The latest Forest Pathways 2023 report, jointly released by WWF and the Forest Declaration Assessment, delivers a stark message: the world is veering off course in its efforts to protect and restore forests by 2030. Despite the promises made by over 130 countries representing 85% of the world’s forests at COP26 two years ago to halt and reverse deforestation, the report reveals that progress remains alarmingly slow, imperilling global commitments.
global deforestation soared to 6.6 million hectares
In 2022, global deforestation soared to 6.6 million hectares, with primary tropical forests bearing the brunt at 4.1 million hectares. Most concerning, 96% of this loss occurred in tropical regions. Tropical Asia is the sole region approaching the target of zero gross deforestation. WWF issues a clarion call, declaring that the world is “failing our forests” and prescribes an action plan to rekindle momentum and align with global deforestation reduction goals.
Fran Price, WWF Global Forests Lead, emphasizes the gravity of the situation: “It is impossible to reverse nature loss, address the climate crisis, and foster sustainable economies without forests. Since the 2030 deforestation pledge, an expanse of tropical forest equivalent to Denmark has vanished. Urgent action is non-negotiable.”
Failure to act promptly could flip the role of tropical forests from carbon sinks to carbon sources, compounded by a warming, drying, and increasingly extreme climate. The degradation and rampant deforestation in the world’s three largest tropical forest basins — the Amazon, Congo, and the Asia-Pacific forests spanning Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific — foreshadow a global climate catastrophe.
Meagre funding for deforestation
Alarming is the fact that environmentally harmful subsidies receive over 100 times more public funding than forest conservation. A meagre $2.2 billion in public funds are allocated to forests annually, a minuscule fraction compared to other global investments. Indigenous Peoples and local communities, often the best custodians of tropical forests, receive disproportionately little support to secure their rights and manage their territories effectively. Where these communities hold stewardship, forests are better safeguarded, and deforestation rates dwindle.
The Forest Pathways 2023 report serves as a resounding wake-up call. It highlights the urgency for nations and businesses to redouble their efforts, uphold commitments, and channel resources towards forest protection and restoration to avert a looming ecological and climatic catastrophe.
