Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020

News: The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020(FRA 2020) has been released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO).

Facts:

• The report presents a comprehensive view of the world’s forests and the ways in which the resource is changing.
• It is based on the assessment of more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period of 1990–2020.

Key takeaways:

• Total forest area: The world’s total forest area is 4.06 billion hectares (bha) which is 31% of the total land area. 
• Countries with Highest forest cover: Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, United States of America and China constituted more than 54% of the world’s forests.
• Decline in rate of forest loss:The rate of net forest loss decreased substantially during the period of 1990–2020.
• Forest Area:During the last decade Forest area has increased in Asia, Oceania and Europe while the highest rate of net forest losses were recorded in Africa followed by South America.
• Types of forest loss: The largest proportion of the world’s forests are tropical (45%), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical.
• Plantation Forests: The highest percent of plantation forests were in South America while the lowest were in Europe.

Additional Facts:

FAO:

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.It is headquartered in Rome,Italy. 
• Aim: To achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
• Reports:
  • Global Food Price Index 
  • State of the World’s Forests report among others.