Ventajas

CANADIAN CAPABILITIES AND COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS TO CANADA

Canada is a world leader in forestry and conservation. More than
10 per cent of the world's forests are within our borders. Our
forested watersheds hold 20 per cent of the world's fresh water.
The forests are also of great cultural significance to Canada's
native peoples and are considered as an importantpart of our
national heritage by all Canadians. In the Canadian economy,
775,000 jobs - or one job in every 16 - is forest-dependent, while
about 15 per cent of the value of all manufacturing comes from
forest products. In 1993, these products accounted for more than
$26 billion in export earnings, over 20 per cent of total earnings
and by far our most important export. More than 350single-industry towns are dependent on the forest industry, and
scores of other communities rely on forest-based recreation as
their principal economic activity. Tourism and recreation
associated with our forests are important both economically as an
industry and socially as Canadians' preferred form of relaxation
and leisure. The forests moderate local extremes in climate and
help cleanse the airwe breathe.

As the leading trading nation in forest products and one of the
principal forest nations of the world, Canada has a responsibility
to be active in the global issues of forest product trade,
conservation of biodiversity, climate change, sustainable forest
management and research. How these issues are resolved affects
the very fabric of Canadian society, with enormous impacts onour
economy. Being active internationally through our official
development assistance program increases Canada's leverage to
promote our national strategic interests. As a forestry
superpower, Canada is looked to by developing countries for
leadership and assistance in finding sustainable solutions for
the future of the global forests. This is never more true than in
the issues raised byimplementing of the conventions on
biodiversity and climate change, to which Canada is a signatory.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF FORESTRY IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?

It is estimated that more than 500 million people live in, or on
the periphery of, the world's tropical forests. Typically, they
are among the least privileged groups in society. Forestry and
conservation programs provide theopportunity to address not only
the critical natural resource and environmental challenges facing
developing countries, but at the same time, the serious
socio-economic problems of rural peoples. Sound forest management
and agroforestry provide opportunities to generate employment and
income by: - manufacturing commercial forest products, - meeting
household energy needs with firewood and charcoal, -managing
soils for more productive agriculture and increased food security,
- enhancing fodder production for livestock by planting
multipurpose trees and - ensuring sustained flows of water for
drinking and irrigation through watershed management.

The single most important action that can be taken to conserve the
world's dwindling biodiversity is to conserve the forests. They
are thehabitat for the vast number of plant and animal species
for which the tropical forests are justly famous. Managing large
blocks of natural forest maintains stable temperature and rainfall
regimes of local climates, while both plantations and natural
forests can sequester atmospheric carbon to counteract global
warming.

CANADIAN CAPABILITIES AND COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

Compared to othercountries and other sectors, the Canadian
forestry and conservation sector is well positioned to meet the
challenges of international aid delivery in the 21st century. It
has strong capabilities in the private and public sectors to
address the multisectoral issues facing the peoples and their
environments in developing countries.

Human Resources: Over the past 40 years, Canadian professionals...