Chinese demand for timber could strip Solomon Islands bare of forests, environmental group says
Scale of logging is ‘so unsustainable that natural forests will be exhausted very soon if nothing changes’, Global Witness says
The South Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands is felling its tropical forests at nearly 20 times a sustainable rate, according to research by an environmental group published on Thursday, driven by insatiable Chinese demand for its timber.
Export volumes of the archipelago’s single largest export commodity leapt more than 20 per cent to just over 3 million cubic metres in 2017, central bank figures show, worth 3 billion Solomon Islands dollars (US$360 million).
Environmental and rights group Global Witness said this was more than 19 times higher than sustainable levels, and if continued could strip the country bare and soon exhaust the single biggest contributor to the Solomons’ economic growth.
Deforestation also removes wild fruits and vegetables that are a local food source and destroys the habitats of animals.
Global Witness’ analysis of import data also found that the overwhelming majority of the timber was sent to China, the world’s top importer of timber, which it said underscored the urgency for Beijing to regulate imports and investigate their origins.