TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Deforestation

Deforestation Figures for Selected Countries



Countries

Afghanistan  |   Albania  |   Algeria  |   American Samoa  |   Andorra  |   Angola  |   Anguilla  |   Antigua and Barbuda  |   Argentina  |   Armenia  |   Aruba  |   Australia  |   Austria  |   Azerbaijan  |   Bahamas  |   Bahrain  |   Bangladesh  |   Barbados  |   Belarus  |   Belgium  |   Belize  |   Benin  |   Bermuda  |   Bhutan  |   Bolivia  |   Bosnia and Herzegovina  |   Botswana  |   Brazil  |   Brunei  |   Brunei Darussalam  |   Bulgaria  |   Burkina Faso  |   Burundi  |   Cambodia  |   Cameroon  |   Canada  |   Cape Verde  |   Caribbean  |   Cayman Islands  |   Central African Republic  |   Central America  |   Chad  |   Chile  |   China  |   Colombia  |   Comoros  |   Congo  |   Costa Rica  |   Cote díIvoire  |   Croatia  |   Cuba  |   Cyprus  |   Czech Republic  |   Denmark  |   Djibouti  |   Dominica  |   Dominican Republic  |   DR Congo  |   East Timor  |   Ecuador  |   Egypt  |   El Salvador  |   Equatorial Guinea  |   Eritrea  |   Estonia  |   Ethiopia  |   Falkland Islands  |   Fiji  |   Finland  |   France  |   French Guiana  |   French Polynesia  |   Gabon  |   Gambia  |   Georgia  |   Germany  |   Ghana  |   Greece  |   Greenland  |   Grenada  |   Guadeloupe  |   Guam  |   Guatemala  |   Guinea  |   Guinea-Bissau  |   Guyana  |   Haiti  |   Honduras  |   Hong Kong  |   Hungary  |   Iceland  |   India  |   Indonesia  |   Iran  |   Iraq  |   Ireland  |   Israel  |   Italy  |   Jamaica  |   Japan  |   Jersey  |   Jordan  |   Kazakhstan  |   Kenya  |   Kiribati  |   Kuwait  |   Kyrgyzstan  |   Laos  |   Laos  |   Latvia  |   Lebanon  |   Lesotho  |   Liberia  |   Libya  |   Liechtenstein  |   Lithuania  |   Luxembourg  |   Macau  |   Macedonia  |   Madagascar  |   Malawi  |   Malaysia  |   Maldives  |   Mali  |   Malta  |   Marshall Islands  |   Martinique  |   Mauritania  |   Mauritius  |   Mayotte  |   Mexico  |   Micronesia  |   Moldova  |   Monaco  |   Mongolia  |   Montserrat  |   Morocco  |   Mozambique  |   Myanmar  |   Namibia  |   Nauru  |   Nepal  |   Netherlands  |   Netherlands Antilles  |   New Caledonia  |   New Zealand  |   Nicaragua  |   Niger  |   Nigeria  |   North Korea  |   Northern Mariana Islands  |   Norway  |   Oceania  |   Oman  |   Pakistan  |   Palau  |   Palestine  |   Panama  |   Papua New Guinea  |   Paraguay  |   Peru  |   Philippines  |   Pitcairn  |   Poland  |   Portugal  |   Puerto Rico  |   Qatar  |   Reunion  |   Romania  |   Russia  |   Russian Federation  |   Rwanda  |   Saint Helena  |   Saint Lucia  |   Samoa  |   San Marino  |   Sao Tome and Principe  |   Saudi Arabia  |   Senegal  |   Serbia and Montenegro  |   Seychelles  |   Sierra Leone  |   Singapore  |   Slovakia  |   Slovenia  |   Solomon Islands  |   Somalia  |   South Africa  |   South America  |   South Korea  |   Spain  |   Sri Lanka  |   Sudan  |   Suriname  |   Swaziland  |   Sweden  |   Switzerland  |   Syria  |   Taiwan  |   Tajikistan  |   Tanzania  |   Thailand  |   Timor-Leste  |   Togo  |   Tokelau  |   Tonga  |   Trinidad and Tobago  |   Tunisia  |   Turkey  |   Turkmenistan  |   Turks and Caicos Islands  |   Tuvalu  |   Uganda  |   Ukraine  |   United Arab Emirates  |   United Kingdom  |   United States  |   United States of America  |   United States Virgin Islands  |   Uruguay  |   Uzbekistan  |   Vanuatu  |   Venezuela  |   Viet Nam  |   Vietnam  |   Virgin Islands  |   Western Sahara  |   Yemen  |   Zambia  |   Zimbabwe

