The United Nations’ Global Forest Goals Report 2021, recently in the news, indicates that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated difficulties faced by countries in managing their forests. This report compiled by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations provides a preliminary overview of progress on goals and targets encompassed in the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2030.
Key Points from the Report
The report highlights several key findings, among them is the distressing impact of Covid-19, leading to systemic vulnerabilities and inequalities. It’s not just a health crisis; these complications are manifesting in the loss of lives and livelihoods, extreme poverty, inequality, food insecurity, and put the ‘Future We Want’ further out of reach.
The Impact of Covid-19 on Global Output
In 2020, world gross product fell by an estimated 4.3%, representing the sharpest contraction of global output since the Great Depression. This economic downturn can be attributed to the devastating effects of the pandemic.
How Covid-19 threatens the Lifesaving Role of Forests
Forests are essential to about 1.6 billion people, 25% of the global population. These individuals count on forests for subsistence needs, livelihoods, employment, and income. With the pandemic’s fallout, these forest-dependent populations are facing job losses, reduced income levels, and limited access to vital resources and services.
Increased Pressure on Forest due to Pandemic
The pandemic has escalated the pressure on forests. As people grapple with growing vulnerability, many have retreated deeper into the forests, seeking food, fuel, shelter, and protection from the risks of Covid-19.
Threat of Biodiversity Crisis
In addition to the challenges presented by the pandemic, the ‘Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) revealed an impending threat to biodiversity. The report found that one million species are at risk of extinction and about 100 million hectares of tropical forest were lost from 1980 to 2000.
Potential Solutions
The report suggests that a resilient recovery from the pandemic and response to climate and biodiversity crises must be rooted in the world’s forests. Sustainably resourced and managed forests can enhance employment, disaster risk reduction, food security and social safety nets, among other benefits.
Status of World Forest Area
According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA 2020) report, the world’s total forest area stands at 4.06 billion hectares (bha), approximately 31% of the total land area. This translates to 0.52 hectares per person.
Forest Cover in India
As per the India State of Forest Report, 2019, the total forest and tree cover is 24.56% of the geographical area of the country. The National Forest Policy of India, 1988 envisages achieving 33% of the country’s geographical area under forest and tree cover.
United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030
Created with a mission to promote sustainable forest management and enhance the role of forests and trees in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, The United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 features a set of six Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be achieved by 2030. This includes a target to increase forest area by 3% worldwide by 2030, signifying an increase of 120 million hectares.
