Sustainable Forestry Can Create 10 Million Jobs
The United Nations says that at least 10 million “green” jobs could be created worldwide with “sustainable forest management.” The goal of sustainable forestry is to prevent forest depletion by maintaining their health and ensuring their use does not interfere with natural benefits or the local environment.
For example, in forests where wood is removed for human use, the U.N. suggests hiring people to monitor and regulate how much wood is cut down to ensure the forest does not become depleted and doesn’t negatively affect biodiversity and the water supply.
The jobs would especially benefit “regions with substantial rural unemployment and degraded land areas,” said C.T.S. Nair, chief economist in the U.N. Forestry Department. The U.N. is hoping that some countries — such as the United States, India and South Korea — invest in sustainable forest management as part of their economic stimulus plans.