Some experts say that the world is cutting down too many trees than it can replace. This prompted many people to fear for the future, imagining a world where there are more concrete structures than trees. And the problem isn’t just that: wood is an extremely valuable resource that’s ideal for applications where materials like metal and plastic can’t fit.

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A Look At Global
Reforestation Efforts

2. Some experts say that the world is cutting down too many trees than it can replace.
This prompted many people to fear for the future, imagining a world where there are
more concrete structures than trees. And the problem isn’t just that: wood is an
extremely valuable resource that’s ideal for applications where materials like metal and
plastic can’t fit.
As it turns out, those fears are not exactly true. Various global organizations claim that
deforestation is gradually slowing down and that there is more to come.
Official Data
The size of the world’s forests did shrink, without a doubt. Population increase
demanded more resources like wood; forests are being converted for agricultural use.
It’s natural that these developments will cause more trees to be cut down. Since 1990,
over 129 million hectares of woodland has been lost. That’s as big as the entirety of
South Africa.

3. But according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations, global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 percent in the last 25
years. They say it’s due to various governmental efforts putting forested lands under
protection throughout the world. The FAO observed the efforts of 234 nations and
territories.
Researchers reveal that the annual rate of forest loss has slowed down from 0.18
percent to only 0.08 percent. That’s a massive change from the early 90s to a period
spanning 2010-2015. It’s worth noting that a good 93 percent of the world’s forests are
classified as “natural.” Planted forests, on the other hand, comprise the remaining 7
percent. And the area included in this classification has grown 110 million hectares
since the height of deforestation in 1990.
Other Efforts
In the US, reforestation efforts are also very commendable. Americans plant at least
1.6 billion trees every year. That’s equivalent to planting six trees for every tree cut
down. About 5 million new trees are planted daily, putting the nation’s strong
reforestation records in the spotlight. This massive drive helped exceed the amount of
trees planted relative to ones harvested by as much as 33 percent.

4. Resources:
 http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/326911/icode/
 https://www.bugwood.org/intensive/forest_tree_planting.html
 http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-06-27/what-chinas-successful-reforestation-
program-means-rest-world
 http://sunshinehardwoodflooring.com/
The Chinese are also not to be outdone. China introduced the Natural Forest Conservation
Program after the 1998 floods, which constituted massive logging bans. They also
instituted the Grain to Green program, which involved reconverting agricultural lands into
forested areas. Both efforts resulted in significant improvements in China’s forested area
sizes over the last 15 years. China has so far gained an additional 46,000 square miles of
forests due to their initiatives.
Is the world running out of forests? Not likely. People are learning how to manage
woodlands and prove that trees are actually a renewable resource.