Is it possible for the Andamans to benefit from this? MM

> GEF TO LAUNCH TROPICAL FOREST ACCOUNT FOR WORLD'S LAST GREAT TROPICAL
> FORESTS
>
> Action needed as threats mount for The Amazon, Congo Basin, New Guinea and
> Borneo
>
> Bali, December 8, 2007 ?The world?s largest environmental funding body,
> the
> Global Environment Facility (GEF), said it plans to launch the Tropical
> Forest
> Account Initiative which will help safeguard forest ecosystems while
> strengthening sustainable financing for protected areas and for
> sustainable
> forest management.
>
> ?The window to save the last remaining functioning expanses of tropical
> forests,
> which are responsible for the delivery of crucial global environmental
> services,
> is closing fast,? said Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson.
>
> "GEF is teaming up with its partner agencies, governments, business and
> civil
> society to address this challenge head on. GEF?s investments are also
> expected
> to encourage more robust financing from private investors looking to build
> environmentally-friendly forest markets."
>
> GEF would fund projects to stop deforestation in 17 countries of the
> Amazon,
> Congo Basin, New Guinea and Borneo. Tropical deforestation is on the rise,
> and
> is now responsible for over 20 percent of global CO2 emissions. The fate
> of
> tropical forests is also intimately tied to the future of biodiversity, as
> these
> forests harbor over one half of all global biodiversity. Habitat loss in
> tropical forests threatens 74% of endangered mammals, 44% of endangered
> birds,
> 57% of endangered amphibians, and 67% of endangered reptiles.
>
> Each of the GEF-targeted areas has over 8 million hectares of wet
> broadleaf
> forests, and they collectively harbor an astonishing 54% of tropical
> forest
> cover and 68% of tropical forest carbon. More than 70% of the forest
> remains
> intact, but man-made threats are mounting quickly.
>
> By focusing on large, intact tropical forest, the GEF can invest in
> relatively
> low cost, proactive ways to prevent deforestation in countries where
> forest
> cover is high. Intervening in these areas now is much more cost effective
> than
> trying to reverse damage in already deforested areas.
>
> "GEF's investment will fund the strengthening and sustainable financing of
> protected area networks, the introduction of effective policy and
> regulatory
> frameworks for mainstreaming forest conservation in development sectors,
> and
> also the fostering of markets for forest goods and services," Barbut said.
>
> The GEF values the role that tropical forests play in providing global and
> local
> environmental benefits. In addition to conserving global biodiversity, and
> providing spiritual and cultural havens for local and remote populations,
> these
> forests are vital for sustainable development in each and all of these
> countries.
>
>
> About the GEF
>
> The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a 178 member-strong
> international financing body devoted to global environmental issues that
> support
> sustainable development. GEF grants flow to projects in developing
> countries
> related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land
> degradation,
> the ozone layer and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has
> achieved
> a strong track record with developing countries and countries with
> economies in
> transition, providing $7.4 billion in grants and leveraging $28 billion in
> co-financing for over 1,800 projects in over 150 countries.
>
> Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), GEF has also made more than
> 7,000
> small grants, up to $50,000 each, directly to nongovernmental
> organizations
> and
> community organizations.
>
> Contact in Bali: Maureen Lorenzetti, spokesperson: mlorenzetti@...
>
> Bali mobile: 08170819433
>