The Forests Are Crucial

Forests crucial in developing green economy: UNEP

2011-05-22 - The livelihoods of over 1.6 billion people and millions of animals depend on forests, but sadly they are not given the necessary care, said Nick Nuttall, spokesperson of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

"From whatever angle you look at it, forests are central towards achieving a low carbon, resource efficient green economy in the 21st century," Nuttall told Xinhua ahead of the World Biodiversity Day on May 22.

He added that the United Nation has designated 2011 as International Year of Forests to create awareness and help protect forests.

Nuttall said biodiversity is the building blocks of ecosystems, from forests to coral reefs.

The recent work of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) estimates that as much as 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars are lost annually because of degradation and damage of natural assets, a great deal of which is linked with forests. {continued}