Deforestation figures and charts
Summarized forest cover data including emissions from deforestation (when available)

Afghanistan  |   Albania  |   Algeria  |   American Samoa  |   Andorra  |   Angola  |   Anguilla  |   Antigua and Barbuda  |   Argentina  |   Armenia  |   Aruba  |   Australia  |   Austria  |   Azerbaijan  |   Bahamas  |   Bahrain  |   Bangladesh  |   Barbados  |   Belarus  |   Belgium  |   Belize  |   Benin  |   Bermuda  |   Bhutan  |   Bolivia  |   Bosnia and Herzegovina  |   Botswana  |   Brazil  |   British Indian Ocean Territory  |   British Virgin Islands  |   Brunei Darussalam  |   Bulgaria  |   Burkina Faso  |   Burundi  |   Cambodia  |   Cameroon  |   Canada  |   Cape Verde  |   Cayman Islands  |   Central African Republic  |   Chad  |   Channel Islands  |   Chile  |   China  |   Colombia  |   Comoros  |   Congo  |   Cook Islands  |   Costa Rica  |   Côte d'Ivoire  |   Croatia  |   Cuba  |   Cyprus  |   Czech Republic  |   Democratic Republic of the Congo  |   Denmark  |   Djibouti  |   Dominica  |   Dominican Republic  |   Ecuador  |   Egypt  |   El Salvador  |   Equatorial Guinea  |   Eritrea  |   Estonia  |   Ethiopia  |   Faeroe Islands  |   Falkland Islands  |   Fiji  |   Finland  |   France  |   French Guiana  |   French Polynesia  |   Gabon  |   Gambia  |   Georgia  |   Germany  |   Ghana  |   Gibraltar  |   Greece  |   Greenland  |   Grenada  |   Guadeloupe  |   Guam  |   Guatemala  |   Guinea  |   Guinea-Bissau  |   Guyana  |   Haiti  |   Holy See  |   Honduras  |   Hungary  |   Iceland  |   India  |   Indonesia  |   Iran  |   Iraq  |   Ireland  |   Isle of Man  |   Israel  |   Italy  |   Jamaica  |   Japan  |   Jordan  |   Kazakhstan  |   Kenya  |   Kiribati  |   Kuwait  |   Kyrgyzstan  |   Laos  |   Latvia  |   Lebanon  |   Lesotho  |   Liberia  |   Libya  |   Liechtenstein  |   Lithuania  |   Luxembourg  |   Macedonia  |   Madagascar  |   Malawi  |   Malaysia  |   Maldives  |   Mali  |   Malta  |   Marshall Islands  |   Martinique  |   Mauritania  |   Mauritius  |   Mayotte  |   Mexico  |   Micronesia  |   Moldova  |   Monaco  |   Mongolia  |   Montserrat  |   Morocco  |   Mozambique  |   Myanmar  |   Namibia  |   Nauru  |   Nepal  |   Netherlands  |   Netherlands Antilles  |   New Caledonia  |   New Zealand  |   Nicaragua  |   Niger  |   Nigeria  |   Niue  |   North Korea  |   Northern Mariana Islands  |   Norway  |   Oman  |   Pakistan  |   Palau  |   Palestine  |   Panama  |   Papua New Guinea  |   Paraguay  |   Peru  |   Philippines  |   Pitcairn  |   Poland  |   Portugal  |   Puerto Rico  |   Qatar  |   Réunion  |   Romania  |   Russian Federation  |   Rwanda  |   Saint Helena  |   Saint Kitts and Nevis  |   Saint Lucia  |   Saint Pierre and Miquelon  |   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  |   Samoa  |   San Marino  |   Sao Tome and Principe  |   Saudi Arabia  |   Senegal  |   Serbia and Montenegro  |   Seychelles  |   Sierra Leone  |   Singapore  |   Slovakia  |   Slovenia  |   Solomon Islands  |   Somalia  |   South Africa  |   South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  |   South Korea  |   Spain  |   Sri Lanka  |   Sudan  |   Suriname  |   Swaziland  |   Sweden  |   Switzerland  |   Syrian Arab Republic  |   Tajikistan  |   Tanzania  |   Thailand  |   Timor-Leste  |   Togo  |   Tokelau  |   Tonga  |   Trinidad and Tobago  |   Tunisia  |   Turkey  |   Turkmenistan  |   Turks and Caicos Islands  |   Tuvalu  |   Uganda  |   Ukraine  |   United Arab Emirates  |   United Kingdom  |   United States  |   United States Virgin Islands  |   Uruguay  |   Uzbekistan  |   Vanuatu  |   Venezuela  |   Viet Nam  |   Wallis and Futuna Islands  |   Western Sahara  |   Yemen  |   Zambia  |   Zimbabwe

