Global forest destruction increased last year, according to a new report. In 2022, global forest destruction increased by four percent compared to 2021, said the report published by several scientific organizations and civil associations in Washington on Tuesday, including the environmental foundation WWF. A total of 6.6 million hectares of forests were lost in 2022 – an area almost the size of Bavaria. 96 percent of them were destroyed in tropical regions.
The report refers to the public promises made by countries, companies and investors: According to this, an end to forest destruction should be achieved by 2030 and 350 million hectares of damaged landscapes and forests should be restored by then.
It was said that by 2022 the world was a long way from the goal of stopping forest destruction. Above all, agriculture, road construction, fires and commercial logging are the drivers of the destruction. In 2022, global gross deforestation was 21 percent above the value that would be required to end deforestation by 2030. The data situation on global forest restoration efforts is poor. There is also a lack of a global overview of natural forest recreation.
“The world’s forests are in crisis,” says Erin Matson, who works at the consulting firm Climate Focus and co-authored the report. “So many promises have been made to stop deforestation and fund forest protection. But the chance for progress is given up every year.” According to the report, deforestation would have to be reduced by 27.8 percent in 2023 in order to keep the promises made. In addition, biological diversity in forests is “decreasing at an alarming rate.”
But there are also positive developments, the report says. 50 countries worldwide are on the way to ending deforestation. Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to large rainforests that are considered important carbon sinks and have important functions in the fight against climate change, also made progress in combating the loss.
According to the report, $2.2 billion in public funds flow into forests worldwide every year, which is a tiny proportion compared to other global investments. Governments should also create an environment with more incentives for companies to protect, sustainably manage and restore forests, the authors say.
Sources: DPA, “Forrest Declaration Assessment 2023”.
