In a forest tucked along the Mekong basin, a lone rosewood tree fills a vast empty space. Decades of illegal logging and overexploitation have pushed the tree species to “critically endangered” status. Some estimates suggest that less than 20 per cent of Asian rosewood remain in the wild, and just a quarter of these are protected.
Rosewood, known for its dark red colour and dense bark, is traditionally used to make furniture and is worth tens of thousands of dollars per cubic metre. Demand for this furniture remains nearly insatiable, placing great pressure on forests in the Mekong basin.
To drive more sustainable consumer behaviour and protect rosewood trees, the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and the UN-REDD Programme lead the “Forest for Life” campaign. The campaign uses positive messaging and imagery to link individual actions with the benefits of keeping forests standing.
On the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, this campaign demonstrates the positive impacts of protecting ecosystems on human health and the economy.
“To bring sustainability to the fore, we need to be able to communicate the connections between the environment, society and the economy. Forests are essential for climate, nature and people; without forests, we cannot survive,” says Mario Boccucci, the head of the UN-REDD Programme secretariat. “Every day, people can choose products and materials that do no harm to forest and nature.”
Whole cycle approach
The “Forest for Life” campaign has reached over 230 million people, and UNEP Goodwill Ambassadors, including Li Bingbing, have shared messages on how embracing sustainability can support forest protection and restoration. Across the Lower Mekong region, countries like Thailand, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia and Viet Nam are developing similar campaigns to target illegal logging and trade of rosewood.
Yet demand for rosewood is still increasing. According to UNEP’s 2022 multi-country survey on forest crime, nine out of 10 consumers in China indicated that they would purchase rosewood furniture in the next year, compared with 70 per cent the year before.
The campaign appeals to Chinese consumers to opt for eco-friendly options, like bamboo or reclaimed wood to help protect forests and restore rosewood. It works with local artists and designers to come up with creative alternatives with the same aesthetic look and feel of rosewood.
It also encourages a whole cycle approach, which takes into account logging, transportation, export and import, the markets, and consumer behaviour. The aim is to support the growing market for sustainable, certified wood products and incentivize businesses to shift towards more ethical and sustainable practices.
Mindful changes in consumer habits
“A mindful change in consumer habits of young people could create ripples of change in the rosewood furniture industry and market and, to a larger extent, to the forests of the Lower Mekong region,” says Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.
This change may already be taking root.
“When choosing furniture, the (younger generation is) more likely to look beyond what is traditionally beautiful to what is practical,” says Yang Meng, an interior designer in China. “They are also more likely to be persuaded to choose wood from more sustainable sources.”
In Beijing, a young woman clad in a bright red dress performs a dance to raise awareness of rosewood. Her hands sway with grace and elegance, mimicing the branches of the tree. Shao Lei, a dancer, is part of a new trend of youth activism to protect forests.
“We must protect rosewood now,” she says. “These trees are part of our rich cultural tradition, and it will be a huge loss to us and to future generations if they disappear.”
Shao plans to further support the campaign by visiting schools and performing rosewood-inspired dance choreographies to educate younger people on the value of the trees.
Alekseeva is highly encouraged by the growing youth engagement:
“Through collaboration and by building upon youth action, we can still restore and bring rosewood back to the forests where they belong.”
Global momentum
The UN-REDD programme works with governments in the Lower Mekong to ensure sustainable and legal trade of forest resources. It has initiated forest certification schemes in Cambodia and Lao PDR and supported the Lao government to conduct a forest inventory resulting in the publishing on zero quota for rosewood exports. These initiatives could also address spillover effects on other regions.
Government policies work hand-in-hand with the campaign. The Chinese government has been making increased efforts to regulate rosewood trade, guided by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In Thailand, government regulations incentivize rosewood plantations, in addition to using camera traps, drones and remote sensing images to crack down on illegal logging and trade. Cambodia and Lao PDR further designated special protected areas solely for rosewood.
The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) will help countries integrate biodiversity conservation into their policies and decision-making processes. It aims to to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030
by tackling overexploitation and pollution, transforming our food systems, and closing the finance gap for nature.
Focusing on implementation is the theme of this year’s Biodiversity Day. Stakeholders are encouraged to launch or raise awareness of their actions to implement the GBF.
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. A global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
About UN-REDD
The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD) is the flagship UN knowledge and advisory platform on forest solutions to the climate crisis. Building on the convening capacity and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNEP, UN-REDD is the largest international provider of REDD+ assistance, helping its 65 partner countries protect their forests and achieve their climate goals.
