The Rudd Government today announced $2.3 million to help developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region reduce greenhouse gas emissions by tackling deforestation and forest degradation.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke announced the funding following a meeting with Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Forests, the Hon. Belden Namah, in Port Moresby.

The Minister will meet Indonesian Forestry Minister the Hon. MS Kaban in Jakarta on Thursday.

The funding is the first to be provided under the four-year Asia-Pacific Forestry Skills and Capacity Building Program, which will commit up to $15.8 million in total to assist Asia-Pacific with the sustainable management of their forests.

The program will fund an initial 18 projects in countries including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

Projects in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia will each receive $400,000 for skills training and capacity building in forest certification and $300,000 for professional education in sustainable forest management.

Projects in Papua New Guinea will also receive $106,000 towards a chain-of-custody system for forest products, and $74,000 for training in the restoration, management and rehabilitation of degraded, logged-out secondary forests in the Pacific.

Projects in Indonesia will also receive $300,000 for hands-on training in sustainable forest management and $150,000 towards capacity-building in fire and fuels research and monitoring.

“Today’s announcement supports Australia’s commitment at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali in December 2007 to support action on deforestation in developing countries as part of a global response to climate change,” Mr Burke said.

“The Asia-Pacific Forestry Skills and Capacity Building Program will help to tackle climate change by assisting countries in the region with their forest management expertise, combating illegal logging and boosting the storage of carbon in their forests.”

The Program is a key part of the Rudd Government’s $200 million International Forest Carbon Initiative, through which Australia is showing international leadership in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

“Estimates show there is global deforestation of around 13 million hectares a year, resulting in around 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions,” Mr Burke said.

Under the Asia-Pacific Forestry Skills and Capacity Building Program, funding will be provided to research, conservation, intergovernmental, industry and non-government groups to support sustainable forest management and improve forest law enforcement and governance.

Details on these projects can be found at www.daff.gov.au/forestry/international