Forests are being threatened by climate change, agriculture and road-building while they are continually bathed by cloud and fog. Forests not only serve a key water resource but also are home to thousands of rare and endangered species. A latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report urged protection for forests for sustainable development of mankind.

The report that was released in early February 2004 at the opening session of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stressed that a warming climate threatens tropical mountain forests that strip moisture from clouds and supply water to millions of people. The report, entitled 'Cloud Forest Agenda', represents the first accurate mapping of the extent and importance of cloud forests.

"The report gives us, for the first time, maps of cloud forest distribution, regional overviews of the threats and an agenda for priority actions," said Mark Collins, director of UNEP's World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC) this collaborated on the report with UNESCO and other international organizations.

For more information: kdickinson@stakeholderforum.org or gpa@unep.nl