The Role of Forest Conservation Laws in Climate Change Mitigation

INTRODUCTION

Climate change is one of the most challenging issues of our time, with potentially devastating and far-reaching effects on ecosystems, economies, and societies. Of all the available strategies for mitigating climate change—and indeed of all the earth’s ecosystems—forest conservation is perhaps the most immediately essential because no other land-based ecosystem can equal forests in their power to extract carbon dioxide (CO₂), a major greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere. Forests are unparalleled reservoirs of carbon, both in standing biomass and locked away in soils, where it acts as a storehouse during periods when atmospheric CO₂ levels are high. To ensure that forests continue to play this climatic role through effective forest conservation laws, we explore how such laws might contribute to climate change mitigation, as well as some challenges and possible legal reforms that might enhance their effectiveness.

FOREST AS CARBON SINKS

Forests occupy 31% of the Earth’s land area and are really important for the health of our planet. They act as lungs of the Earth and absorb about 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (one-third of the CO₂ released from burning fossil fuels), trapping carbon in their biomass and in the soil, causing to photosynthesis, in which trees (especially) and some other vegetation use the sun’s energy to convert CO₂ into oxygen and glucose.[1]

The carbon sequestration potential of forests depends on several factors, such as the type of forest, its age, and its health. Tropical forests are some of the most productive carbon sinks in the world because they are so lush and they have a year-long growing season. But when tropical forests are cut down or disturbed through logging or fires, their carbon-storing potential can be significantly diminished, often with the release of very large stores of carbon that have built up over centuries or even millennia.

ROLE OF FOREST CONSERVATION LAWS

Conservation laws on forests are put to prevent them from being degraded and eventually destroyed with unsustainable exploitation of forest ecosystems. The rules can be in the form of regulations, policies, or other agreements, either local, national, or international. This is how it helps mitigate climate change:

Preventing deforestation and degradation

GHG emissions are largely driven by deforestation, which takes place through the expansion of agriculture, logging, and development of infrastructure. Efforts made towards forest conservation do have an impact on reducing the scale of deforestation because such laws also place limits on these activities. For example, laws can forbid deforestation in certain protected areas, ensure the practice of sustainable logging, and control land-use conversion.[2]

National parks, and wildlife reserves, among others, are protected areas that guarantee the existence of forest cover. Conserved areas guarantee legal status, hence guaranteeing that no destructive activities on forest cover are authorized by governments. More so, logging should be done sustainably, with much regulation by acts and certifications, to ensure an ecological balance that will directly ensure the continued growth of forests.[3]

Promoting Sustainable Forest Management

Forest conservation laws encompass sustainable forest management practices. It aims at achieving a balance between the ecological, economic, and social functions so that forests remain useful to the present and future generations. Some of the key principles of SFM are: to maintain biodiversity; and to protect soils and water resources while keeping the capacity for carbon sequestration.[4]

SFM can be promoted through forest conservation legislation that sets standards and lays down directives for the management of forests. Standards may include selectively logged, clear-cutting limits, prescriptions for replanting, and protection of endangered species. Based on this guidance, forest managers ensure that the effects of logging and other activities are minimal for the forest ecosystem to stay healthy and hence protect its carbon storage function.[5]

Promotion of Reforestation and Afforestation

Reforestation and afforestation are some of the most significant ways of enhancing carbon sequestration. Reforestation means the process of the establishment of trees on deforested or degraded lands, whereas afforestation is the establishment of forests on lands that were not formerly forested. Both aspects hold remarkable potential in increasing carbon storage in a particular area.[6]

Many other laws on forest conservation either mandate the carrying out of reforestation and afforestation activities or provide incentives for the same. Governments may offer landowners and communities financial incentives, technical assistance, and even regulatory support as rewards for such best intentions. Indeed, for financing under the United Nations REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiative, the reforestation and afforestation of land in developing countries are at the heart of the requirements.[7]

Protecting biodiversity

The biodiversity in the forests gives it resilience and stability in the forest ecosystems. A diverse forest is resilient to disturbance by pests, diseases, or changes in climate and can recover from such disturbances. Protection of forest biodiversity through conservation legislation sustains the integrity of forests and maintains their functionality as carbon sinks.[8]

