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Context:
The Forest Declaration Assessment 2025 highlights that global deforestation reached 8.1 million hectares in 2024, leaving the world 63% off-track to achieve zero deforestation by 2030, despite international commitments under the Glasgow and Kunming-Montreal Declarations.
Key Findings:
- Forest Loss & Degradation:
- 8.1 M ha deforested and 8.8 M ha degraded, with tropical regions accounting for 94% of loss.
- Primary forests at risk: 6.7 M ha lost, mainly in Latin America and Africa.
- Carbon & Biodiversity Impact:
- Deforestation and degradation emitted 3.1 Gt CO₂e (150% of U.S. energy sector emissions).
- Forested Key Biodiversity Areas (fKBAs) lost 2.2 M ha, increasing extinction risks.
- Restoration Gap: Only 10.6 M ha under restoration globally (0.3% of potential), far below targets.
Causes:
- Agricultural expansion (86%) – pasture, soy, palm oil
- Mining and infrastructure projects
- Forest fires and climate stress (e.g., Amazon fires emitted 791 Mt CO₂e in 2024)
- Weak governance and corruption
- Unsustainable global consumption driving indirect deforestation
Restoration Efforts:
- Global targets: UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and Kunming-Montreal Framework aim for 30% degraded land restoration.
- Regional leadership: Latin America and Asia >70% of restoration projects.
- Innovative models: Agroforestry and community-based restoration link livelihoods with ecosystem recovery.
- India’s role: Green India Mission, CAMPA, National Afforestation Programme – targeting 26 M ha by 2030.
Challenges:
- Insufficient financing (<10% of climate finance benefits forests)
- Fragmented tracking and data gaps
- Policy incoherence between agriculture, trade, and climate policies
- Limited rights for Indigenous and forest-dependent communities
- Restoration quality often prioritises tree numbers over ecological integrity
Recommendations:
- Legally binding forest targets with audits and transparent reporting
- Redirect finance flows to deforestation-free supply chains and low-carbon commodities
- Empower local communities through legal recognition and participatory governance
- Strengthen monitoring by integrating databases like FAO-FERM and Forest Declaration Dashboard
- Promote nature-positive agriculture: agroforestry, regenerative farming, mixed cropping