Activity 4

Q. HOW CAN THE RAINFOREST BE MANAGED SUSTAINABLY?

Key Questions:

1. What is sustainabilty?
2. What is logging?
3. What products come from the rainforests?

4. Who takes the profits from its products?

Did you know?

• 45% of the original forest cover in Africa has been lost – four million hectares are destroyed each year.
• the two main causes of deforestation are shifting cultivation and commercial logging.
• trees in tropical rainforests can grow as high as 60 metres.
• commercial loggers damage 4.5 million hectares of the world’s rain forest each year.
• global trade in timber is worth more than €5 billion.

'Products of the rainforest'

Discuss the following questions:

What are they doing? 

What are they going to do with the timber? 

Who buys the timber? 

Who do you think will benefit from this?

Your Task

Hi everyone! It's me again, Raynard Foresta. As you know, I am particularly concerned about the disappearance of the rainforests.  Last week I attended a public meeting called by the government of Ghana to discuss a proposed new logging operation.  I would like each group to take on a role and take part in a debate on the issue.  You must research your particular role and make some notes that you can present at the debate.  

Your roles are as follows:
The Pygmies - Government Official
The Huli - Timber Company Directer
The Yanomani - Environmental Organisation Rep
The Ashanti - Local Person FOR logging
The Kayapo - Local Person AGAINST logging
The Yekuana - Government Official

Description of Roles:

Government official You believe that developing the logging industry will create the money needed to buy essentials such as petrol, medicine, manufactured goods, etc and to pay off debts to foreign banks. It will provide work for local people and help develop a more advanced economy.

Timber company director You can help the country by providing roads, employment and electricity for local people. Your company will produce cheap goods for export which will help earn the country money. You need to expand your logging operations and this project will be particularly lucrative.

Representative of an international environmental organisation You believe the amount of logging which is proposed will lead to a huge loss of plant and animal species. Many medicines depend on extracts from plants found in rain forests. There are also plants and trees which have potential as fruit and vegetable crops. Logging should be controlled to minimise the impact on local wildlife and visitors such as the swallow who depend on the insect life of the forest.

Local person for logging The logging company will give us work, they will build us a new school, bring water supplies and electricity to our homes and a new road.

Local person against logging We will lose our homes and traditional hunting methods which protect both the forest and our people. We will be shifted to new areas and there is no guarantee of work or benefits from the wealth the government will gain from selling our forest.