Recent deforestation news articles
[from the deforestation blog]

Brazil's success in reducing deforestation will be hard to replicate

(04/23/2013) The sharp reduction in deforestation in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso since the mid-2000s will be difficult to replicate in other tropical countries where commodity production is a major driver in forest loss, argues a new study published in a special issue of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.


RSPO failing to meet sustainability objectives for palm oil production, says WWF

(04/23/2013) An initiative that aims to improve the social and environmental performance of palm oil production is faltering in its mission by failing to establish strong performance standards on greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide use, argues a new statement issued by WWF, the initiative's biggest green supporter.


The river of plenty: uncovering the secrets of the amazing Mekong

(04/23/2013) Home to giant catfish and stingrays, feeding over 60 million people, and with the largest abundance of freshwater fish in the world, the Mekong River, and its numerous tributaries, brings food, culture, and life to much of Southeast Asia. Despite this, little is known about the biodiversity and ecosystems of the Mekong, which is second only to the Amazon in terms of freshwater biodiversity. Meanwhile, the river is facing an existential crisis in the form of 77 proposed dams, while population growth, pollution, and development further imperil this understudied, but vast, ecosystem.


Malaysia may be home to more Asian tapirs than previously thought (photos)

(04/23/2013) You can't mistake an Asian tapir for anything else: for one thing, it's the only tapir on the continent; for another, it's distinct black-and-white blocky markings distinguishes it from any other tapir (or large mammal) on Earth. But still little is known about the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus), including the number surviving. However, researchers in Malaysia are working to change that: a new study for the first time estimates population density for the neglected megafauna, while another predicts where populations may still be hiding in peninsular Malaysia, including selectively-logged areas.


Low carbon prices may spur deforestation

(04/23/2013) Low carbon prices may spur deforestation in New Zealand according to a survey by a researcher at Canterbury University.


A new tool against illegal logging: tree DNA technology goes mainstream

(04/22/2013) Modern DNA technology offers a unique opportunity: you could pinpoint the origin of your table at home and track down if the trees it was made from were illegally obtained. Each wooden piece of furniture comes with a hidden natural barcode that can tell its story from a sapling in a forest all the way to your living room.


Indonesian palm oil industry would support land swaps to protect forest, while expanding production

(04/19/2013) Indonesian palm oil companies would support land swaps as a means to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation while simultaneously expanding production, representatives from the country's largest association of palm oil producers told mongabay.com in an interview last month.


To win concessions in Aceh, mining company hires official being investigated for graft

(04/18/2013) A Toronto Stock Exchange-listed mining company has hired an official being investigated for corruption under its effort to convince the Aceh provincial government to re-zone protected forest areas for a gold mine on Indonesia's Sumatra island, according to an alliance of Indonesian environmentalists. The official, former Golkar Deputy Chairman Fadel Muhammad, has been retained by East Asia Minerals to help it win a carve-out for its Miwah project, a 30,000-hectare concession atop a forested mountain in Aceh.


Brazil threatens $282m in fines for beef linked to Amazon deforestation

(04/17/2013) Federal prosecutors in Brazil are threatening to fine 26 beef producers $282 million for buying cattle raised in illegally deforested areas and on Indian reservations, reports Reuters.


