Why is it in the news?
- The 59th Council session of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) has concluded.
- The session’s objective was to promote sustainable tropical forest management activities and ensure the trade of sustainably produced tropical timber.
More about the news
- Tropical forests are a significant source of tropical timber, which includes logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, and plywood.
- Tropical forests account for 45% of all forests and are located between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
- Major tropical forests include the Amazon rainforest and the Congo Basin.
- Tropical timber is used in construction (houses, railway sleepers, piers, and jetties), as fuel (domestic and industrial), and for the production of paper and synthetic textile fabrics like Rayon.
- Major threats to sources of tropical timber include deforestation due to land use change, illegal logging, and wood fuel collection, as well as forest degradation caused by wildfires and climate change.
Initiatives related to Tropical Timber
| Initiative | Description |
| International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) 2006 | An international agreement promoting the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests. |
| ITTO’s Strategic Action Plan for 2022-2026 | A strategic plan outlining actions and goals for promoting sustainable tropical forest management. |
| ITTO/Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity | Collaboration to enhance biodiversity in tropical forests in alignment with CBD objectives. |
| Intergovernmental Panel and Forum on Forests (UNCED, 1992) | A forum established by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to discuss and address global forest-related issues. |
Top of Form
| About ITTO
· The International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. · ITTO has been working as an intergovernmental organization since 1987 and focuses on promoting the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests. · ITTO has 75 members, including producing and consuming countries, as well as the European Union. · India is a producing member of ITTO. |
