05 Dec 2007 - Warsaw, Poland
– Over 100,000 signatures have been forwarded
to the Polish government, calling for the
protection of Europe’s last remaining stands
of natural forests.
The signature drive is part of a WWF campaign
to safeguard ancient woodlands in Poland’s
Bialowieza Primaeval Forest from logging and
other unsustainable forest activities.
In February 2007, a report by Poland’s public
audit body, the Supreme Chamber of Control,
exposed inadequacies concerning forest management
in the country’s most valuable forest areas.
In October 2007, the Council of Europe suspended
the European Diploma of Protected Areas awarded
to the Bialowieza National Park because of
lack of sufficient protection.
Also in 2007, the Forest Stewardship Council
— an international, non-profit organization
dedicated to ensuring environmentally responsible
forest management — suspended certification
for this region for similar reasons.
“For years, Polish politicians have been
passively looking on as the degradation of
this unique woodland continued,” said Ireneusz
Chojnacki, WWF-Poland’s Programme Director.
“Today, they may well have a one-time opportunity
to do something about it.”
A special task force set up by Poland’s President,
Lech Kaczynski has already drafted legislation
to ensure protection of the forest, including
extending the Bialowieza National Forest to
encompass currently unprotected ancient forest
strands. As part of the legislation, a special
socio-economic programme has been planned
to promote sustainable tourism for local communities
living near the forest.
“Over 100,000 people demand that this legislative
initiative be accepted by the president and
then voted upon by the Polish Parliament,”
added Chojnacki.
Home to lynx, wolves and other wildlife,
the Bialowieza Forest is the last natural
forest on the Central European lowland. Although
it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site,
together with the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National
Park on the Belarus side, only 17% of the
Polish area of the forest is protected as
a national park.
The WWF campaign is aimed at improving the
level of protection of the old-growth, primeval
forests in and around the park.
“We cannot allow a further degradation of
the natural heritage of Poland, as well as
the entire European continent,” Chojnacki
said.
Stefan Jakimiuk, Bialowieza National Park
Project Manager
WWF-Poland
Anna Piekut, Press Officer
WWF-Poland
+ More
New conservation network set up to protect
wetlands in China
09 Nov 2007 - Beijing, China – A new wetland
conservation network has been established
along the central and lower Yangtze River,
providing a platform for management organizations,
research institutions, social groups and the
public to protect wetlands and battle climate
change.
Wetlands are critical to mitigating climate
change — they have an important and underestimated
role in carbon storage and greenhouse gas
regulation.
Supported by the WWF-HSBC Partnership Programme,
the network of 20 wetland conservation areas
is the first of its kind in China.
“With this new initiative, the overall protected
area will see a remarkable increase if the
separated wetlands are networked together,”
said Li Lin, Head of Conservation Strategies
at WWF China.
“This will significantly boost conservation
effectiveness.”
The 20 wetland sites, covering an area of
some 1 million hectares, represent a diverse
range of habitats and are home to numerous
species. The wetlands, however, are threatened
by ecological degradation and water pollution
as a result of economic development and urbanization.
WWF has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Wetlands Conservation Network, offering
training to monitor waterfowl and climate
data, as well as to work together on policy
advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns.
Yang Man, Communication Coordinator
WWF China, Wuhan Office
