Strategies for Managing Tropical Rainforests:
Sustainable management = using goods and services in a way that makes them available for future
generations → takes at 3 levels: international, national and local
● Rainforest needs to be managed sustainably in order to protect goods and services
○ Conservation = natural resources can still be used , but must be used sustainably
○ Protection = environment should remain untouched , humans shouldn’t interfere
■ Allow ecosystems to find their own balance
International level:
● Inter-government agreements on hardwoods and endangered species
○ Harwood = general term for wood from certain tree species which is used to make furniture
■ High demand for hardwood = tropical hardwood trees are become rarer
■ International agreements are put in place to reduce trade of hardwood trees
○ eg/ International Tropical Timber Agreement (2006) restricts trade in hardwoods
■ High prices paid for hardwoods has encouraged illegal logging
● Occurs in remote areas of the rainforest
■ Agreement restricts felling of hardwood timber to timber in sustainably managed forests
● Timber is marked with a registration number
● Debt reduction by HICs
○ Most countries with tropical rainforests are LICs or NEEs → may have large debts
■ Resulting from overseas aid and loans
○ Debt-for-nature swaps are arranged
■ eg/ in 2010, USA signed an agreement to convert Brazilian debt of £13.5 million to a fund to
protect the rainforest
○ Schemes known as debt reduction → HICs write off debts for LICs
● Conservation and education by NGOs
○ NGO = non-governmental organisation (WWF, World Land Trust etc)
■ Rely on volunteers and donations
■ Operate anywhere in the world with threatened ecosystems
○ Promote conservation → education in schools
○ Provides training for conservation workers
○ Provides practical help for sustainable programmes
○ Buy threatened areas and create nature reserves there
National level:
● National governments have powers to pass laws to achieve a balance between protection and development
of tropical rainforests
○ Create protected areas or reserves and stop abuse by developers
○ Making subjects (eg/ ecology) compulsory in schools
■ Few governments are willing to slow down economic development
■ Unwilling to enforce and monitor laws to protect rainforest
Local level:
● Sustainability actions start at a local level → emphasises the importance of local actions
○ Respecting the environment and cultures of local people
○ Using traditional skills and knowledge
○ Giving people control over their land and lives
○ Generating income for local people
○ Using appropriate technology
■ Machines and equipment that are cheap, easy to maintain and eco-friendly
Actions in areas with logging :
○ Selective logging
■ Felling trees only when they are fully grown
■ Letting younger trees mature to protect ground from erosion
■ Involves a cycle lasting between 30 and 40 years
● If only a few trees are taken → overall forest structure won’t change
○ Stopping illegal logging
■ Satellites and drones can help monitor this
○ Agroforestry
■ Allowing crops to be grown in carefully controlled cleared areas within the rainforest
■ Planting rainforest trees on plantations outside the rainforest to replace the trees lost
○ Replanting
■ Project REGUA (Atlantic rainforest, Brazil) → created a forest cover almost like the original
■ Collecting seeds from remaining patches of primary forest and growing seeds
■ Saplings planted back into deforested areas
Actions in untouched areas:
○ Ecotourism = responsible travel to natural areas that:
■ Conserves the environment
■ Sustains wellbeing of local people
■ Aims to educate visitors and increase understanding/appreciation of nature
○ Minimises damage to the environment but still benefits local people
■ Small number of visitors allowed at a time
■ Provides a source of income
■ Raises awareness of conservation issues → brings in more money for conservation
○ If local people are employed in tourism → they don’t have to log/farm to make money
■ Fewer trees are cut down
○ eg/ ecotourism in Costa Rica
■ Largest source of income
■ Has led to 21% of the country being protected from development