Why in the news?

  • Forest Declaration Assessment (an annual peer-reviewed global forest progress tracker) was released Forest Declaration Assessment 2025

Forest Declaration Assessment 2025

  • Context: Follow-up to the 2021 COP26 pledge by world leaders to end deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.
  • Global Forest Status:
    • Deforestation trend: World remains 63 % off-track from the 2030 goal.
    • Forest loss (2024):
      • 8.1 million ha lost globally (≈ area of Austria).
      • 6.73 million ha lost from tropical forests alone.
    • Main cause: Permanent agriculture (≈ 86 % of deforestation), particularly for soy, beef, palm oil, timber.
  • Forest Restoration Efforts:
    • Restoration target (COP26): Restore 30 % of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
    • Current progress:
      • Only 10.6 million ha are under active restoration.
      • This equals 5.4 % of potential reforestation and just 0.3 % of total biophysical forest restoration potential.
    • Inference: Ecosystem restoration efforts remain marginal and insufficient.
  • Financial Imbalance:
    • Finance for forests (2022-24): $5.7 billion → an increase from $1.7 billion (2018-20).
    • Agriculture subsidies: $409 billion annually — the main driver of deforestation.
    • Needed finance: $117 – $299 billion per year to meet 2030 forest goals.
    • Quote (Erin Matson): Incentives remain “completely backwards” — we don’t need to destroy forests to meet commodity demand.
    • Financial institutions: Only 40 % of those exposed to deforestation risk have relevant mitigation policies.
  • Governance & Rights Gaps:
    • Insecure land rights and weak law enforcement undermine conservation.
    • Limited participation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and especially women in forest governance.
    • Women’s involvement has proven to enhance conservation, but is still underrepresented.
    • Industry dominance: Political–economic power of extractive and agro-industrial sectors outweighs conservation priorities.
  • India-Specific Observation:
    • India finalised rules under the amended Forest (Conservation) Act, 2023-24, reducing protections for several forest areas.
    • The report notes this undermines rights of forest-dependent communities and may accelerate degradation.
  • Broader Implications:
    • Forest loss threatens:
      • 80 % of terrestrial biodiversity.
      • Global climate stability, by reducing carbon sinks essential for keeping warming under 1.5 °C.
    • The failure to slow deforestation endangers the 2030 biodiversity and climate goals and UN SDG 15 (Life on Land).

EnBUZZER – 17 OCTOBER 2025