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Book (series)The State of the World’s Forests 2020
Forests, biodiversity and people
2020As the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020 comes to a close and countries prepare to adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, this edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Forests cover just over 30 percent of the global land area, yet they provide habitat for the vast majority of the terrestrial plant and animal species known to science. Unfortunately, forests and the biodiversity they contain continue to be under threat from actions to convert the land to agriculture or unsustainable levels of exploitation, much of it illegal.The State of the World’s Forests 2020 assesses progress to date in meeting global targets and goals related to forest biodiversity and examines the effectiveness of policies, actions and approaches, in terms of both conservation and sustainable development outcomes. A series of case studies provide examples of innovative practices that combine conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity to create balanced solutions for both people and the planet. -
Book (stand-alone)The status of Mediterranean forests 2025 2025
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No results found.The Mediterranean region faces mounting challenges from climate change, population growth and persistent inequalities especially affecting youth and women. A sustainable transition is urgently needed to promote low-carbon, inclusive growth while safeguarding ecological integrity and resilience. Regional cooperation, education reform and robust monitoring are key to this transformation.Forests and wooded lands cover 28 percent of the region, with croplands and grasslands dominating. Forest area within Mediterranean countries grew by 12 percent between 1990 and 2020, but gains have slowed and requires enhanced sustainable forest management. Climate change is accelerating threats, such as wildfires, droughts, pests and land degradation, while land-use trends diverge across subregions.Restoration is gaining momentum, with 80 million hectares identified for potential recovery. Between 2017 and 2022, up to 2.3 million hectares were put under restoration under the Agadir Commitment. Restoration efforts increasingly integrate local communities, diverse species and traditional knowledge. However, long-term funding, monitoring and ecological planning remain limited.Wildfires in the region are intensifying, with an average of about 1 600 fires burning almost 400 000 hectares annually. Western Mediterranean countries are normally the most affected, in terms of both number of fires and area burned. Integrated fire management, including prevention, post-fire restoration and regional cooperation, is essential.Urban expansion, projected to grow by 160 percent by 2030, calls for better management of urban and peri-urban forests, which offer vital ecosystem services and social benefits. Governance must reflect the unique urban–rural interface.Effective forest management depends on integrated monitoring systems. Strengthening data collection, leveraging technologies, and fostering collaboration especially with local communities, will be critical to tracking progress and guiding sustainable action. -
Book (stand-alone)Advancing the forest and water nexus - A capacity development facilitation guide 2019Forests are intrinsically linked to water – forested watersheds provide 75 percent of our accessible freshwater resources (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005) – and both forest and water resources are relevant to the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Despite the important interlinkages, the forest-water nexus is often unaccounted for in policy and planning. For example, three quarters of forests are not managed for soil and water conservation, which poses a fundamental challenge to achieving sustainable and resilient communities and ecosystems. It is paramount to employ an integrated approach to forest and water resources in management and policy that takes into account the complexity and contextual nature of forest-water relationships. To achieve this, we must improve our understanding of forest-water relationships within local contexts and at different scales, as well as our ability to design, implement, and learn from landscape approaches that both rely on these forest-water relationships, and impact them. In this context, FAO’s Forest and Water Programme has developed a module-based capacity development facilitation guide for project and community stakeholders involved in forest, water and natural resource management to ensure we apply our knowledge to better manage forests and trees for their multiple benefits, including water quantity, quality and the associated socio-economic benefits that people within and outside forests so heavily depend on.
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