Planète Urgence’s commitment to forests preservation

Did you know that tropical forests are home to 90% of all living plant and animal species ? 

Planète Urgence, is an international NGO part of Groupe SOS working to preserve the environment mostly through reforestation, volunteering and awareness-raising programs. It has launched a 2 months awareness-raising campaign “Nos forêts vivantes” (our living forests) from April 21st to June 6th 2022.  

The “Nos forêts vivantes” campaign : raising awareness on the crucial role played by forests  

Through articles, quizzes, podcasts and records of experts, each week, Planète Urgence has proposed a theme associated with a particular link between forests and an element of life: fauna, flora, oceans, soils, climate and finally Human-being. Visit their news blog to read the articles and know more about it ! 

The last key moment of the campaign will be held on 25th and 26th June : you will be able to meet the association at the Good Planet Foundation (Paris) for an immersion in the heart of a forest in Madagascar, where children and adults alike will be able to play, marvel and understand the current forest issues. Come and join us! 

Through this campaign, Planète Urgence gives you the opportunity to better understand what defines the beautiful forests of our world, and in particular the tropical forests, where the association is active in Indonesia, Madagascar and Cameroon. They are indeed at the crossroads of all issues: social, health, biodiversity and climate. These forests « breathe » and have many benefits: preserving these living ecosystems is therefore preserving our future. 

Three examples of reforestation projects in Indonesia, Madagascar and Cameroon 

Planète Urgence currently supports projects in those 3 countries which are among the most deforested in the world, are part of the world’s largest basins of tropical forests (rainforests and savannahs), face strong sustainable development challenges, and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 

⇒ INDONESIA

Our first stop is in Indonesia, home to 1/4 of the world’s mangroves making it a key forest for global climate regulation. The MAHAKAM project aims to contribute to the restoration of the degraded mangrove forest in the Mahakam Delta (Borneo), where 70% of the mangrove ecosystem is degraded due to the installation of unsustainable aquaculture ponds while 90% of the local population in the region depends on these fishing activities. For Trinityas working at Planète Urgence Indonesia, the goal is set :  

“With a target of 140,000 trees planted in 2022, we will also support the training of women’s groups in the processing of fish products and the setting up of awareness-raising workshops for over 300 students.” 

⇒ MADAGASCAR

Heading to Madagascar now, where the Itasy region is currently covered by less than 3% of forests. The Tapia forest (an endemic tree, see in the picture below), plays a key ecological role in the preservation of water sources or the protection of soils against erosion and maintenance of their fertility. However, the excessive collection of silkworms and the modes of production and consumption of wood energy by local communities result in increasing exploitation of natural resources, thus affecting the climate, biological diversity, natural balances and the daily life of the populations.

Planète Urgence has long been working on this issue through the TAPIA project, initiated in 2013. It aims to restore the Tapia forest ecosystem, support local development, particularly through economic sectors (wild silk,beekeeping, market gardening) and finally raise environmental awareness of the preservation of these ecosystems and climate change : 3 000 000 trees have been planted since 2013 !

⇒ CAMEROON

Our last destination is the Benue National Park in the North of Cameroon. The region is under significant direct pressure (human activities and habitats threatening biodiversity for instance) and indirect pressure (climate change) on its protected areas. The reforestation of multi-purpose trees, such as cashew plantations, has been identified locally as a way of preserving and even restoring the environment in this area.

In 2019, Planète Urgence has thus launched the FARE project to reforest cashew trees, restore wildlife migration corridors and support the production and maintenance of cashew orchards with a view to developing the sector, for the benefit of local populations in the Benue National Park. As a result, since 2019: 

• 778 cashew producers were supported 
• 1,105 hectares of orchards were reforested 
• 110,509 viable plants were planted

Forests are essential ecosystems for all of us and are teeming with life: help us spread the world!