In early September, in the prelude to the World Forestry Congress 2015, representatives of communities, peasant movements, Indigenous Peoples and civil society organisations met to discuss community resilience initiatives and promote solutions to forest and biodiversity conservation. A key outcome was the Durban Declaration on REDD which calls on the international community to stop investments in REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) and instead address the underlying causes of forest loss. The group pointed out that REDD, as a market-based mechanism, commodifies and privatises nature and puts profit above the well being of humanity and the planet. REDD is associated with increased biodiversity loss through deforestation and promotion of monoculture tree plantations, land grabs, human rights violations, and a vilification of forest-dependent communities and their bio-cultural approaches to conservation and restoration.
For more information on the Durban Declaration on REDD, please write to Anabela Lemos of Justice Ambiental: anabela.ja.mz@gmail.com