Latest News
Forestry Investment News
Global deforestation is slowing
26/03/2010
A recent report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that global deforestation over the past decade has been slowing, with China planting trees on a large scale and Brazil making efforts to preserve its forests.
The report showed in the last ten years the amount of forested land being converted or lost throughout the globe was 13 million hectares per year, down from 16 million hectares in the 1990s.
The findings also revealed that new forests are being planted throughout the world at a rate of seven million hectares each year, with many of the new forests being planted in China.
Mette Loyche Wilkie, co-ordinator of the report at the FAO, said that the findings are good news: “This is the first time we've been able to say that the deforestation rate is going down across the world, and certainly when you look at the net rate that is certainly down.”
The net rate for loss of forested land was 5.2 million hectares per year over the past ten years, compared with 8.3 million a decade earlier.
Ms Wilkie did point out that the situation in some countries is still concerning, however. Australia recently suffered huge forestry losses due to a drought and there is still significant loss of tree cover in parts of Africa and South America. But the overall findings are positive. Figures show that forests now cover approximately 31 per cent of the world’s land surface.
The report showed in the last ten years the amount of forested land being converted or lost throughout the globe was 13 million hectares per year, down from 16 million hectares in the 1990s.
The findings also revealed that new forests are being planted throughout the world at a rate of seven million hectares each year, with many of the new forests being planted in China.
Mette Loyche Wilkie, co-ordinator of the report at the FAO, said that the findings are good news: “This is the first time we've been able to say that the deforestation rate is going down across the world, and certainly when you look at the net rate that is certainly down.”
The net rate for loss of forested land was 5.2 million hectares per year over the past ten years, compared with 8.3 million a decade earlier.
Ms Wilkie did point out that the situation in some countries is still concerning, however. Australia recently suffered huge forestry losses due to a drought and there is still significant loss of tree cover in parts of Africa and South America. But the overall findings are positive. Figures show that forests now cover approximately 31 per cent of the world’s land surface.
RSS