Industrial railway line and logging threaten the Sámi homeland
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The Indigenous Sámi youth organization, Suoma Sámi Nuorat, Suohpanterror ‘Artivist’ collective and Greenpeace activists demonstrated against industrial exploitation of the Great Northern Forest in the Sámi territory in Northern Finland. An increasing demand for pulp for single use paper products and the exploitation of the Arctic threaten the unfragmented forests that are essential for traditional Sámi reindeer herding. A planned industrial railway would not only cut through the forests of Sámi homeland and destroy their forests but also increase the further exploitation of the Arctic.deforestation and threats to the Svydovets massif in the Carpathian mountains
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The European Union is by far the largest destination for Ukrainian wood exports. According to the recent report, Complicit in Corruption published by the British NGO Earthsight, in 2017 at least 40% of this wood was logged or traded illegally, with the aid of corruption. Ukraine is now the largest supplier of such high-risk timber to the EU. A large part of this timber comes from magnificent and often ancient forests in the Carpathian mountains. A new threat now hangs over this mountain range. Local politicians and murky investors have announced their intention to establish an immense ski resort in the Svydovets massif with over 60 hotels, 120 restaurants, 33 ski-lifts, 230 km of ski runs and even an aerodrome. The future tourist complex would be able to receive up to 28.000 tourists at the same time. It would affect 14.000 hectares of the massif and destroy up to 1500 hectares of forests.
Indigenous peoples will save the forests
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Indigenous peoples are proven masters at sustainably managing forests that protect against global warming, and finally they got recognition at the international climate summit in San Francisco last week. The new "guiding principles" for collaboration endorsed by three dozen mostly tropical provinces and states across nine countries bolster indigenous rights to land, self-governance and finance earmarked for safeguarding forests.
Koala battles extinction
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Australia's koala population faces extinction across large parts of New South Wales and Queensland as urbanisation, land clearing and climate change threaten the vulnerable species' habitats. Experts are warning of an "unfolding tragedy" which could see koalas wiped out of regions including the Koala Coast south-east of Brisbane, and the Pilliga Forests area in northern NSW.
The Tapanuli orangutan threatened by Chinese dam
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The Tapanuli orangutan is a sensational discovery – it was only recognized as a distinct species in 2017 and it is already facing extinction. Only 800 individuals remain, hidden in a small patch of forest in northern Sumatra. A Chinese hydropower project may soon destroy their habitat.