Global Forest Watch

Global Forest Watch upsc notes
  Context
    Study by World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch
    Significant decline in tropical forest cover (2022)
    Source: TH
  Key findings
    Loss: 4.1 million hectares
      Equivalent to 11 football fields disappearing every minute
    Primary forest cover loss in tropical regions
      10% higher in 2022 compared to previous year
    World not on track to meet forest-related commitments
      Goal 1: End deforestation by 2030
        Required: Deforestation rate decrease by at least 10% annually
        Actual: Deforestation rates reduced by 3.1% in 2022 (2018-2020 baseline)
        Exceeded necessary levels by over one million hectares
        Deviation from 2030 goal
      Goal 2: Restore 350 million hectares of lost and degraded forests by 2030
        Overall change in tree cover in last two decades: net loss of 100 million hectares
    Countries with significant forest cover losses
      Brazil
      Democratic Republic of Congo
    India
      Loss of 44 thousand hectares of humid primary forest (2021-22)
      17% of total tree cover loss during that period
  Primary forests
    Also known as old-growth forests or virgin forests
    Mature and undisturbed natural forests
    Have not experienced significant human intervention or alteration
    Reached ecological maturity
    Exhibit complex and diverse ecosystem
      Fully developed tree canopy layers
      Understory vegetation
      Rich biodiversity
    Significance
      Crucial role in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity
      Secondary forest regrowth cannot match primary forest ecological and carbon sequestration capabilities
  Global Forest Watch
    Launch: 2014
    Open-source web application
    Monitor global forests in near real-time
    Initiative of World Resources Institute
      Partners: Google, USAID, University of Maryland, Esri, Vizzuality, etc.
    Developer: World Resources Institute (WRI)

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