As per a newly published The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2024 report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), India added 2,66,000 hectares of forest zone every year from 2010 to 2020. This outstanding feat helped India secure the third spot among the top 10 countries which gained substantial forest cover during this period. The report was released on the occasion of the 27th session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO), which is the topmost forestry governing body of the organisation.
Key Highlights
- Top 10 countries with a substantial increase in forest cover are China, Australia, India, Chile, Vietnam, the USA, France, Italy, and Romania.
- China emerged as the highest gainer with 19,37,000 hectares. Australia secured the second spot with 4,46,000 hectares.
- India emphasised restoring degraded land and agroforestry through innovative strategies and initiatives. The FAO recognised this approach.
- The FAO noted a significant 50% decline in deforestation in Amazon forest in Brazil in 2023. The mangrove loss declined by 23% between 2010-20 as compared to 2000-10.
Concerns Raised by the FAO
- The FAO identified climate change as the biggest threat to forests, which makes forests vulnerable to various conditions. They prevent growth and make survival challenging for trees.
- Moreover, it highlighted that the rising wildfire intensity is a great concern, which caused around 6,687 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions globally in 2023.
- The report also underscored disease and insects as a major threat.
About FAO
- The Food and Agriculture Organisation is a special agency of the United Nations which was established on 16th October 1945. This day is celebrated as the World Food Day every year.
- The major objective behind the establishment of the FAO was to fight hunger and ensure food security by facilitating global actions and efforts. The organisation works to achieve universal food security and ensure the availability of nutritious food for all to promote healthy living.
- The World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) are considered the sister bodies of the FAO.
- Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) and Desert Locust are among the myriad initiatives taken by the FAO.
- Headquartered in Rome, Italy, the FAO currently has 195 members and is actively functioning in more than 130 countries across the globe.
- It also publishes several reports encompassing valuable insights. They are:
- SOFO stands for The State of the World’s Forests and measures forest cover.SOFIA stands for The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture and measures aqua life conditions.SOCO stands for The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets and measures agri-based markets.SOFI stands for The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World and measures the food and nutrition situation in the world.
- SOFA stands for The State of Food and Agriculture and measures food and agriculture conditions.
Increasing forest cover has become a necessity for the world to reduce the impact of climate change. It is vital for managing global temperature and the accomplishment of global environmental targets such as net zero.
