-The United Nations   Urgent action to better manage the genetic diversity of forests - under pressure from climate change, exploitation and conversion for other uses - is needed to ensure that the benefits they provide will survive, the United Nations said in a first-of-its-kind report released today. "Forests provide food, goods and services which are essential to the survival and well-being of all humanity," Eduardo Rojas-Briales, Assistant Director-General for Forestry at...

-Down to Earth   India needs second-generation reforms in environmental governance to protect environment and community rights and reduce transaction costs for industry After more than two years of flip-flops by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), the Supreme Court (SC) gave a deadline of April 30, this year to the ministry to start the process of setting up a national environmental regulator under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, with offices...

-BBC   Forced labour generates illegal profits of at least $150bn (£90bn; 110bn euros) a year, a study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) says. The profits are far higher than previous estimates and the ILO wants governments to tackle the problem. Some 21 million people worldwide are in forced labour, it says, with migrant workers most vulnerable. Over half of all forced labourers work in Asia, with 18% in Africa and almost 10% in...

-PTI   NEW DELHI: The Centre is planning to conduct an exclusive socio-economic survey of the people living in and around forest areas to bring forth the role of forest products and ecosystem in their lifestyle. The Union environment and forests ministry says the exercise is necessary to assess the dependence of villagers on forests for livelihood, especially in the perspective of lifestyle change. "The survey shall entail collecting information on socio-economic status of...

-Down to Earth MoEF’s draft policy aims to create the framework for transferring financial benefits from REDD+ to local communities involved in protecting and nurturing forests The Indian government is finally making official the mechanism for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, popularly known as REDD+. On April 28, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has made public its draft policy to implement the mechanism that aims to provide...