C.8. State Of The World’s Forests (SOFO)
State of the World’s Forests (SOFO)
The 2022 edition of the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) report, unveiled during the World Forestry Congress, revealed alarming trends in global forest loss. Over the past 30 years (1990–2020), the planet has lost around 420 million hectares of forests due to deforestation—representing nearly 10.34% of the global forest area, which spans 4.06 billion hectares, or about 31% of Earth’s land surface.
While the pace of deforestation has gradually slowed, between 2015 and 2020, the world continued to lose an average of 10 million hectares of forest annually. Despite the fact that over 700 million hectares—approximately 48% of all forested land—are under legal protection, forest biodiversity continues to face significant risks from ongoing deforestation and degradation.
If stronger measures are not implemented, it is projected that the tropical regions alone could witness the deforestation of around 289 million hectares between 2016 and 2050.
(a) Diseases: SOFO 2022 revealed that 15% of 250 emerging infectious diseases are linked to forests. Additionally, 30% of new diseases reported since 1960 can be attributed to deforestation and land-use change, especially in the tropics, leading to an increase in infectious diseases like dengue fever and malaria.
(b)Fuel: Around 124 million more people fell into extreme poverty after COVID-19, impacting wood-based fuel use. Evidence suggests increased reliance on wood-based fuel in some countries during the pandemic, highlighting potential longer-term consequences.
(c) Population:
- The report stated that the world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, intensifying competition for land. The demand for food is projected to rise by 35 to 56 percent by the 2050s. Global consumption of all-natural resources is anticipated to more than double from 92 billion tonnes (2017) to 190 billion tonnes (2060) due to population growth and affluence.
- SOFO 2022 emphasizes the significant role that restoration efforts can play in addressing climate change. It estimates that implementing measures like afforestation (planting trees in areas where there were none before) and reforestation (replanting trees in deforested areas) could effectively remove between 0.9 to 1.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) per year from the atmosphere.
- This is crucial because carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. By restoring degraded land, these actions not only enhance biodiversity and ecosystems but also help mitigate the impacts of climate change by capturing and storing carbon.
- The report highlights the global commitment to address deforestation and promote sustainable forestry practices. Over 140 countries, as part of the Glaspow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, have pledged to eliminate forest loss by the year 2030.
- This commitment emphasizes the urgency of protecting and restoring forests to maintain ecological balance. To support these goals, an additional six billion dollars have been allocated. This financial commitment is intended to assist developing countries in implementing strategies for forest conservation, restoration, and the adoption of sustainable forestry practices.