Conserving Tropical Rainforests for Sustainable Development

1. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests

2. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? • Many countries in tropical rainforest regions are developing countries. • There is a great demand for land for farming and settlement because of increasing population. • They have to choose between opening up forest resources to meet immediate needs and preserving them for their future generations.

3. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? National parks  Some countries have put aside large tracts of land as national parks or nature reserves to conserve the forests.  The clearance of forest and damaging activities have been stopped in the area.  The total area under such protection is very small.

4. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? Ban on commercial logging We need to control the trade of tropical hardwoods and the export of tropical timber.  Thailand banned all commercial logging in 1989 and Laos in 1991.

5. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? Sustainable development Tropical rainforests are opened up in such a way to ensure the resources are not depleted in future. • A sustainable development of tropical rainforests may be a solution to the conflict of land use. Sustainable development allows the setting up of forest industries which produce non-timber products.  These activities provide jobs to the native people and at the same time protect their lifestyle and culture. The exported non-timber products also earn income for the country.

6. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? Activities which are good to the environment include the growing of crops, the tapping of rubber, the collection of medicinal plants and the rearing of freshwater fish. Sustainable development Farming on small plots of land is encouraged so that the native people can practise their traditional farming method of shifting cultivation.

7. Farm becomes rainforest again A small piece of land cleared by burning Cleared land turned into a farm for growing crops Farm abandoned when land becomes infertile Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests Why shifting cultivation does not cause a great deal of damage to tropical rainforests?

8. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? Selective logging Selective logging removes only commercially valuable trees while leaving the rest of the forest unharmed.

9. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? Replacing firewood by other fuels Cleaner, cheaper and more efficient fuels need to be developed to replace firewood as fuel which would stand a better chance of survival when the people no longer rely on them for firewood.

10. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests How should we use tropical rainforests? Reforestation Reforestation by the replanting of trees in cleared land is needed. Reforestation prevents soil erosion, stops the silting of rivers and checks flooding.

11. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests What can we do to help save tropical rainforests? Learn more about rainforests Our research on rainforests would increase the under- standing of these forests, which would help in drawing up a better plan for saving them.

12. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests What can we do to help save tropical rainforests? Spread the idea of conservation We should spread the message of conservation to people living in rainforests and people living in developed countries, which would help in changing their attitude away from destroying rainforests to preserving them.

13. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests What can we do to help save tropical rainforests? Stop buying tropical timber products A more direct way is to stop buying products made of tropical timber, which would help reduce timber trade and commercial logging.

14. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests What can we do to help save tropical rainforests? Protect our country parks Do not damage trees in country parks. When you have a barbecue, make sure that the food is not cooked over charcoal. Do not forget to put out the fire you lit before leaving the barbecue site.

15. Unit 3 Conserving our tropical rainforests Terms to learn • Conservation of tropical rainforests (熱帶雨林保育) – to protect tropical rainforests by stopping all kinds of development activities. • Sustainable development of rainforest (可持續性發展雨林) - tropical rainforests are opened up in such a way to ensure the resources are not depleted in future.