Bulletin Issue 98 - September 2005

Illegal logging

THE FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE: ILLEGAL LOGGING

Illegal logging has been highlighted as a major factor in forest destruction through both national and international NGO campaigns. However, the issue is not as simple as it might seem. Legal logging can in many cases be as bad as illegal logging and it is even possible to find some example showing that illegal logging can be more socially and environmentally friendly than legal logging! The above certainly does not mean that WRM supports illegal logging. What it does mean is that the issue of legal versus illegal logging is a complex one and that simplistic approaches can be dangerous. The importance of illegal logging in forest destruction varies from country to country and so does the impact of legal logging. We believe that what matters most is not the legality issue, but whether logging –both legal and illegal- is socially and environmentally friendly or damaging. Given the complexity of the issue, we have asked a number of people to share their knowledge and insights on different aspects of the problem. The following articles are the result of that effort and we hope that they will help us all to have a broader and more in-depth perspective about the issue.

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WRM Bulletin
98
September 2005

OUR VIEWPOINT

IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS

REGIONAL AND NATIONAL EXPERIENCES