New Delhi, March 15: Food and Agriculture Organisation
has said that 10 million new 'green jobs' could be created by
investing in sustainable forest management even as fears of
more job losses grow amid global economic downturn.
"As more jobs are lost due to the current economic
downturn, sustainable forest management could become a means
of creating millions of green jobs, thus helping to reduce
poverty and improving the environment," FAO Forestry
Department Assistant Director-General Jan Heino said.
Since forests and trees are vital storehouses of carbon,
such an investment could also make a major contribution to
climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, he said.
The observation on job potential in the forest sector
came on the eve of World Forest Week, to be held in
conjunction with FAO's Committee on Forestry from March 16 to
20 in Rome, the UN body said on its website.
Citing a recent study by the International Labour
Organisation, FAO said that unemployment worldwide could
increase to 198 million in 2009 from 179 million in 2007 under
the best case scenario, while it could go as high as 230
million under the worst case scenario.
"The global potential is at least 10 million new jobs
through national investments," FAO said, adding that a number
of countries like the US and the Republic of Korea, have
included forestry in their economic stimulus plans.
Increased investment in forestry could provide jobs in
forest management, agroforestry and farm forestry, improved
fire management, development and management of trails and
recreation sites, expansion of urban green spaces, restoring
degraded forests and planting new ones, it said.
Activities can be tailored to local circumstances,
including availability of labour, skill levels and local
social, economic and ecological conditions, it added.
World Forest Week, which takes place against the backdrop
of an unprecedented global economic crisis, will highlight how
sustainable forest management can help build a green future
and play a catalytic role in the world's response to the
global and economic and environment crises, FAO said.
FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations and the
lead agency for agriculture, forestry and rural development.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, March 15, 2009, 00:00