The replanting of forests can play a major role in achieving the climate objectives that were agreed in Paris, where 10 African countries agreed to plant at least 100 million hectares of new forests, under the AFR100-plan.
It is now time for investors to make a move and the ‘Forests for the Future, New Forests for Africa’ initiative has received the support of H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan.
Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997-2006, Mr. Annan will be the principal guest at the official launch of the Initiative on 16 and 17 March in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.
“While the priority must remain on preserving our natural forests, the revival of denuded areas through reforestation helps not only Ghana but also the global fight against climate change,” said Kofi Annan, who works through the Kofi Annan Foundation to achieve a fairer, more peaceful world.
Prof. Dr. Tineke Lambooy LL.M. (Professor Corporate Law and Corporate Social Responsibility at Nyenrode Business University) supports, from Nyenrode University, the initiative by conducting research and by taking part in the organisation of the conference in Accra. She explains: “With a view to preserving biodiversity in Africa, increasing the area of forest plantations is of great importance, since this creates corridors for wild life. In addition, planting forests is of crucial importance to fight erosion, desertification and climate change.”
That the importance of the reforestation goes far beyond planting trees, is also endorsed by Hendry Djombo, Minister of Economic Affairs in Congo: “If the Congo Basin is not well managed, the land will become degraded and turn into grassland, and then the desert will take over the whole of Africa,” he said in Paris.