As communities around the world hail glimpses of resurgent urban wildlife and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions related to the COVID-19 shutdown, other environmental news is somewhat disappointing, says Robert Nasi, the director general of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
For example, he points out, this week the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association reported a sharp increase in global carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, while the pandemic shows no immediate signs of altering rates of deforestation in a positive direction.
Nasi, one of the world’s top forestry experts, delivered the remarks after key preliminary findings of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA) were launched by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealing that the world is still losing 10 million ha of forests annually.
Forests News interviewed Nasi, who dug into the data from the report, which is released every five years by FAO.
Nasi shaped his responses in the context of various internationally agreed development and environmental policy frameworks, referring to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABT) established under the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the New York Declaration on Forests, (NYDF) which was agreed at U.N. climate talks in 2014.
Read the interview at Forests News.
Finally…
…thank you for reading this story. Our mission is to make them freely accessible to everyone, no matter where they are.
We believe that lasting and impactful change starts with changing the way people think. That’s why we amplify the diverse voices the world needs to hear – from local restoration leaders to Indigenous communities and women who lead the way.
By supporting us, not only are you supporting the world’s largest knowledge-led platform devoted to sustainable and inclusive landscapes, but you’re also becoming a vital part of a global movement that’s working tirelessly to create a healthier world for us all.
Every donation counts – no matter the amount. Thank you for being a part of our mission.