Conservation policies that boost farm yields may ultimately undermine forest protection, argues study

(04/17/2013) Rising agricultural profitability due to higher prices, improved crop productivity, and forest conservation itself could make it increasingly difficult for conservation programs tied to payments for ecosystem services to succeed, warns a study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


Mining company working with Indonesian govt to strip forest of protected status

(04/16/2013) A Toronto-listed mining company says it is working closely with the Indonesian government to strip the protected status of some 1.2 million hectares of forest on the island of Sumatra. In a statement issued Tuesday, East Asia Minerals Corporation (TSX:EAS) claimed it is actively involved in the process of devising a new spatial plan for Aceh province, Sumatra's western-most province. The proposed changes to the spatial plan, which governs land use in the province, would re-zone large areas of protected forest in Aceh for industrial activities.


Illegal logging threatens lowland forests in Indonesian national park

(04/16/2013) Illegal logging in the heart of Indonesia’s Gunung Palung National Park may be putting one of the country’s last remaining lowland forests at risk. The park, located in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo, is home to a number of endangered species including hornbills and gibbons, as well as around 2,500 orangutans, and is the site of a research station that has been collecting data on the forest for more than 20 years.


Will Indonesia renew its moratorium on new forest conversion licenses?

(04/12/2013) Indonesia’s forestry minister has again said that the country will extend its two-year moratorium on primary forest and peatland conversion, which is set to expire next month.


Fighting deforestation—and corruption—in Indonesia

(04/11/2013) The basic premise of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) program seems simple: rich nations pay tropical countries for preserving their forests. Yet the program has made relatively limited progress on the ground since 2007, when the concept got tentative go-ahead during U.N. climate talks in Bali. The reasons for the stagnation are myriad, but despite the simplicity of the idea, implementing REDD+ is extraordinarily complex. Still the last few years have provided lessons for new pilot projects by testing what does and doesn't work. Today a number of countries have REDD+ projects, some of which are even generating carbon credits in voluntary markets. By supporting credibly certified projects, companies and individuals can claim to "offset" their emissions by keeping forests standing. However one of the countries expected to benefit most from REDD+ has been largely on the sidelines. Indonesia's REDD+ program has been held up by numerous factors, but perhaps the biggest challenge for REDD+ in Indonesia is corruption.


New species tree-dwelling porcupine discovered in critically threatened Brazilian habitat

(04/11/2013) Scientists in Brazil have described a new species of tree-dwelling porcupine in the country's most endangered ecosystems. The description is published in last week's issue of Zootaxa.


International Paper commits to working with longtime foe to protect endangered forests

(04/10/2013) In another sign that the global paper industry may be steering toward more sustainable practices following years of bruising activist campaigns and pressure from buyers, International Paper (IP) has committed to identifying and protecting endangered forests and high conservation value areas in the southern U.S. The company, which is the world's largest paper maker, will be partnering with its tenacious NGO critic, the Dogwood Alliance, in order to map out forests in the region and, furthermore, move away from converting natural forests into pine plantations.


Sarawak to protect population of rarest orangutan sub-species

(04/10/2013) After facilitating large-scale logging and conversion of extensive areas of rainforest habitat, the government of Sarawak says it will protect a population of up to 200 of the world’s rarest Bornean orangutans recently identified during field surveys by conservationists, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).


Entire planet will soon have rapid deforestation detection system

(04/09/2013) World Resources Institute (WRI) today previewed a long-awaited tool that could revolutionize global forest monitoring, reports the UN Forum on Forests, which is meeting this week in Istanbul, Turkey.


6 lessons for stopping deforestation on the frontier

(04/09/2013) In 1984, at the tail end of the Brazilian dictatorship, I took up residence in a frontier town called Paragominas in the eastern Amazon. I went to study rainforests and pasture restoration, but soon became captivated as well by the drama of the frontier itself. Forests were hotly contested among cattle ranchers, smallholder communities, land speculators and more than a hundred logging companies, sometimes with fatal results. If we are to meet rising global demand for food, conserve tropical forests, and mitigate climate change at the pace that is necessary, we must become much better at taming aggressive, lawless tropical forest frontiers where people are making a lot of money cutting forests down.


REDD+ and Business Sustainability: A Guide to Reversing Deforestation for Forward Thinking Companies – book review

(04/08/2013) Brian McFarland has published a concise, yet comprehensive, DōShort book titled REDD+ and Business Sustainability.


