GMES to play key role in forest conservation
The European Commission has said that its Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative will play a key role in future forest conservation through the monitoring of forest cover and other environmental data. A Commission spokesperson said that the GMES system, part of the forthcoming sixth Framework programme, would be ideally suited to initiatives such as the recent satellite survey of global forest cover carried out by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The UN survey found that mankind has destroyed more forest cover than was previously thought, with 80 per cent of the world's most important forests now concentrated in just 15 countries and some of these had overestimated their forested land. Canada for example had claimed that 45 per cent of its land was forested - the UNEP survey found that the real figure is in fact 37 per cent. Russia is the most heavily forested country, followed by Canada, Brazil, America, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, India, Australia and Papua New Guinea. 'Monitoring of the environment is one possible use for this new system [GMES]. It would be very suitable for this kind of research and verification,' the spokesperson said. She also said that GMES will improve on current techniques for combating agricultural fraud by allowing more accurate observation and measurement of crops. GMES information could also be used to support environmental protection initiatives and scientific research, and help with the monitoring and prevention of natural disasters and flooding. She also added that the satellite data provided could also be used to monitor population growth and distribution and the effects of war. The UN's findings will dismay environmental campaigners concerned about the role of deforestation in global climate change and the loss of endangered species. Crucially, however, the survey also found that pressure from the surrounding population on many of the remaining forest areas is low. The UN Environment Programme believes that targeting scarce conservation funds on these key countries may hold the key to preserving the world's forests for future generations. The GMES initiative, currently in its first phase (2001 to 2003), aims to support EU sustainable development and global strategic policy by providing independent satellite data on environment and security issues.