Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development ... - IAEA Publications

ENV6: Rate of deforestation attributed to energy useBrief DefinitionUnitsAlternative DefinitionsAgenda 21Annual change in the amount of natural andplantation forest area tracked over time that couldbe attributed to using wood as a fuel for energypurposesPercentageRatio of fuelwood deforestation rate to totaldeforestation rateChapter 11: Combating deforestationPOLICY RELEVANCE(a) Purpose: The purpose of this indicator is to show a change in the area covered bythe forest formations of a country over time that could be attributed to using wood forenergy needs.(b) Relevance to Sustainable Development: Forests serve multiple ecological,socio-economic and cultural roles in many countries. They are among the mostdiverse and widespread ecosystems of the world. Forests provide many significantresources, including wood products, recreational opportunities and habitat forwildlife, and serve many important functions, such as filtering pollutants and playinga role in water and soil conservation. They support employment and traditional uses,as well as biodiversity. There is general concern about the human impact on foresthealth and the natural processes of forest growth and regeneration. It is estimated that,between 1980 and 1990, the global forest area declined by 180 million hectares (ha),with a further decline of 56 million ha from 1990 to 1995. Combating deforestation tomaintain the production of fuelwood and other non-fuel wood and to preserve soils,water, air and biological diversity is explicitly considered in Agenda 21.Deforestation, in particular due to fuelwood harvest, is seen as a major issue indeveloping countries. The issue is of less concern in developed countries, where thearea volume of fuelwood consumption is negligible.The availability of accurate data on a country’s forest area, which is a basic indicationof its forest resources, is an essential requirement for forest policymaking andplanning within the context of sustainable development.(c) International Conventions and Agreements: Many international agreementsexist encouraging countries to maintain or increase their forested areas. Specific forestagreements include the Non-Legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles fora Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Developmentof All Types of Forests (the Forest Principles of the United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development [UNCED]) and the International Tropical TimberAgreement. Many other international agreements deal with forests within the contextof natural resources and environment conservation; for example, the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), theConvention on the Conservation of Wetlands of International Importance Especiallyas Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), the Convention on Biological Diversity,the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the112