Ten staff at Vanuatu’s forestry department are receiving training to carry out a forest inventory on the country’s largest island, Santo. Source: Radio New Zealand
The trainer is Bjoern Hecht from German agency for International Co-operation who is also a Pacific regional advisor on the UN’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation program.
The last forest inventory in Santo was conducted in 1991, which Mr Hecht said makes it outdated.
He said it was important for Vanuatu that it knows the full make-up of its forests. There is, for example, a Forestry Act. But it is very hard for Forestry to enforce this Act.
The other thing is, the people own the land and they use the forest in the way they want it and need it.
So when you know how much forest you have, you can help the people in using their forests in their area in a sustainable way as well.
