World Forestry Congress Begins in Turkish Riviera
10/13/97
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Headline: World Forestry Congress Begins in Turkish Riviera
Source: Reuters
Date: 10/13/97
Copyright 1997: Reuters
ANTALYA, Turkey, Oct 13 (Reuters) - About 3,000 delegates
from around the world gathered in Turkey on Monday to discuss
sustainable forestry and seek ways to save the world's forests
from fires, over-logging and the effects of population growth.
``The congress will shed light on to the 21st century
forestry in the world, with political resolutions made to
support a sustainable global forestry policy,'' Turkish
President Suleyman Demirel said in a booklet distributed ahead
of the congress.
``Sustainable forestry management is vital for the people
who make their living on forests and for their protection,'' he
said before the meeting, entitled ``Forestry for Sustainable
Development Towards the 21st Century.''
The congress, to begin later on Monday with an opening
ceremony and end on October 22, follows months of acute air
pollution problems across parts of southeast Asia sparked by
forests burning out of control.
In June, the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur saw its skyline
shrouded in smog generated in part by huge fires in Indonesia.
Many in the region reported respiratory ailments and some
schools were suspended briefly to keep children at home.
The forestry congress will be held at the Glass Pyramid,
built for the meeting in the southern Turkish resort town of
Antalya.
``The congress will be a new step in the fight against
forest's enemies,'' Ersin Taranoglu, Turkey's forestry minister,
told a news conference ahead of the formal sessions.
Delegates will discuss in several workshops various topics
ranging from forestry policies, sustainable management of
forests, forestry products and threats to world forests and ways
to protect them.
Officials from the Turkish forestry ministry, which
organised the congress, said delegates were expected to present
more than 1,000 papers at workshops during the 10-day meeting.
The congress will end on October 22 with a formal
declaration.