Deforestation Slowing, According to U.N. Agency Report

Good news and bad news regarding the world’s forest resources.

The rate of forest depletion around the world is decreasing, thanks largely to new plantings, though observers caution that forestry resources are still being destroyed at an alarming rate.

The Global Forest Resources Assessment, a report covering some 229 countries and undertaken by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, reveals that the annual net loss of trees --- roughly the size of Greece --- slowed to 18.25 million acres a year between 2000 and 2005, down from 22.25 million acres between 1990 and 2000.

FAO attributes the improvement to aggressive programs under way in several countries, notably China, which began an ambitious tree-growing program to keep pace with its industrial boom and to tackle the serious problem of deforestation.

"The deforestation continues at an alarming rate, but thanks to efforts in planting new trees and restoring degraded lands as well as natural [forest] expansion in some regions, the net loss is a little lower," said Mette Loyche Wilkie, co-ordinator of the agency's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005, who was quoted by the BBC.

Deforestation was most extensive in South American, where an average 10.6 million acres were lost annually over the last five years. Africa was second with 9.8 million acres, according to FAO figures.

Forest area actually grew in Europe, though at a slower rate than in the 1990’s. Likewise, Asia moved from a net loss to a net gain, thanks partly to the success of the tree-planting initiative in China.

Forests account for roughly 30 percent of the world’s land, with 10 countries accounting for two-thirds of all forest area. These include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Peru, Russia and the United States.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at November 14, 2005 03:57 PM | TrackBack