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Dept for International Development

Answer

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to reduce the rate at which tropical rain forests are being destroyed. [150727] Clare Short: The Department for International Development's purpose is poverty elimination. Forests play a major role in providing livelihoods for poor people, and this is the starting point for our involvement in the sector. The causes of deforestation are complex and often lie outside the forest sector in such areas as property law, governance and the economic incentive framework. DFID works with developing countries to help them, and particularly their poorer forest communities, gain long-term benefit from trees through sustainable management, which secures both the existence of forests and the global environmental benefits they provide. DFID currently spends circa £30 million per annum on forest-related projects. A copy of the 2001 directory of DFID forest projects will be placed in the House of Commons Library as soon as it is available. My Department works internationally in a variety of forums to promote sustainable forest management which supports the needs of the poor. DFID also funds the Global Environment Facility which includes forests within its support to biodiversity conservation. As stated in our recent White Paper, we will press for a 50 per cent. increase in the resources of the GEF at the next replenishment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

150727; 363 c530W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Conservation Developing countries Development aid Environment protection Forests Rainforests Sustainable development

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk