ForestMap

The Global Partnership on Forest Restoration (GPFLR) has conducted a study using satellite imagery to produce a world map that identifies areas with forest restoration potential. The amount of land identified is more than a billion hectares, which comprises six percent of the planet’s total land area.

Forests once covered more than 50 per cent of the world’s land area. Today that figure is below 30 per cent as a consequence of humans removing forests for unsustainable logging and conversion to other land uses, such as cropping, grazing, industry, and towns and cities. Deforestation continues to be a problem, especially in countries in tropical regions, but the forest area in many countries in temperate regions is increasing. For example, the forest area in Europe increased by an estimated 13 million hectares – about the size of Greece – between 1990 and 2005. However, the rate of deforestation continues to outstrip the rate of reforestation, so that globally the world continued to lose a net 7 million hectares a year – almost the area of Scotland – between 2000 and 2005.

Restoring forests could reduce greenhouse gas emissions without limiting other land uses, such as food production. GPFLR is working with individual countries and local communities to refine their analysis and efforts on a country by country basis.

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