Forest conservation has emerged as a pressing global concern, yet the persistent challenges of deforestation and illegal timber trade continue to jeopardise these vital ecosystems.
Following the invasion of Ukraine, the European Council swiftly integrated a ban on the import of Russian timber into its sanctions regime merely six weeks post the event.
Enforced rigorously since July 10, 2022, the embargo was expected to halt the inflow of Russian timber. However, recent revelations by inspectors from the Ministry of the Environment uncovered instances of Russian timber imports post-embargo.
In a bid to combat such illicit practices, a groundbreaking study led by researchers from the Botanical Garden of Meise and the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren has devised innovative scientific methodologies to trace the origins of timber.
Published in the esteemed journal Nature Plants, the study unveils a meticulous blend of techniques such as Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA) and Trace Element Analysis (TEA) to ascertain the provenance of wood.
Environment and Ukraine war
Victor Deklerck, the scientific director of World Forest ID based at the Meise Botanical Garden, spearheads this international endeavour.
In a recent interview with RTBF, Deklerck underscored the unique chemical signatures inherent to trees, shaped by their specific environmental milieu. He elaborates, "The chemistry of a tree is linked to the environment in which it grew... We measure the chemical fingerprint and then develop an AI machine learning model that can identify the largest match of the signature."
The research entailed the collection of over 9,000 wood samples from 24 species across 12 nations, incorporating pre-existing samples from Russia. This comprehensive database of Eastern European wood, encompassing species like birch, beech, pine, and oak, facilitates the authentication of timber origins and enables precise predictions regarding its harvesting location.
Illustration image of a plywood supplier in Malaysia. Credit: CEphoto/ Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons
This breakthrough has already yielded significant results, with 260 tons of timber officially imported from Latvia and Estonia traced back to Russia. In the RTBF interview, Deklerck hailed this as a monumental achievement in the battle against illegal timber trade, which not only undermines environmental integrity but also serves as a lucrative revenue stream for the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
Moreover, the study sheds light on the broader implications of the illegal timber trade, ranking as the second most profitable wildlife crime worldwide, generating an estimated €137 billion annually. Approximately 30% of global timber trade is illicit, with rates soaring to 90% in tropical regions.
To bolster regulatory efforts, the European Union now mandates GPS tracking for all containers entering its territory, a measure complementing the database devised by Deklerck's team. This system aids in pinpointing the origins of timber shipments, thereby curbing the influx of illicit imports.
However, the fight against illegal timber trade remains multifaceted, as alternative routes through Turkey, Kazakhstan, and China continue to evade regulatory scrutiny. An investigation conducted by several media outlets revealed the circuitous paths through which timber infiltrates EU member states, underscoring the need for enhanced vigilance and international cooperation in combatting this pervasive issue.
