 Eroded and deforested slopes in Jamaica's Blue Mountains
"Never before have data of this kind been provided directly to users in developing countries," said FAO Director General Jacques Diouf. "Monitoring will be cheaper, more accurate and transparent for countries that want to participate in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation."
The new system delivers data for 13,000 locations and provides tools for their interpretaSustainable forest management can create jobs and protect the livelihoods of indigenous people and local communitiestion.
Nearly 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions " more than all the world"s cars, trucks, ships and planes combined " result from deforestation and degradation of forests, and plans to slash these emissions are expected to be a component of the new climate change agreement that is set to be reached by nations in December in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Last month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a cash injection to jump-start progress on the UN Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) initiative aimed at combating climate change through creating incentives to reverse the trend of deforestation.
"Sustainable forest management can create jobs and protect the livelihoods of indigenous people and local communities," he added, addressing the high-level gathering with 70 governments represented, including 14 heads of State and senior ministers, on the fringes of the General Assembly"s annual General Debate.
UN-REDD " launched last September by Mr. Ban in collaboration with the FAO, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) " compensates developing countries for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
But many issues must be solved before UN-REDD can work, FAO stressed.
One such challenge is the need for measurement, reporting and verification systems of carbon to ensure that carbon accounting and payments are carried out transparently.
"National monitoring systems must be enhanced, not just looking at carbon dynamics but also measuring multiple benefits of UN-REDD and drivers of deforestation," said Peter Holmgren, FAO"s climate change focal point.
Source: UN News
Global 
-
Liberian girls and women should draw inspiration from the all-female Indian police unit serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to join law enforcement agencies in the service of their own nation, the top UN official in the West African country said today. more
-
The Convention on the Rights of the Child has become the most widely accepted human rights treaty in history, but 20 years after its adoption, much more remains to be done to turn its promises into reality for millions worldwide, top United Nations officials said today. more
-
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced the hope for increased cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations following the appointment of Herman van Rompuy as the first EU President and Catherine Ashton as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. more
-
The official number of swine-flu cases in Kyrgyzstan has been put at 61, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. more
-
Iranian human rights advocate and lawyer Shirin Ebadi said she has been receiving death threats, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports. more
-
Vladimir Tutayev, an activist from Russia's United Civic Front (OGF), was detained in Moscow today, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. more
-
Jailed Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev is among the winners of the 2009 International Press Freedom Awards, an annual recognition by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) of journalists working in dangerous or repressive circumstances, RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service ... more
-
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugee children in United Nations schools in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria have been clicking away with flip cams to create the region?s first ever online video yearbook to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the ... more
-
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Libya have agreed on a $71 million programme to boost cooperation over the next five years to strengthen food security and sustainable development in the country. more
Comments
|
|
RSS