Developing Countries Urge Curbing Deforestation

Doha, December 05 (QNA) - The developing countries on Wednesday voiced their concern over the deforestation and forest burning phenomena calling meantime for taking necessary movements to halt them and making financial and technological support available to bring them down. These two phenomena alone contribute to 20 % of greenhouse emissions, a percentage, experts see extremely high and even more than transportation sector emissions. In a session held in Doha today on the sidelines of the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP18), to discuss cutting emissions in third world countries, the developing countries urged developed ones to reconsider forest burning to produce energy which is a major risk to the whole environment. In exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Head of Sudan s National Forestry, Abdullah Jaafar Mohammed pointed out to existing binding agreements to reduce forest burning across the globe of which developed countries have a role in supporting actions taken to achieve this target. He said the developing countries are currently seeking financial and technical support to face the dangers of these phenomena, meantime, noting that Doha climate talks in this regard are going well yet still facing some challenges. He said the forest burning phenomenon is having its toll on African countries as they mainly depend on forests for living. Head of Sudan s National Forestry warned of the sequels of cutting out trees to get wood supply that leads to deforestation, a major risk to the population. Mohammed reiterated the impact of deforestation on climate change as "direct and significant", which is clearly seen when looking at the percentage of greenhouse emissions forest burning and deforestation produce alone. He said experts confirmed that forest protection is vital if we are to reduce emissions, besides recommending the inclusion of protected forest areas in strategies to confront greenhouse emissions that result from the absence of green areas. (QNA)