Forests are not just a timber source, they are key to livelihoods and combatting climate change
Taking a sub-regional approach to managing forests is necessary to sustain them for the continent’s economic development
Forest areas cover 23 percent of Africa’s surface area, an estimated 675 million hectares with wooded landscapes—trees outside of forests—accounting for another 13 percent, or 350 million hectares.
Five countries alone—Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Angola, Zambia and Mozambique—account for half of this forested area.
A new World Bank report,“Forest Trees and Woodlands in Africa”argues that Africa’s forests have often been narrowly viewed as a source of export revenues from industrial timber and a global public good. In reality, forests play much broader roles, as diverse sources of jobs and livelihoods and as providers of valuable ecosystem services that are vital for increasing economic and social resilience including combating climate change.
See full Press Release: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:23309797~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html
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