Nordic energy giant launches 'no deforestation' policy

(04/07/2013) Neste Oil, a Finnish energy giant, has announced a new 'no deforestation' policy for sourcing palm oil. The company, which is one of the world's largest buyers of palm oil, had faced criticism from environmentalists for purchasing palm oil potentially linked to rainforest and peatland destruction in southeast Asia.


Investigation clears APP of deforestation allegations in Borneo

(04/04/2013) Two logging companies that supply Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) with timber have not violated the Indonesian forestry giant's new zero deforestation commitment, according to a field investigation by The Forest Trust, a conservation group. The investigation was a direct response to allegations raised in a report published last week by Relawan Pemantau Hutan Kalimantan (RPHK), a consortium of local NGOs in West Kalimantan, the western-most province in Indonesian Borneo. The RPHK report found evidence of active clearing within two concession areas linked to Asia Tani Persada (ATP) and Daya Tani Kalbar (DTK), companies that supply APP with timber for its pulp mills.


New giant tarantula that's taken media by storm likely Critically Endangered (photos)

(04/04/2013) Described by a number of media outlets as "the size of your face" a new tree-dwelling tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka has awed arachnophiliacs and terrified arachnophobes alike. But the new species, named Raja's tiger spider (Poecilotheria rajaei), is likely Critically Endangered according to the scientist that discovered it in northern Sri Lanka.


Can we meet rising food demand and save forests?

(04/03/2013) A few weeks ago the Skoll World Forum hosted an online debate on how increased global consumption can be balanced with sustainability. The debate asks how a rapidly growing world that is ever consuming can hope to feed everyone, and at the same time address the deforestation that is emitting massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and destroying the world’s greatest tropical forests. Many contributors made very strong points—even contradicting one another in their approaches and ideas.


Improving the rigor of measuring emissions from deforestation, agriculture

(04/03/2013) While much has been written about the potential of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by protecting tropical forests, a proposed program to do just that has been challenged by a number of factors, including concerns about the accuracy of measuring for carbon reductions. Failure to properly account for carbon could undermine the effectiveness of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) program as a tool for mitigating climate change and securing benefits for local people. To help address the technical issues that underpin carbon measurement, the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have launched a new Certificate in Advanced Terrestrial Carbon Accounting.


Conservation gets boost from new Landsat satellite

(04/03/2013) Efforts to monitor the world's forests and other ecosystems got a big boost in February with the launch of Landsat 8, NASA's newest earth observation satellite, which augments the crippled Landsat 7 currently orbiting Earth (technically Landsat 8 is still named the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) and will remain so until May when the USGS turns control of the satellite over to NASA). Landsat 8/LDCM is the most advanced Earth observation satellite to date. It is the eighth Landsat since the initial launch in 1972.


U.S. book industry using 24 percent recycled paper on average

(04/01/2013) From 2004 to 2010, book publishers increased their use of recycled fiber by nearly five times, from 5 percent to 24 percent on average, according to a new report by the Book Industry Environmental Council (BIEC) and Green Press Initiative. The report, which depends on voluntary statistics from the book industry, also found that nearly all (89 percent) of book publishers have environmental policies.


Jumping the gun? Confusion over APP deforestation report

(03/29/2013) On Thursday AFP reported that green groups have accused Indonesian forestry giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) of breaking its commitment to stop clearing natural forests and peatlands. But that's not entirely accurate. What the coalition of environmental groups in Indonesian Borneo actually reported was clearing by two companies that supply APP with fiber, not deforestation by APP-owned companies.


China's hunger for resources has big environmental impact in Latin America

(03/29/2013) Amazonian forest cleared in Ecuador, a mountain leveled in Peru, the Cerrado savannah converted to soy fields in Brazil and oil fields under development in Venezuela's Orinoco belt.


Brazilian govt confirms rise in deforestation

(03/28/2013) Brazil's National Space Research Agency INPE today confirmed an apparent rise in Amazon forest clearing for the four-month period ending February 28, 2013.


Conflict zones have higher deforestation rates in the Amazon

(03/28/2013) Areas in the Amazon where there is conflict over land tenure have higher deforestation rates than places where land rights are secure, finds a new study that assesses the effectiveness of indicators used to gauge the success of protected areas in Brazil.


