UN warns that the window for regenerating the planet’s forests is narrowing

The United Nations warns in a recent report on the state of the world’s forests that the period during which degraded forests can still be restored effectively is rapidly narrowing. FAO is calling on governments to make the restoration of forest ecosystems a national priority to protect food security, biodiversity and resilience in the face of the climate crisis.

Since 1990, more than 489 million hectares of forest have been cleared, while an even larger area has been degraded. Although initiatives launched over the past two decades have aimed to restore more than one billion hectares, only approximately one-fifth of this area has been restored. FAO considers progress uneven and insufficient.

Forests cover 4.14 billion hectares, store 714 gigatonnes of carbon and are home to up to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Nearly one-third of the world’s population depends on them for their livelihoods, while forests help regulate rainfall and reduce hunger.

Pressures are intensifying: fires affect around 127 million hectares annually, while agricultural expansion, pollution, diseases, insects, extreme events and resource extraction are worsening degradation. According to the report, restoring one billion hectares could generate annual economic benefits of $1.8 trillion.