Posted on abril, 29 2015

The majority of global deforestation will happen in tropical countries like Madagascar. Eleven places in the world – 10 of which are in the tropics – will account for over 80 per cent of forest loss globally by 2030, according to research released by WWF.
 
If nothing is done to reverse current trends, we could lose up to 170 million hectares of forest between 2010 and 2030. By the year 2050, these losses could amount to over 230 million hectares.
 
“To represent the size of 170 million hectares imagine a forest stretching across Germany, France, Spain and Portugal wiped out in just 20 years,” says Rod Taylor, Director of WWF’s global forest programme. “We’re looking at how we can tackle that risk to save the communities and cultures that depend on forests, and ensure forests continue to store carbon, filter our water, supply wood and provide habitat for millions of species.”
 
The Situation in Madagascar
 
Deforestation is one of the most significant issues facing Madagascar’s environment. In 2010, Madagascar had 9.3 million hectares of forest. From 2005 to 2010 Madagascar the country experienced a deforestation rate of 0.4%. It is suspected that rate will have increased during the period of political turmoil from 2009 to 2013, however using 0.4% as a baseline, the amount of forest hectares will be reduced to 8 million hectares by 2050 – a 14% drop in total forest cover.
 
A recent report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that Madagascar has 114 threatened mammal species – the second highest number for any country in the world.
 
The main threat to these species is habitat loss caused by deforestation.
 
“Deforestation is not just a conservation issue. It’s an economic and social issue,” says Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, Country Director of WWF Madagascar. “Without a substantial reduction in deforestation and forest degradation, the global economic cost of climate change will surge and many people who rely on forests could lose their livelihoods and way of life.”
 
Causes and Solutions
 
Both in Madagascar and globally, the biggest cause of deforestation is expanding agriculture. Unsustainable logging and fuelwood collection can contribute to forest degradation, or “death by a thousand cuts,” while mining, hydroelectricity and other infrastructure projects bring new roads that open forests to settlers and agriculture.
 
“The threats to forests are bigger than one company or industry, and they often cross national borders. They require solutions that look at the whole landscape,” says Taylor. “This means collaborative land-use decision-making that accounts for the needs of business, communities and nature.”
 
The report is being released at an international summit on tropical landscapes being held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
 
“The summit is an opportunity to advance green investment and build transformational public-private partnerships,” says WWF International Director General Marco Lambertini, who will address the summit. “We need smart land-use planning that recognizes the long-term value of healthy forest landscapes.”
 
This latest report is Chapter 5 in a series of reports WWF has produced on the world’s forests. This report and the first 4 Chapters, are all available for download at www.panda.org.
 
About the Living Forests Report:
The Living Forests Report aims to catalyse debate on the future role and value of forests in a world where humanity is living within the Earth’s ecological limits and sharing its resources equitably. The Living Forests Model, which WWF developed with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, forms the basis for the Living Forests Report.
 
About WWF:
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.