Brazilian supermarkets ban beef linked to Amazon deforestation

(03/27/2013) A group representing 2,800 Brazilian supermarkets has signed an agreement barring beef linked to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest from their shelves.


APP suppliers allegedly slashing forests and peatlands in Indonesia, despite new 'no deforestation' policy

(03/27/2013) Less than two months after its implementation, two Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) suppliers in Indonesian Borneo have been accused of violating the company’s new sustainability policy, which includes a zero deforestation commitment throughout its entire supply chain.


As massive deforestation continues in Sumatra’s Tesso Nilo, Indonesian lawmakers pin blame on 'foreign' NGOs

(03/25/2013) Indonesian lawmakers criticized the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for its inability to stop deforestation in Sumatra, accusing the group of trying to destroy Indonesia’s reputation abroad and hurting the country’s economy.


Humans killed over 10 percent of the world's bird species when they colonized the Pacific Islands

(03/25/2013) Around 4,000 years ago intrepid Polynesian seafarers made their way into an untamed wilderness: the far-flung Pacific Islands. Over a thousands or so years, they rowed from one island to another, stepping on shores never yet seen by humans. While this vast colonization brought about a new era of human history, it also ended the existence of well-over a thousand bird species according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).


Conservation scientists: Aceh's spatial plan a risk to forests, wildlife, and people

(03/22/2013) A group of biologists and conservation scientists meeting in Sumatra warned that potential changes to Aceh's spatial plan could undermine some of the ecological services that underpin the Indonesian province's economy and well-being of its citizens. After its meeting from March 18-22 in Banda Aceh, the Asia chapter of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) issued a declaration [PDF] highlighting the importance of the region's tropical forest ecosystem, which is potentially at risk due to proposed changes to its spatial plan.


Roads could help protect the environment rather than destroy it, argues Nature paper

(03/22/2013) Rapidly expanding road networks are causing large-scale damage to forests but proper infrastructure planning and implementation could actually turn them into a net positive for the environment, argue researchers writing in the journal Nature. William Laurance and Andrew Balmford highlight the severe environmental impacts of roads in wilderness areas, including fostering illegal logging, poaching, colonization, and land speculation.


Controversial chief minister of Sarawak asked to step down until corruption allegations resolved

(03/22/2013) Following the release of video footage apparently linking Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud to kickbacks for forestry concessions, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International is calling for the Malaysian leader to immediately resign from his post.


Tropical croplands expand by 48m ha in 10 years, raising environmental concerns

(03/19/2013) Croplands in the tropics expanded by an average of 4.8 million hectares per year between 1999 and 2008, increasing pressure on forest areas and other ecosystems, reports a study published in the journal PLoS ONE. The research found that soybeans and maize (corn) expanded the most of any crops in terms of absolute area, followed by rice, sorghum, oil palm, beans, and sugar cane. The countries which added the largest area of new cropland were Nigeria, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Brazil.


Indonesian palm oil giant launches conservation pilot project

(03/19/2013) Golden Agri-Resources, one of the largest palm oil producers in Indonesia, is launching a pilot program designed to protect forests within its concession areas that have high carbon stock and those most important for conservation. Greenpeace Indonesia, which has long urged the company to adopt more sustainable practices, praised the effort, and called on other palm oil companies and the Indonesian government to follow suit.


Environmentalists target controversial logging practices in California

(03/19/2013) The Sierra Club has launched a campaign against clear-cutting by a logging giant in California.


Peruvian night monkey threatened by vanishing forests, lost corridors

(03/18/2013) The Peruvian night monkey (Aotus miconax) is one of the world's least known primates, having never been studied in the wild--until now. Found only in the cloud forests of northern Peru, a group of scientists with Neotropical Primate Conservation and the National University of Mayor San Marcos have spent 12 months following a single group of this enigmatic monkey species in a small forest patch. The results of their research, published in mongabay.com's open access journal Tropical Conservation Science, shows that protecting forests, even small forest fragments, is vital to the species' survival.


Deforestation in key Madagascar park accelerated after 2009 coup d'etat, finds satellite analysis

(03/18/2013) Deforestation and forest disturbance in Madagascar's largest national park increased significantly less than a year after a coup displaced the country's democratically-elected president in 2009, finds a new study that analyzed forest cover in Masoala National Park.


