Lush, green and brimming with trees and wildlife, forests are the Earth’s lungs and source of livelihoods for many communities.
The most recent analysis by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization found that every region on Earth has seen a decrease in deforestation over the last 10 years.
From the article:
One fifth of the world’s forests are in legally established protected areas – that’s 251 million ha of additional protected forest since 1990 – according to the assessment. Asia has the highest share among all regions, with 26 per cent forest covered. Beyond protection orders, over half of all forests are managed. That means that the land is either being used to produce timber, fibre and bioenergy, or for the protection of soil and water and the conservation of biodiversity – or for tourism, among other uses. In Europe, a staggering 94 per cent of forests are managed. If forests are managed, who owns them? As of 2020, 71 per cent of the world’s forests are under public ownership. In North and Central America, Indigenous Peoples and local communities owned 41.6 million ha of forest.
