Rainforests at the beginning of the 21st century

Rainforests are situated at low latitude where forests enjoy steady and strong radiation. Biodiversity in rainforests has been very high, for historical and climatic reasons. The number of species is very high and tends to increase with precipitation and decrease with seasonality. Disturbance, soil fertility and forest stature also influence the species richness and high turnover of species contribute to diversity. Field observation and studies revealed that large scale deforestation could alter the regional and global climate significantly. Deforestation alters the surface albedo which leads to climate change. Regional land use contributes to climate change through surface-energy budget, as well as the carbon cycle. Forest fragmentation, logging, overhunting, fire and the expanding agriculture threaten the biodiversity. Rainforest covered area has significantly shrunk in the last decades. It is hard to protect the forests because of the growing demand for agricultural area and forest-derived products. Most measures proved ineffective to slow down the destruction. Hence, more forest will be lost in the future. Conservationists should take into consideration the secondary forests because biodiversity can be high enough and it is worth protecting them.

Development and Application of a Methodology to Identify Projects of Energy Community Interest

Projects of Energy Community Interest” (PECIs) is a label attached to those projects which have the highest positive impact in the largest possible number of Contracting Parties. The assessment of one hundred projects submitted as candidates, and final selection of 35 PECIs was achieved in a collaborative process undertaken by the same Task Force that contributed to the preparation of the Energy Strategy. Chaired by the European Commission, the Task Force was facilitated by the Energy Community Secretariat and benefited from technical assistance of a Consultant sponsored from the Energy Community budget.