Forests

ISSUES

Forests

The forest area represents a little less than 4 billion hectares, that is to say a third of the planet's surface area. This surface area is not spread equally. Over half of these forests are just in five countries: Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China.
Every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear. That is just over twenty football pitches a minute. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations considers the rate to be « alarming ». (1)
But if one takes the natural extension of some forests and plantations created by man into account, the net loss is « only » 7.3 million hectares for the 2000-2005 period.
The overall rate of deforestation has slightly slowed down in the past few years, partly thanks to the efforts of environmentalists. This is also due to the increasingly larger areas of plantations, particularly in China, and to the fact that the areas that are easier or more p...

NEWS

Brazil fights illegal logging to protect Amazon natives

Brazil's threatened Awa tribe outnumbered, group says

UN talks take first steps on 2015 climate deal

Univers GoodPlanet par Netvibes

DEBATES

China’s Reforestation Programs: Big Success or Just an Illusion?

Jon R. Luoma

China has undertaken ambitious reforestation initiatives that have increased its forest cover dramatically in the last decade....

Mountain forests under threat

The integrity and resilience of mountain forests is under...

Appalachian Regional Restoration Initiative

As a newly appointed UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, I am...

FOCUS

The last free men

About 3 000 Indians from different groups live on the border between Brazil and Peru in the Javari valley: Kanamari Indians, Marubo Indians, Mati Indians and Korubo Indians for example. Some other groups remain unknown because they refuse all contact with the outside...

VIDEOS

27/02/2012	As millions of pounds of explosives from mountaintop removal strip mining...	04/11/2011	n this beautifully animated clip from Dirt! The Movie, Wangari Maathai...
28/03/2011	This short animated film highlights the role forests can play in national...	15/02/2011	A short documentary about the dangerous effects of first contact on the...

GREEN TIPS

Buy some rain forest

The British non-governmental organization Cool Earth uses the donations it receives to acquire rain forests...

INDICATORS

Forest cover
Biocapacity
National biodiversity index
Threatened ecosystems
Protected areas

CHECK OUT THE STATE OF THE WORLD ON OUR 3D GLOBE