The year 2011 was declared International Year of Forests by the United Nations and has been a good opportunity to publicize the benefits of the so-called lungs of the planet, and also to remember that we lose 25 hectares of forest every minute.

Sol Solidari aims to fight deforestation, and some of its projects are located in forest areas of great importance. Here we make a short summary:

In the late nineteenth century, 30% of the surface of Ethiopia was covered by forests. Today it is less than 4%. In the massif of Abune Yosef, where we work, the few remaining forests are tiny (less than 50 hectares) and are not protected. In some cases, forests located around a church have been saved, considered sacred forests, as is the case of Yimrihane.

These small forests still represent a refugee for threatened wildlife, like the leopard and various species of birds (see the book about the fauna of Abune Yosef published by the University of Barcelona). Sol Solidari has introduced solar cookers and ovens to villages nearby to the last forests to help reduce the consumption of firewood, and in parallel the agriculture office of Lalibela has banned the cutting of firewood in the forest of Abijakula. Now we start the dissemination of gonze stoves in the populations of the mountain.

In Cameroon, Sol Solidari has introduced improved stoves (for families and institutions) in the town of Loum and other cities of the department of Moungo. This area borders the mountain forest of Kupé, an amazing haven of biodiversity with many endemic species, such as Mount Kupe Bush Shrike, one of the rarest birds of Africa. The Coastal Forest Programme of WWF is been developed in this region, a very ambitious project that aims to preserve the rainforest through sustainable management of natural resources and the involvement of local people.

Finally, in Mali we work in the area of ​​the cliff of Bandiagara, a stunning geological fracture of 200 km where the Dogon people has been living for centuries. Here the forest is the typical sparse savannah, with acacias and some baobabs. The vegetation is the best tool to stop the advance of the desert, and some organizations, such Djoliba Travaux, work to reforest and place systems to prevent erosion. Sol Solidari collaborates with the introduction of improved stoves for families and schools, reducing up to 50% the fuel consumption. So far over 6,000 have been sold in the province of Bandiagara, together with the AGVF association.

In short, at Sol Solidari we put our bit to preserve the forests of the world, our unique green lungs. Help us!