Top officials from the world's three major tropical rainforest regions will meet in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital on Sunday ahead of a summit to boost cooperation between the areas.
The Congo Basin in Central Africa, South America's Amazon Basin and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in South-East Asia make up 80 per cent of the globe's rainforests and contain two-thirds of its biodiversity, experts say.
About 500 decision-makers will take part in the gathering in Brazzaville until June 3.
Organisers said the aim of the inaugural summit was to boost cooperation and sustainable management "... to ensure a greater contribution to the regulation and stabilisation of the planet's climate, to the fight against poverty and the economic development of the countries concerned."
Officials are expected to sign a joint statement on tropical forests, climate and sustainable development ahead of a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa later this year and the Earth Summit 2012, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Source: AFP [May 29, 2011]
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| A lake in the Lefini natural reserve [Credit: AFP/Desirey Minkoh] |
About 500 decision-makers will take part in the gathering in Brazzaville until June 3.
Organisers said the aim of the inaugural summit was to boost cooperation and sustainable management "... to ensure a greater contribution to the regulation and stabilisation of the planet's climate, to the fight against poverty and the economic development of the countries concerned."
Officials are expected to sign a joint statement on tropical forests, climate and sustainable development ahead of a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa later this year and the Earth Summit 2012, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Source: AFP [May 29, 2011]