Forests are central to the fight against the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
They cover nearly a third of the Earth’s land surface and are home to the vast majority of terrestrial biodiversity. Despite efforts to halt deforestation and restore degraded areas, forest cover continues to shrink.
Since the end of the last great ice age, about 10,000 years ago, 57% of the Earth’s habitable land was covered by forests. Over the past 10,000 years, a third of the world’s forests have been lost, an area twice the size of the United States. Half of that loss has occurred in the past century.
Forests are essential to combating climate change. They contain 662 billion tons of carbon, more than half of the world’s total carbon stock in soils and vegetation.
Societies derive significant benefits from forests and are heavily dependent on them. It is estimated that more than half of global gross domestic product is heavily dependent on what ecosystems provide. The forestry sector contributes more than USD 1.52 trillion to global gross domestic product and employs 33 million people.
Yet many people living close to forests do not benefit sufficiently from them. Although 75 percent of rural residents live within 1 km of a forest, they have little right to those forests. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of all forests are state-owned, while 80 percent of people live in extreme poverty in rural areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on forest value chains and trade in early 2020. Most sectors have recovered quickly, but the risk of future pandemics remains. Forest management is well-positioned to play a key role in a green recovery.