These laws may be in regard to endangered species protection, preservation of critical habitats, and maintenance of ecosystem services. Through biodiversity conservation, forest conservation laws ensure that forests are healthy and are in a good state to continue serving the purpose of carbon sequestration for a long period.[9]

CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING FOREST CONSERVATION LAWS

Despite their importance, forest conservation laws are bound to encounter several challenges, which greatly hamper their effectiveness. These include:

Enforcement Issues

Weak enforcement mechanisms and resources are significant challenges to the practical application of laws on conservation. For example, the agencies for enforcement may lack adequate resources in terms of funds, personnel, and technology to effectively monitor and enforce the laws in developing countries. Corruption and illegality, like illegal logging, add to the complexity of enforcement.[10]

It should now increase the mechanisms of enforcement to manage these matters. This can be realized by increasing funding for conservation agencies, improving the training and capacity of enforcement personnel, and using modern technology like satellite monitoring and drones for monitoring and prevention of illegal activities.[11]

Conflicting Interests

Economic pressures and competing interests in land use are, perhaps, major threats to forest conservation. Some of the common alternatives or competitors to forest conservation are agriculture, mining, and infrastructure. Indeed, in many countries, the short-term economic gains associated with logging and land conversion may become more appealing than the long-term benefits that could otherwise be secured from forest conservation.[12]

This requires integrated land-use planning and the promotion of sustainable alternatives that ensure the balancing of such diverse interests. Policymakers need to take into account the ecological, economic, and social values of forests and hence develop strategies in which the conservation targets are harmonized with development needs. It may be through encouraging agroforestry, eco-tourism, and any other form of livelihood able to offer some economic return while at the same time upholding the integrity of the forest ecosystem.[13]

Lack of Community Involvement

For forest conservation to be effective, it has to involve local communities. In most cases, indigenous and local communities have very useful knowledge and experience in the sustainable management of forest resources. Still, many of the laws regulating conservation do not take into account their needs and rights properly, thus causing opposition and conflict.[14]

To effectively have conservation legislation, what is important is engagement and empowerment of local communities. This will call for recognition and protection of traditional knowledge and land rights, active participation of indigenous and local communities in decision-making, and access to resources and Capacity Building needed to exercise their role in the conservation process.[15]

Climate Change Impacts

However, climate change is one of the threats to forests in and of itself. Rising temperatures, changed precipitation patterns, and increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events all can take their toll on forest health and productivity. For example, warmer temperatures and extended droughts can make forests more susceptible to wildfires, pests, and pathogens.

These are emerging challenges against which forest conservation laws must be adaptive. This can be achieved through the provision of mechanisms in the conservation plan for developing climate resilience by facilitating the planting of climate-resilient tree species, including fire management practices, and improving monitoring and management of pests and diseases.

THE WAY FORWARD

There are a number of ways through which the role of forest conservation laws in mitigating climate change can be enhanced:

Strengthening Enforcement

The enhancement of the capacity of enforcement agencies, increasing transparency, and use of technology such as satellite monitoring are able to improve compliance with the laws on conservation. For instance, satellite imagery could be used to establish real-time monitoring of forest cover, hence issuing early warnings and detection of illegal logging activities for prompt enforcement actions.

In addition, transparency and accountability of the enforcement process should be encouraged in order to build public trust and support for conservation. This can be achieved by developing mechanisms for reporting and addressing corruption, ensuring that enforcement activities are undertaken equitably and without bias, and engaging civil society organizations in monitoring and oversight activities.

Its integration with local communities:

This can only be realized by involving local communities in conservation efforts and taking their traditional knowledge and rights into consideration. This is because community-based forest management approaches have shown a lot of potential in most regions to manage forest resources.

CBFM approaches may be underpinned by various means, such as through the legal recognition and protection of community land rights, technical and financial support for the practice of sustainable forest management activities, and participatory platforms for meaningful involvement in decision-making processes. By developing a sense of ownership and responsibility, CBFM can increase the effectiveness of conservation laws and foster long-term forest stewardship.

