UN Forest Report 2026

Context

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has released the Global Forest Goals Report 2026, which highlights that the world is falling short of reaching key forest-related goals by 2030.

Importance of Forests in Global Development

• Ecological Importance
  • Almost 4.14 billion hectares of Earth’s surface is covered in forests, which is almost one-third of the world’s land.
  • They are important for:
    • Carbon sequestration
    • Climate regulation
    • Water conservation
    • Biodiversity protection
• Economic and Social Importance
  • Forests support 1.6 billion people for their livelihoods.
  • Almost USD 1.5 trillion is added to the global forest economy every year.
  • Forests support:
    • The experiences of tribal and indigenous communities.
    • Agricultural and Rural economies.
  • Supporting ecotourism and forest-based industries.Promoting ecotourism and forest-based industries.

Key Findings of the UN Report

• Rising Forest Loss
  • The world lost over 40 million hectares of forests from 2015 to 2025.
  • An average of 10.9 million hectares of forest were lost each year.
  • Africa and South America had the largest deforestation rates.
• Primary Forests Loss
  • Almost 16 million hectares of primary forests were lost.
  • Primary forests play a key role in maintaining:
    • Biodiversity conservation
    • Ecological balance
    • Climate resilience
• Poverty Among Forest-Dependent Communities
  • Extreme poverty is still prevalent, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • In some areas, poverty rates are still close to 46%.
  • Forest dependent populations still suffer from:
    • Economic exclusion
    • Poor sustainable livelihood opportunities
    • Climate vulnerabilities

Major Causes of Forest Degradation

• Climate Change
  • A hotter and drier climate puts forests under stress.
• Agricultural Expansion
  • Large-scale land use change to agriculture is another major driver.
• Illegal Logging and Exploitation
  • Forest destruction is exacerbated by weak governance and weak enforcement.
• Wildfires and Pests
  • Woodlands are damaged by more and more frequent wildfires and pest attacks.

Positive Developments

• Expansion of Protected Areas
  • Increasingly more forests are being designated as protected in the world.
• Sustainable Forest Management
  • More than half of the world’s forests are now managed over the long-term.
• Improved Monitoring
  • However, countries are getting more and more adopting:
    • Satellite-based monitoring
    • Restoration programmes
    • Better governance frameworks

Relevance for India

• Challenges in India
  • Forests are under stress with development projects, mining and infrastructure expansion.
  • Tribal and forest communities continue to be at risk of poverty and displacement.
• Opportunities
  • India can strengthen:
    • Community-led forest conservation
    • Agroforestry
    • Green financing
    • Afforestation programmes

Way Forward

• Strengthening Forest Governance
  • Enhance action against illegal logging and encroachments.
• Sustainable Livelihoods
  • Encourage forest-based livelihoods and eco-enterprises for the local communities.
• Climate Financing
  • Increase international climate finance and green investments.

Source: The DTE

Mains PYQ

Q. Examine the status of forest resources of India and its resultant impact on climate change (2020)

Download as PDF