Deforestation has slowed in all regions of the world over the past ten years, but forests still face serious threats. This is stated in the report “Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025”, which was prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The report, which includes an analysis of 236 countries and territories, was presented at the General Assembly of the Global Forest Watch Initiative in Bali.
According to the report, forests occupy 4.14 billion hectares, which is 32% of the planet’s land area, or approximately 0.5 hectares per person. Moreover, almost half of all the world’s forests are located in tropical regions. It is noted that the annual rate of net forest loss decreased from 10.7 million hectares per year in 1990-2000 to 4.12 million hectares per year in 2015-2025. And this trend is explained by a decrease in deforestation in some countries and an increase in forest area in others.
Deforestation levels, which reached 17.6 million hectares per year in 1990-2000, fell to 10.9 million hectares between 2015-2025.
FAO attributes this slowdown to the fact that more than half of the world’s forests are now managed according to long-term plans, and about 20% of territories have official status as protected natural areas.
The organization warns that despite the slowdown in deforestation, pressure on forests continues unabated, and the rate of increase in forest area is decreasing.
It is estimated that since 1990, the loss of the world’s forests from deforestation has amounted to about 489 million hectares, but recently the rate losses have decreased. In 2015-2025, the rate of deforestation was estimated at 10.9 million hectares per year, which is lower than the rate of 2000-2015 (13.6 million hectares per year) and 1990-2000 (17.6 million hectares per year). From 2000 to 2015, the rate of forest expansion was 9.88 million hectares per year, and in the last decade has decreased to 6.78 million hectares per year.
FAO emphasizes that forests play a critical role in ensuring food security, supporting local communities, supplying renewable biomaterials and energy, as they are the main reservoirs of biodiversity, regulate the global carbon and water cycles, and reduce the risks of drought, desertification, soil erosion, landslides and floods.
Deforestation refers to the conversion of forested and wooded areas to agricultural land, livestock grazing, urban development, or destruction of forest due to fires and other degradation factors.