on track

BEIJING -- China's surging demand for wood spurred by its rapid economic growth threatens to have a devastating impact on forests around the world, the WWF warned in a report Tuesday.

China has become a major importer of timber and pulp from countries like Russia, Malaysia and Indonesia and is now one of the major destinations for wood that may be illegally harvested or traded, the conservation group said.

In a new report entitled "Chinas Wood Market, Trade and the Environment", it said the countries China imports from are all struggling with problems such as over-harvesting, conservation of natural forests and illegal logging.

"While the average Chinese citizen uses 17 times less wood than a person in the United States, China's wood imports have dramatically increased over the past 10 years and will continue to do so to meet the demand of the country's huge population and rapid economic growth," WWF said.

While construction and regional development programs aimed at boosting economic development are increasing China's consumption of wood, its forest preservation programs are limiting domestic harvesting, the report said.

"Measures taken by the Chinese government to protect its forests -- including a ban on logging -- after the 1998 devastating Yangtze River flooding have resulted in a significant drop in China's domestic wood production," it said.

The country's forests and plantations will provide less than half of China's expected total industrial wood demand by 2010.

According to China's forestry administration, the country legally imported 25.5 million cubic meters of timber in 2003, the latest figures available.

With the liberalization of timber market trade, China's policies have effectively limited domestic wood production while encouraging imports of wood and wood products, it said.

"But logging bans in China should not lead to forest loss in other parts of the world," said WWF International director general Claude Martin.

"Decisive action is needed to ensure that supply chains leading to or through China begin with well-managed forests."

WWF said that China could cut its reliance on imports by developing environmentally-friendly wood production in its forests where logging is banned.

It also suggested that incentives are created to improve the efficiency of wood production and use, and to reduce the waste of timber.

The report called on governments worldwide to take measures to promote imports of wood from well-managed forests by implementing responsible procurement policies.

It also urged the enforcement of policies to prevent the import of products containing illegally-sourced wood.


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