Yokohama, Japan, 17 June 2023: Speaking on World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru said that women are often most affected by degraded landscapes but have least control over land management and/or ownership in some societies, yet  are  effective agents for restoration and forest management and must be empowered.

Yokohama, Japan, 16 June 2023: Tropical timber markets showed no sign of recovery in May and even slumped further in some countries, according to the latest Global Timber Index (GTI) Report. The GTI was below 50% in the seven pilot countries of Brazil, China, the Congo, Gabon, Indonesia, Malaysia and Mexico, indicating negative growth in the sector.

Yokohama, Japan, 9 June 2023: Software for smartphones developed by Guatemala’s National Forest Institute (INAB) under an ITTO project can be used to calculate log volumes requiring only photographs and a few simple measurements. The app also enables the scaling of logs for products such as sawnwood, rectangular boards, round billets, sawdust, chips, fuelwood, wood pieces and charcoal.

Yokohama, Japan, 5 June 2023: Timber, especially tropical timber, has considerable potential for reducing the environmental footprint of plastics by replacing them in everyday uses, stated ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru on World Environment Day. 

Yokohama, Japan, 26 May 2023: Three ITTO projects on fire prevention and response, and the Organization’s guidelines on fire management in tropical forests, were the focus of a workshop held as part of the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto, Portugal, last week. The conference also adopted the Landscape Fire Governance Framework to promote collaboration on fire management.

Yokohama, Japan, 23 May 2023: ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru stated forest investments must be scaled up to recognize the true value and centrality of forests, particularly tropical forests, in providing diverse products, benefits and services. She was speaking at the Panel on Transformative Actions held during the 18th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) on 9 May 2023.