PEACE CORPS MASTER’S INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY
Why Consider the PCMI in International Forestry at the UW?
Forests represent an important resource in many developing
countries where they provide a broad range of benefits ranging from providing
reserves for biodiversity to preventing soil erosion in sensitive sites
to providing habitat for a wide range of plant, insect and animal species
to providing resources for poor forest-dependent communities. This is
particularly true for forests in developing countries where some of the
most biologically diverse forests exist. However, international forestry
statistics indicate that the forests located in developing countries
are experiencing the highest levels of deforestation as a result of timber
harvesting for fuelwood and charcoal. For example, in Africa and Asia,
over 75% of the timber harvested is used to provide fuel for local communities.
Today, international forestry organizations are working more closely
than ever with national forestry agencies in an effort to provide forest
dependent communities with sustainable sources of fuelwood and charcoal.
They are also working with communities in these countries to promote
reforestation efforts. However, the scale and scope of the problem greatly
exceeds the resources of the international forestry community. Helping
forest dependent communities protect their forests while sustainably
meeting their needs for fuelwood and other forest-related resources is
an important mission of Peace Corps forestry volunteers.
