Christopher Barr, CIFOR senior associate scientist cite in an article review about Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the world’s largest pulp and paper business.

Krystof Obidzinski, CIFOR scientist gives his comment on South-east Asia deforestation rate over the past 20 years. “By the late 1990s, an estimated three million hectares of forest land were being cleared each year, said Dr Krystof Obidzinski at the Centre for International Forestry Research. Decentralised approval of land permits and rampant corruption made it harder to stop runaway forest destruction. Also, large- scale clearing by fire, with its resulting haze, added to the environmental damage.”

The story also appear in Jakarta Globe with title “The Battle to Save Indonesia’s Disappearing Forests”, reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia

Two new reports look at REDD in Cameroon from slightly different perspectives. The first, by the Forest Peoples Programme, focuses on indigenous peoples’ rights in the REDD processes in the country. The second, by CIFOR, looks at context of REDD, including reference scenarios, mechanisms for funding, monitoring, reporting and verification and political reforms.

CIFOR’s Carol J. Pierce Colfer, co-author of the new book Collaborative Governance of Tropical Landscapes, shares the story of how her research team responded when a Lao village participating in targeted research was relocated.

Daniel Murdiyarso, CIFOR climate change senior scientist comments on Norwegian REDD aid to Indonesia goverment. Kerjasama Indonesia-Norwegia dalam moratorium sangat penting untuk mengurangi dampak kerusakan hutan. “Dana itu penting bagi pemerintah untuk belajar cara melestarikan hutan. Dan tidak perlu mencurigai ada kepentingan apapun dari komitmen tersebut,” ujarnya.

CIFOR Director General, Frances Seymour comments on a turning point for deforestation, but high food price. REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), a concrete steps towards for avoided deforestation which would allow companies and countries to claim carbon credits for maintaining trees. But at the same time, record high food prices could reverse all of that progress, if farmers around the world choose to clear forest to make room for more crops. “In my view, 2011 is going to be the critical year,” says Frances Seymour, the director-general of the Center for International Forestry Research. “This is the year we’ll find out whether we’ll be successful or not.”