COUNTRIES IN NEAR EAST NEED TO GROW TREES TO CONTROL DESERTIFICATION, IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT, SAYS FAO

COUNTRIES IN NEAR EAST NEED TO GROW TREES TO CONTROL DESERTIFICATION,

IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT, SAYS FAO

(Reissued as received.)

ROME, 24 May (FAO) -- Countries in the Near East are showing increasing interest in planting trees to improve water quality and increase food security, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)said today.

"Although forest cover is low, afforestation and green landscaping are gaining ground in the Near East, despite harsh climatic conditions", said Hosny El-Lakany, FAO Assistant Director-General for Forestry.

"Planted trees not only help the region to have better quality water, but trees serve as windbreaks and shelterbelts against desertification", he said.

Around 20 countries will discuss the role of forests in food and water security at the FAO Near East Forestry Commission (24-27 May) in Beirut.

Forest cover in the region amounts to around 110 million hectares, equivalent to 5.9 per cent of the land area.

The Sudan accounts for more than half of the total forest area in the region.  For all other countries, forests on the average account for less than 3 per cent of the total land area.

The FAO estimates that 8.3 million hectares are planted forests in the Near East.  Iran and Turkey account for almost half of the total planted forests.  Planted forests represent 5.5 per cent of the region's total forest area.

Forests are important as a source of fuelwood and livestock fodder.  Forests in the region also provide some 2 million cubic metres of wood products and more than $100 million worth of exported non-wood forest products such as gum arabic, cork, pistachios and honey.

Although trees consume water, they eventually contribute to watershed management, regulate water flows and serve as windbreaks and shelterbelts against sand encroachment.

In a region that is the most water scarce in the world with only around 2.2 per cent of global renewable water resources, the sustainable management of forests is key to improving water security and alleviating poverty.

Countries in the Near East currently face an imminent shortage of water and the threat of deforestation as a result of agricultural expansion and urbanization.  The overall forest cover in the Near East declined by slightly less than 1 million hectares per annum in the last decade.  Six countries of the region recorded a drop in forest cover.

An increasing number of countries in the region, including Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, have begun using treated waste water to irrigate forest plantations and greenbelts.

Using treated waste water is essential given the water scarcity in the region.  It is also low in cost and effective to dispose of water and to improve the quality of forest plantations.

The FAO encourages such water use, which poses lower health risks and is socially and environmentally more acceptable than its use for agriculture.

Country representatives will share experiences and ideas in Beirut in using forestry to help meet the increasing demand for water in the region and to fight desertification through tree planting.

For information, contact:  Erwin Northoff, Information Officer, FAO, tel: (+39) 06 5705 3105, e-mail: erwin.northoff@fao.org,

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