UN issues stark warning: forests are under serious threat

The United Nations has issued a stark warning: forests, the planet’s most powerful natural defense mechanism, are under serious threat. Decades of efforts to preserve forests—key natural barriers against rising atmospheric carbon dioxide—are now jeopardized by the accelerating climate crisis. This sobering conclusion comes from experts of the UN European Economic Commission (UNECE), as reported by Anadolu Agency.

The situation has become critical due to an increase in wildfires and droughts, driven by higher temperatures, reduced air humidity, and widespread pest invasions.

Across the UNECE region—comprising Europe, North America, the Caucasus, and Central Asia—there are over 1.76 billion hectares of forests, accounting for more than 40% of the world's forest cover.

Although the total forest area in the region has grown by 60 million hectares—mainly in Europe and Central Asia—the global outlook is grim: approximately 10.9 million hectares of forest disappear each year.

In 2021, wildfires destroyed 12.6 million hectares of forest—an area comparable to Greece—reported UNECE spokesperson Paola Deda. An additional 73 million hectares, roughly equivalent to the combined areas of Spain and Portugal, were affected by pests and diseases.

“If these trends persist, forests that currently serve as a major carbon sink risk turning into a source of emissions, threatening the achievement of global climate goals,” warned Deda.

Supported by member states, UNECE is implementing programs to protect forests, including measures to combat acid rain in Central Europe, which previously inflicted severe damage to ecosystems.

Since 1990, areas designated for biodiversity conservation, soil protection, and water resource safeguarding have doubled. Currently, more than 300 million hectares of forests are under legal protection—territory comparable to the entire area of Italy.

However, UNECE emphasizes that climate change is accelerating forest degradation, threatening to undo decades of ecological progress.

Special attention is given to the role of boreal forests, which surround the Arctic and contain about 32% of all terrestrial carbon reserves. Melting permafrost and rising temperatures adversely impact these forests, requiring coordinated international policies for their protection.

Ahead of the upcoming climate summit in Belém, Brazil, UNECE has called on global leaders to intensify efforts to safeguard forests, including fire prevention, pest control, and large-scale reforestation initiatives.

According to the organization, carbon stocks in forests have increased by 11% since 1990. “The world’s largest forest nation is not Brazil, but Russia,” Deda recalled. “While the climate conference is taking place in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the forests of the northern regions that play a crucial role in stabilizing the planet’s climate.”

“All the achievements of the past three decades are now under serious threat due to the climate crisis. We cannot afford to lose the planet’s most powerful natural defense mechanism,” warned UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molchan.

She noted that the damage to forests could be so extensive that restoration might become impossible. “The international community, especially the leaders gathering in Belém, must realize: forest conservation is no longer just an environmental issue—it is the foundation of global carbon security,” she stressed.