Balancing Development and Conservation

Policymakers have to walk a fine line between developing the economy and preserving forests. In practice, this means integrated land-use planning and promoting alternatives sustainably. Agroforestry, for example, which joins trees with agricultural crops, has many benefits associated with it, from augmenting carbon sequestration to improving soil fertility and diversified livelihood sources among farmers.[16]

Another sustainable alternative that has the potential to derive economic benefits while promoting forest conservation is eco-tourism. It can provide incentives for the protection and management of forest resources on a sustainable level by attracting tourists to witness the value of natural beauty and biodiversity associated with forests.[17]

International Cooperation

Global problems such as climate change and deforestation can only be solved by cooperation at the global level. This is where international agreements can take the lead in aligning conservation across borders. The Paris Agreement signed in 2015 already included REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), an initiative that would offer financial incentives to developing nations if they took up forest conservation efforts[18].

Besides international agreements, cross-border collaboration and knowledge-sharing can foster effective forest conservation. This can be in terms of best practice sharing, joint research and monitoring, and coordination in addressing transboundary issues such as illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.

Adaptive Management

Conservation laws must be resilient to continued ecosystem change and new challenges arising under climate change. Adaptive management means continuous monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness, with readjustments whenever necessary.

In each case, for the implementation of adaptive management, robust monitoring and evaluation systems need to be established, tracking key indicators of forest health and carbon sequestration. This could involve remote sensing technologies, field surveys, and engaging local communities in data collection and monitoring activities.

CONCLUSION

Forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change through their carbon sequestration role. There needs to be effective forest conservation legislation to offer protection from deforestation and degradation, promote sustainable management, encourage reforestation and afforestation, and biodiversity conservation.

The latter, however, is faced with effectiveness challenges resulting from weak enforcement, conflicting land-use interests, lack of community involvement, and impacts of climate change. These would call for strengthening in enforcement, involving local communities, striking a balance between development and conservation, fostering international cooperation, and adopting adaptive management practices.

In sum, the conservation legislation of forests is very critical in mitigation ways to reduce GHG emissions and ensure sustainability from the general perspective. However, overcoming the challenges in this regard through the collaboration of stakeholders in assuring effective implementation will heavily depend on the success factor. Strengthening and refinement of forest laws are vital in protecting forests and their role in climate stability.

Reference(s):

[1] FAO, “Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2020.

[2] IPCC, “Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report,” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014.

[3] Geist, H.J., & Lambin, E.F., “Proximate causes and underlying driving forces of tropical deforestation,” BioScience, vol. 52, no. 2, 2002, pp. 143-150.

[4] ITTO, “Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management,” International Tropical Timber Organization, 2005.

[5] McDermott, C.L., “REDDuced: From sustainability to legality to units of carbon—The search for common interests in international forest governance,” Environmental Science & Policy, vol. 14, no. 2, 2011, pp. 138-146.

[6] Nabuurs, G.J., et al., “Forestry,” in Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, 2007.

[7] Angelsen, A., et al., “Analyzing REDD+: Challenges and choices,” Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), 2012.

[8] Thompson, I., et al., “Forest resilience, biodiversity, and climate change: A synthesis of the biodiversity/resilience/stability relationship in forest ecosystems,” Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2009.

[9] Dudley, N., et al., “Forest biodiversity and climate change,” in Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Technical Series no. 43, 2010.

[10] Tacconi, L., “Illegal logging: Law enforcement, livelihoods and the timber trade,” Earthscan, 2007.

[11] Kaimowitz, D., & Angelsen, A., “Economic models of tropical deforestation: A review,” Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), 1998.

[12] Geist, H.J., & Lambin, E.F., “What drives tropical deforestation?” LUCC Report Series no. 4, 2001.

[13] Sayer, J., et al., “Ten principles for a landscape approach to reconciling agriculture, conservation, and other competing land uses,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 110, no. 21, 2013, pp. 8349- 8356.

[14] Agrawal, A., & Ostrom, E., “Collective action, property rights, and devolution of forest and protected area management,” in Meinzen-Dick, R., et al. (eds.), “Innovation in natural resource management: The role of property rights and collective action in developing countries,” Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.

[15] Colfer, C.J.P., & Capistrano, D., “The politics of decentralization: Forests, power, and people,” Earthscan, 2005.

[16] Chhatre, A., & Agrawal, A., “Trade-offs and synergies between carbon storage and livelihood benefits from forest commons,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 106, no. 42, 2009, pp. 17667-17670.

[17] Weaver, D.B., “The encyclopedia of ecotourism,” CABI Publishing, 2001.

[18] UNFCCC, “Paris Agreement,” United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2015.