KHOROG, February 1, 2012, Asia-Plus — Sulaymonbek Saidbekov, forest tenant from the Ishkashim district in Gorno Badakhshan, is one of fifteen finalists of the International Forest Heroes Program and Awards.
Mr. Michael Angermann, manager of the GIZ project, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Gorno Badakhshan, is one of those who nominated Sulaymonbek Saidbekov to participate in the contest.
According to him, Sulaymonbek has made significant contribution to rehabilitation of forests near the village of Hisor in the Ishkashim district.
Nearly 90 percent of forests in Gorno Badakhshan had been cut down in the 1990s due to lack of electricity. “Sulaymonbek Saidbekov has been engaged in rehabilitation and preservation of forests on its own initiative without any remuneration for nearly twenty years,” Mr. Angermann noted.
In 2009, Sulaymonbek proposed application of the GIZ project, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Gorno Badakhshan, to shift forest management tasks to local people. Today, 450 tenants on 2000 hectares of land throughout Hisor rehabilitate forests while generating income from the annual sustainably harvested fuel and construction wood.
All over the world people are working in quiet and heroic ways to sustain, protect and manage our forests. To honor these heroes, the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat launched the first ever International Forest Heroes Program and Awards.
Ninety nominations from forty-one different countries were received. Fifteen finalists throughout five geographic regions – Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America – are in the running for one prestigious award in each region. Their actions embody innovative and grassroots initiatives, tapping into the multiple values of forests.
Winners will be awarded at the closing ceremony for the International Year of Forests in New York on February 9, 2012.
The Forest Heroes Program and Awards aims to: recognize and honor everyday unsung Forest Heroes; inspire people to get involved and take action; provide the Heroes with the visibility to expand the impacts of their work; and promote networking and partnerships between heroes around the world to share knowledge and work together locally, regionally and globally.
Established in October 2000, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a subsidiary body with the main objective to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end based on the Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 and the outcome of the IPF/IFF Processes and other key milestones of international forest policy. The Forum has universal membership, and is composed of all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies.
