(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 02 - Stopping deforestation, restoring degraded land and using forests in a sustainable way are the three ways to release their potential and recover from the impact of crises such as Covid, conflicts, climate tears and the loss of biodiversity, according to the 2022 FAO report on the state of forests in the world.
Stopping deforestation and maintaining forests alone could avoid emitting 3.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year between 2020 and 2050, about 14% of what is needed until 2030 to keep global warming below. below 1.5 ° C.
"The balanced and simultaneous pursuit of these paths can help address the crises facing people and the planet, while generating sustainable economic benefits, especially for rural communities," writes FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in the preface to the report. was presented at the World ForestryCongress in Seoul.
In addition to stopping deforestation, the second road indicated is the restoration of 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land and the increase in tree cover which could increase agricultural productivity by another billion diha.
Between 2020 and 2050, restoring degraded land through afforestation and reforestation could take up to 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent out of the atmosphere per year, similar to 325 million off-road gasoline cars each. year.
The third and final path is the sustainable use of forests and the construction of ecological value chains that would help meet future demand for materials - with a global consumption of all natural resources expected to more than double from 92 billion tons in 2017 to 190 billion. tons in 2060 - and would support sustainable economies with more job opportunities and safer livelihoods.
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