Expect China to expand forests in a land that has been deforested for millennia, and to tinker with existing forests so they more effectively capture atmospheric carbon.
The warning signs are all around us, as rivers and lakes shrink, water tables fall, carbon emissions rise, deserts expand, forests shrink, and fisheries collapse.
Concerted efforts have also been mounted to conserve existing forests and to expand forest reserves, but those actions led to conflicts with peoples who have long lived in the areas affected.
Last summer, India announced that it would introduce domestic legislation to institute fuel efficiency standards, rapidly expand the use of solar power and so-called clean coal technology, introduce green building codes and expand forest cover.
Therefore, we propose to expand forest insurance promotion, raise the farmers' income, rationally design insurance products, and optimize the forest premium subsidy policy to enhance the farmers' willingness to participate in forest insurance.
Traditionally, people have exploited the forests for food, fuel wood and marketable products; but as rural populations expand, forest resources are being rapidly degraded, logged, and cleared for agriculture.
South America and Oceania are likely to continue to expand forest plantation areas due to the perception that these areas have a significant competitive advantage in the forest plantation sector.
Speakers pointed out that a worldwide production policy, mobilizing all existing resources, would be beneficial in attempting to expand forest industry to meet the expected demand for forest products.
The model considers also fire, whose role increased significantly in the scenarios of expanded forests.
Although we can do this by expanding forests and other vegetation, we must also explore other options, including the development of carbon capture and storage.
Measures include ramping up installation of renewable energy systems such as wind and solar power to provide 70 85% of the world's electricity by 2050, and expanding forests to increase their capacity to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
