Rate of forest felling falls

Rate of forest felling falls

• 19 November 2005
• From New Scientist Print Edition.

HERE'S a rare thing: news about the environment containing a glimmer of hope. According to a UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, there has been a slight fall in the net rate of deforestation round the world.

Between 2000 and 2005, some 7.3 million hectares of forest was lost each year. This was down slightly on the 1990 to 2000 figure of 8.9 million hectares a year. The difference is mainly due to reforestation, rather than less forest clearance.

The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005, which was published on Monday, found that 11 per cent of forests are set aside for the conservation of biological diversity, representing an increase of 96 million hectares since 1990. "While good progress is being made in many places, unfortunately forest resources are still being lost or degraded at an alarmingly high rate," says Hosny El-Lakany, of the FAO's forestry department.

The largest net losses were in South America - around 4.3 million hectares per year - while major afforestation in China meant a net gain in Asia of 1 million hectares.