Strategies for foresters outlined

PNG Forest Research Institute director Prof Simon Saulei says there are two strategies in which foresters can do to address issues relating to climate change and its impacts.
“First is by mitigation, to apply appropriate technology, energy efficiency and use of renewable energy source, reforestation, afforestation and agro forestry under clean development mechanism.
“The second is to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and adopt  measures to minimise or avoid the impacts of climate change,” Prof Saulei said.
He stressed that some of the options for reducing green house gas (GHG) emissions and reducing the impacts on climate change would be better waste management, agricultural and forestry options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or GHG through improved management of agricultural land (eg conservation tillage), conservation and sustainable management of forests, the increase sequestration of carbon dioxide through restoration and afforestation of degraded areas, diverse agro forestry systems and reforestation.
“There are already clear signs of climate change and these changes have already impacted different parts of the globe and have been experienced by different communities,” Prof Saulei said in  climate change briefing  to the University of Technology’s first year forestry students.
Dr Saulei highlighted the role of REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation) not only in the Pacific nations but also around the world.
He said the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defined climate change as a change of climate attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere.