Japan

Japan recognises it is important to reduce and furthermore reverse the loss of worldwide forest coverage through SFM, including protection, restoration,  afforestation and reforestation, and increased efforts to prevent forest  degradation. Due to the varied and essential functions of forests, policies and measures to address deforestation and degradation should focus on not  only carbon flux but also promotion of SFM and conservation of biodiversity.

The reference level would be set based on historical change of forest resources. More specifically it would be established by monitoring present  forest resources making use of both satellite images and ground researches  in forests against an assessment of forest resources in the past with previous  satellite images and/or forest inventory. As forest resources are under quite diverse circumstances from country to country, establishment of reference level should be conducted based on historical change of forest resources, taking account of socioeconomic factors when necessary, in such a way that  reflect context of countries/regions in an objective and flexible manner.

In countries where the rate of deforestation and degradation is low but is foreseen to rise, future socioeconomic trends could be reflected when  setting the reference level. Where forest resources and deforestation/forest degradation are foreseen to come to an end soon this should also be reflected in the reference levels.