In the field of nature and environment, the World Help Fund supports people and organizations which commit themselves to preserving ancient woods and tropical rainforests, to reduce the effects of climate changes.

Ancient woods and tropical rainforests make an important contribution to the ecological system on earth. They ensure among other things that CO₂ is converted into oxygen and therefore contributes to our ability to breath on earth. Reducing our rainforests and woods can ultimately affect our own health, in addition to the far-reaching impact of climate changes on our planet.

The World Help Fund regularly examines which organizations provide the largest contributions to stop illegal deforestation of tropical rainforests. The following organizations are momentarily supported by the World Help Fund:

• Greenpeace
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
• Nature and Environment Foundation

• The rainforest of the Amazon
• The forests of Asia, Indonesia and Papua New-Guinea
• The last ancient woods of Europe in Finland and Russia
• The moderate rainforest of South-America
• The ancient woods of North-America
• The snow forests of Asian Russia
• The African rainforest

On the whole world only twenty percent of the original forests still exist. The rest has been cut down or burned down. Some pieces of forest have been split up in such a way that the ecosystem no longer functions well.
The remaining forests are destroyed in an extraordinary pace. Annually enormous pieces of woods disappear. Cut down for the upcoming agriculture and mine construction or for the construction of plantations and roads.
But the largest threat comes from the industrial companies. International companies have acquired rights for the exploitation of enormous forest areas. They make large profits with chopping down or destroying forests.

To stop this, the World Help Fund supports people and organizations that, among others, make a contribution to the activities mentioned below.

• Stimulating the establishing of large reservations by governments. Inside these reservations all industrial activities are prohibited. Cutting down woods outside these reservations are limited and are only permitted to companies which meet strict ecological and social requirements. The independent organization Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) must check this.

• Stimulating commercial chopping according to FSC-norms and advising wood chopping companies that want to switch to FSC.

• Helping the local population with making the land more durable and introducing alternative production possibilities. Obtaining FSC-certifications and marketing of durable forest products.

• Acknowledging the country rights of domestic people by governments. Their traditional way of land use serves as a guiding principle for the management of forests.

• Stopping the import of not certified wood by western governments and companies. They must support developing countries correctly in the fight against illegal chopping. Furthermore banks must stop investing money in plantations for which forests disappear.

• Researching and developing durable economic activities, such as ecotourism, in association with developing organizations and local governments. This way to make a contribution to the economic development of the region.

• Training park managers, rangers, the local population and local organizations.