Deforestation is the permanent loss of forest land to other uses and it is among the most urgent environmental issues in Asia today. Forests provide clean air, absorb carbon dioxide, act as filters to clean our water, provide food and raw materials for shelter, stabilize soils against landslides, protect us from severe weather disturbances, provide medicines and many other benefits. Deforestation is of particular concern in tropical rainforests as these forests are home to much of the world’s biodiversity.

The loss of forest cover due to natural resource extraction, urban expansion, timber poaching, forest fires and agriculture increasingly puts pressure on Asia’s forests. Addressing these complex issues requires integrated environmental management strategies as well as the involvement and commitment of all forest stakeholders. Natural resource conservation viewed from a landscape perspective is essential if forests are to survive increasing social-political and economic pressures.

We will support processes to halt deforestation, restore forest lands, improve forest quality, reverse the loss of biodiversity, and reduce conversion to other land uses by building awareness and capacity for integrated community-based natural resource management. We will continue to advocate for and undertake landscape restoration, the sustainable harvesting and use of non-timber forest products and discourage timber poaching by encouraging alternative economic development models.