The rainforest assessment Aim To create a presentation

The rainforest assessment Aim: To create a presentation explaining the issues surrounding the destruction of Tropical Rainforests. Remember: You will gain credit for any additional research you have done (including reference to places) and how you illustrate your essay.

To conserve the forest, could you…. Stop cutting down all the trees and ban everyone on the island from going near the forest with chainsaws? If caught, put them in prison!!

NO!! Why: Otherwise what will the local people do to make money? They currently cut the wood down to make money and to use for fuel for fires for cooking. What could you do? Set aside a certain area where trees can be cut down as long as for every one cut down, five more are planted. This provides resources for the future for the LOCAL PEOPLE, is CONSERVING the forest and is SUSTAINABLE (taking something, but putting something back as well)

To meet the needs of local people you could… Just give everyone jobs in the tourist industry? There are plenty of tourists here!!

NO!! Why: The locals still have their farms to work. They are skilled in farming and also in rice growing and Madagascar needs the money from these exports. What they could do… Train some local people (N) up to work in the new eco-tourism(S) hotels and as guides for the tourists in the jungle. Other locals are still able to carry on as before, farming and mining and using land that has been set aside (C). (N) = meeting needs of locals (S) Sustainable (C) Conservation

To be sustainable you could. . Charge all tourists £ 3000 for a 10 day holiday but they must not move from the hotel and can only go to certain parts of the rainforest under supervision!!

NO!! Why: Who would want to come on this sort of holiday? ? The tourists need to take an active role in the protection of the rainforest in Madagascar and at the same time see the sights and enjoy the scenery. What you could do…. Ensure that tourists have a great time whilst not damaging the environment (S). Use hotels where local people have been trained up and now work (N). As part of the holiday take part in some form of conservation project e. g. planting trees and creating new nature trails.

Ecotourism

Conservation (Looking after the forest) Meeting Needs of Local People • Eco-Tourism – Not damaging the rainforest. Using rainwater to drink, recycling waste, helping to replant the forest as part of your holiday • • Setting aside areas that should be protected from any more deforestation (cutting trees down • Making drugs companies pay to protect parts of the forest that they use for research and making medicines. • Employing people as Rainforest Rangers to look after the forest and make sure no one is damaging the area • • Providing new jobs for the local people to replace their existing ones. Eg. Working as rangers looking after the forest and protecting the animals. Working in new eco tourism hotels. Being guides for the tourists around the jungle. Allow certain areas where trees can be cut down as long as three are planted for every one cut down. Educate Madagascar’s children about how the forest can earn them money and why it should be saved Be Sustainable – Take something away then put something back. • Shift farming around – after 5 years in one place, plant some more trees and move to next place • For every tree cut down, plant another 5. Drugs company could oversee this. • Eco-tourism – this does not damage the environment. Causes the least amount of damage, waste and pollution. • Instead of destroying the forest, local people should be paid to work to protect it and to work within the tourism industry in jobs that will be there for yeas to come. • Educate the Madagascans about the value of the forest.