebrates the preservation of tropical forests every June 26th, and Bolivia is a world leader in voluntary forest certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) seal with 2,042,856 million hectares of sustainably managed forest.
n” “nThe International Day for the Preservation of Tropical Forests was established in 1999 by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), WWF (the world conservation organization), and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) with the goal of fostering sustainable and environmentally harmonious actions through the proper management of forests.
n” “n“With good forest management, we guarantee their long-term productivity, the maintenance of their forest wealth -timber and non-timber- and the conservation of all their resources such as fauna, flora, and water channels”; said Adolfo Moreno, acting Director of WWF Bolivia. “In addition to the important benefits for humans, such as the provision of clean air, production and purification of drinking water, climate regulation -temperature, rain, solar radiation, humidity”, he added.
n” “nAround the world, significant efforts are being made to preserve tropical forests. A clear example is the commercial component of the WWF* Bolivia Forest Program, which promotes the adoption of Responsible Forest Product Purchasing Policies and market linkages as strategies to help reduce illegal logging and timber trade, while promoting market mechanisms that guarantee the sustainability of forests globally.
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Following this same logic, WWF, the Autonomous Municipal Government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and the Bolivian Forestry Chamber will inaugurate the construction of the Certified Forest Promenade next September, located on La Salle Ave. between the 3rd outer ring and the 4th ring.
n” “nThis Promenade, which serves as an urban educational space, has been designed as a green area intended to celebrate the designation (in 2007) of the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra as the World Capital of Native Tropical Forest Certification and the adoption of the Responsible Purchasing Policy for forest products by the Autonomous Municipal Government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Hence, the wood used is certified under the FSC seal. Furthermore, it will house the FSC-certified wood sculptures resulting from the first two International Sculptors’ Meetings held by Manzana 1 Espacio de Arte in 2006 and 2008, respectively.
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To date, more than 20 national companies and the municipal governments of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and La Paz are promoting the purchase of forest products from responsible sources. The accession of the La Paz municipality is the most recent. In June, this municipality signed the accession agreement to the initiative with the purpose of implementing the Responsible Purchasing Policy within the municipality, and thus contributing with its acquisitions and its example to conserving Bolivian forests.
n” “nWWF’s Forest Program significantly addresses the causes of tropical forest decline through its protection goals (in Bolivia, we support the Iténez and Manuripi protected areas), responsible forestry (responsible forest management and trade), and restoration, but the solutions require joint work and actions at all levels of society.
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- Bolivia loses 290,000 hectares of forest annually due to illegal logging and deforestation. 75% of this deforestation in its various forms occurs in the department of Santa Cruz. nnnn
- *The commercial component of the WWF BPO Forest Program uses two market strategies: In the national market: The Cities for Forests initiative aims to commit local and regional governments and non-forestry socially responsible companies within the country to adopt a Responsible Forest Products Purchasing Policy to promote the trade and consumption of differentiated products of legal origin, coming from FSC-certified or managed forests. In the international market: Linking Bolivian supply that is certified or in the process of FSC certification with the responsible demand of companies abroad (in 22 countries worldwide), through the participation of Bolivian companies offering forest products in the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) Bolivia. nnnn
- Responsible purchasing of forest products is an opportunity for companies and institutions to actively get involved in maintaining the quality of life and environmental services that forests offer us, by acquiring wood from good forest management practices (environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially equitable) in our forests. nnnn
- FSC-certified forests ensure the protection of water, soil, flora, and fauna. Likewise, they promote the participation of communities, indigenous peoples, forest workers, industry, and forest producers in forest management, leading to people being able to continue living, working, and earning income from the forests. nnnn
- For more information on FSC certification, visit: www.fsc.org. nnnn
- Forest certification offers a guarantee that the wood products we use come from a responsibly managed forest. This is why it is important to recognize the FSC seal on purchased forest products, as it guarantees the consumer a contribution to forest conservation, in addition to allowing them to show their support for responsible forest management with their purchase. nnnn
- For more information on forest certification in Bolivia, see: www.consejoforestal.org.bo n
