A September 29 Guardian report by Jonathan Watts highlights a gap between global forest-restoration promises and work under way. Citing the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, it says commitments made over two decades cover more than one billion hectares, but only about a fifth of that area is being restored.
The FAO’s State of the World’s Forests report says more than 489 million hectares of forest have been cleared since 1990. Fires, agricultural expansion and climate pressures continue to damage forests that support biodiversity, rainfall regulation and livelihoods.
FAO director general Qu Dongyu urged governments to scale up effective restoration, warning that delays and poor design could increase long-term costs and inequalities. The figures describe restoration activity, not a finding that those ecosystems have fully recovered.
