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New FAO Report Highlights Global Forest Area Increases and Challenges** India has made significant strides in forest area expansion, gaining 266,000 hectares annually from 2010 to 2020. This achievement places India third among the top 10 countries with the most substantial forest area gains during this period, according to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Leading Nations in Forest Expansion
China topped the list with a remarkable gain of 1,937,000 hectares, followed by Australia, which added 446,000 hectares. India secured the third position, followed by Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, France, Italy, and Romania.
Innovative Approaches and National Policies
The UN agency lauded India’s efforts to restore degraded lands and expand agroforestry. Innovative approaches, including the development of a new national policy, have been instrumental in supporting agroforestry across the country.
Reduction in Deforestation
The report also noted a significant reduction in deforestation in several countries. Indonesia witnessed an 8.4 percent decline in deforestation from 2021 to 2022. Brazil’s Amazon region saw a dramatic 50 percent reduction in deforestation in 2023.
Decline in Global Mangrove Loss
The FAO report highlighted a 23 percent decrease in the rate of gross global mangrove loss between the periods of 2000-2010 and 2010-2020.
Climate Change and Forest Vulnerability
Despite these positive trends, the FAO emphasized that climate change is heightening forests’ vulnerability to various stressors, including wildfires and pests.
“Wildfire intensity and frequency are rising. Boreal forests accounted for nearly one-quarter of carbon dioxide emissions due to wildfires in 2021. In 2023, wildfires emitted an estimated 6,687 megatonnes of carbon dioxide globally, more than double the carbon dioxide emissions from the European Union due to fossil fuel burning that year,” the report read.
Future Threats in the United States
Looking ahead, the report projected that 25 million hectares of forestlands in the United States are expected to suffer losses exceeding 20 percent of host tree basal area due to insects and disease by 2027.
