Why In News?

A recent United Nations report reveals that over 460 million hectares of forests are currently degraded worldwide because ecosystems are damaging faster than they can recover.

Highlights of the Report

The FAO’s State of the World’s Forests 2026 (SOFO 2026) highlights the growing scale of forest degradation and land deterioration worldwide. The report proposes a restoration strategy focused on ecological quality, community participation, sustainable land use and stronger financing.

Global Forest and Land Degradation

  • Degraded Forests: Around 460 million hectares of forests have suffered degradation due to human activities and climate-related pressures.

  • Land Degradation: Globally, about 1.56 billion hectares of land are degraded, accounting for nearly 15.39% of the world’s land area.

  • Forest Loss: Since 1990, the world has lost nearly 489 million hectares of forest because of deforestation.

  • Primary Forest Decline: Global primary forests decreased by 110 million hectares between 1990 and 2025. Naturally regenerating forests also declined by about 324 million hectares.

  • Global Forest Cover: In 2025, forests covered around 4.14 billion hectares, equal to nearly 32% of global land area.

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  • Natural Disturbances: Wildfires affect about 127 million hectares of forests every year, while insects, diseases and extreme weather damage another 50 million hectares or more annually.

What Is Driving Forest Degradation?

  • Rising Human Pressure: Population growth, urban expansion, infrastructure development and increasing demand for food, timber and energy continue to place pressure on forests and land.

  • Agricultural Expansion: Agriculture contributes more than 60% of human-induced land degradation, involving around 480 million hectares of cropland and 560 million hectares of pasture.

  • Forest-Level Pressures: Selective logging, repeated fires, excessive fuelwood collection, overgrazing and habitat fragmentation further weaken forest ecosystems.

Global Restoration Gap

  • KMGBF Target: Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) seeks to place at least 30% of degraded terrestrial ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030.

  • Restoration Requirement: This target translates into roughly 469 million hectares of terrestrial ecosystems requiring restoration.

  • Current Progress: Country reports under the Convention on Biological Diversity show only about 206.5 million hectares currently under active restoration.

  • Forest Restoration: Under FRA 2025, countries reported around 44 million hectares of forests under active restoration against national commitments covering about 190 million hectares.

Four Pathways for Sustainable Restoration

  • People-Centred Approach: Give Indigenous Peoples and local communities a central role by protecting land rights, using traditional knowledge and ensuring fair sharing of benefits.

  • Landscape-Based Restoration: Select interventions according to local conditions, including assisted natural regeneration, agroforestry, sustainable silviculture and watershed management.

  • Finance and Business: Combine public, private and blended finance to support sustainable bioeconomy activities and long-term land management.

  • Policy and Legal Alignment: Coordinate policies covering forests, agriculture, water and climate, while incorporating restoration targets into national laws and frameworks.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Land degradation is not merely an environmental crisis but a direct threat to national food security and rural livelihoods. Analyze. 150 words