Suriname sees advantages in under water logging

After reading a newspaper article in Miami Orlando Lee On (†) became so fascinated by under water logging, that he founded the logging company Suriname Brokopondo Water Woods International Ltd. (BWWI) to harvest dead trees in the professor doctor ingenieur J.W. van Blommestein lake, a 135.000 hectare reservoir in the district Brokopondo of Suriname. The company is now three years old and produces about 30 cubic meters of timber per day, but plans to increase its production in 2011 up to 90 cubs per day.

Underwater logging is unique in Suriname. " This is the introduction of a new not previously applied timber harvest method in Suriname. " says Wedika Hanoeman in her thesis on timber water harvesting. Until now BWWI uses the traditional method of working with divers to remove logs of the reservoir. The divers go to a maximum depth of 20 m and the logs are harvested with an underwater chainsaw.The crowns (the part that reach above water surface) of the trees to harvest are stripped of and before one proceeds to cut the trunk a steel cable is attached in the middle of the stem. This is done to prevent the stem from sinking after it is harvested. Then the trunk is cut with a special underwater saw.The felled trees float up to the surface and are towed with a boat to an island in the lake. When a certain number of logs are stored on the island a barge transports them to the plant, where they are sawn into shelves for national and international consumption.

"This underwater timber harvesting could be of much more significance in Suriname. I am not only considering the lake but also the many forests that occur in the numerous creek and swamp areas of the country. Worldwide, it is noted that people are searching for alternative and sustainable logging systems, thanks to the scarcity of wood, the increasing demand for timber, the growing pressure on forests and their biodiversity and climate change. On global level timber water logging gets a growing significance within the timber industry, because of the multifaceted significance of forests. There are visible signs of this in Suriname. The challenge is that timber water logging can be practiced on a sustainable and responsible way," says Hanoeman.

Lake constructed for aluminum industry

The lake is also unique to Suriname. It was established because in 1915 bauxite was discovered in Suriname, what was beneficial to the war industry of the Second World War. In order to process bauxite into aluminum, cheap energy had to be available, so it was decided in the fifties to produce energy from hydropower. Professor Ir. J.W. Blommestein designed a dam of 54 meters high in the Suriname River and to generate hydropower a lake was created.

In 1964, the lake was full and one could begin to generate electricity by hydropower. Because of the creation of the lake about 5000 maroons from 57 villages had to move. New villages were build for them, but the houses were very small and the promised compensation was never paid. Until now, the Maroons experience the trauma of this transmigration. The animals in the area that was put under water were saved as much as possible. This operation is known as Operation Gwamba. An area of 135,000 hectares was put under water. To save money, the trees were not cleared first. The tops of the trees are still stabbing the surface of the water.

Preserved trees emit less methane

There are more than 50 tree species in the reservoir and BWWI is committed to harvest them all. They are rotting for forty-five years now in the lake, but are still good for consumption. "Pressure of water preserves the logs. They are so hard that even termites cannot get through, "says Remie Gorre. Workers are cutting shelves out of the logs for national, but more for international consumption. With these shelves carpenters, construction workers and artists are able to manufacture many wood products. They do not emit methane anymore.

Methane is one of the greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere. This is emitted by rotting organic waste and burning of rice chaff. Methane contributes 20% to the global greenhouse effect. By harvesting dead trees of the lake methane emissions are reduced. "After building the dam there was methane formation. Now after all these years the rotting process is low. Only in the upper water layer which is in contact with the air and oxygen a rotting process is going on, but that is enough to implement a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project, "says Sheila Bhairo. She is an environmental consultant and has written a CDM-project port folio for Suriname, in which BWWI is incorporated.

Now the company is busy writing a CDM-project, determined to earn finances from the reduced emissions. It will use the finances to generate energy from sawdust for sawmill and drying oven. Now diesel generators are used, what contributes to accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

CDM flexible market mechanism

CDM is one of the flexible market mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol that allows industrialized countries to invest in greenhouse gas mitigation projects in developing countries. The reduced emissions are classified as "Certified Emission Reduction credits (CERs). These CERs can be traded and used by industrialized countries to meet some of their goals under the Kyoto Protocol, as they assist developing countries to achieve sustainable development through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.