Aceh claims deal to open 1.2M ha of protected forest to logging, mining is near

(03/14/2013) Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry is close to accepting a proposal to open 1.2 million hectares of forest in Aceh for mining, logging, and palm oil production, reports the Aceh Post.


Burning coal may be killing over 100,000 people in India every year

(03/13/2013) India's dependence on coal-fired power plants for energy may be leading directly to the deaths of 80,000 to 115,000 of its citizens every year, according to the first ever report on the health impacts of coal in the country. The report, commissioned by the Conservation Action Trust and Greenpeace-India, deals only with the direct health impact of coal and not climate change. But even ignoring the rising pain of global warming, the bleak report outlines that coal consumption in India is causing over 20 million asthma attacks, nearly a million emergency room visits, and killing some 10,000 children under five annually.


Strong ‘no deforestation’ commitments save forests and feed people

(03/12/2013) As a global community, we have so far failed to answer this most pressing question; we have yet to build our cloud. Deforestation rates are down in some places, but overall, our forests continue to disappear much as they have for the past 50 years, driven principally by increasing global demand for food. Can we feed the world and save our forests? Yes, we can, and the solution lies in the global supply chain and the message some companies are now sending their suppliers: 'If you cut down trees, I won’t buy your product.' This has the power to silence bulldozers. It’s already doing so and now it’s time to go to scale.


Norway's wealth fund dumps 23 palm oil companies under new deforestation policy

(03/11/2013) Norway's $700 billion pension fund continues to divest from companies linked to tropical deforestation, selling stakes in 23 palm oil producers last year, reports Rainforest Foundation Norway, an activist group that has led the campaign for divestment. The move by the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) — the world's largest sovereign wealth fund — came after it revised its investment guidelines to include deforestation as a portfolio risk.


Rainforests may be more resilient to global warming - in isolation - than previously forecast

(03/11/2013) Tropical forests may be less sensitive to global warming than previously thought, argues a new study published in Nature Geoscience.


New plantation concessions threaten Borneo pygmy elephants

(03/10/2013) Borneo pygmy elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis) are under threat in Indonesia’s new North Kalimantan province, where their habitat is set to be converted for rubber, jabon and sengon plantations. Experts worry that if the planned conversion goes ahead, the entire elephant population in Indonesian Borneo could be lost.


The need to jump-start REDD to save forests

(03/08/2013) At least US$7.3 billion has been pledged for REDD+ over the period from 2008 to 2015, with $4.3 billion pledged for REDD+ readiness during the fast-start period alone (2010-2012). In addition to these funds, private investors, private foundations, and others have been channeling financial support to developing countries for REDD+ and related programs for several years now.


Dozens arrested after community fights deforestation by paper company in Indonesia

(03/07/2013) Dozens of villagers from Indonesia’s North Sumatra province traveled to Jakarta this week to demand the release of 16 farmers who remain in detention after conflicts erupted between indigenous communities in Humbang Hasundutan district and PT Toba Pulp Lestari, a unit of the pulp and paper giant Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings (APRIL).


Wildfire forces anti-logging activist from tree after 449-day vigil

(03/07/2013) A bushfire has forced an environmental campaigner from the top of a tree following a 449-day vigil to block logging of a stand of old-growth forest in Australia.


Warnings of global ecological tipping points may be overstated

(03/05/2013) There's little evidence that the Earth is nearing a global ecological tipping point, according to a new Trends in Ecology and Evolution paper that is bound to be controversial. The authors argue that despite numerous warnings that the Earth is headed toward an ecological tipping point due to environmental stressors, such as habitat loss or climate change, it's unlikely this will occur anytime soon—at least not on land. The paper comes with a number of caveats, including that a global tipping point could occur in marine ecosystems due to ocean acidification from burning fossil fuels. In addition, regional tipping points, such as the Arctic ice melt or the Amazon rainforest drying out, are still of great concern.


A promising initiative to address deforestation in Brazil at the local level

(03/05/2013) The history of the Brazilian Amazon has long been marked by deforestation and degradation. Until recently the situation has been considered out of control. Then, in 2004, the Brazilian government launched an ambitious program to combat deforestation. Public pressure—both national and international—was one of the reasons that motivated the government to act. Another reason was that in 2004, deforestation contributed to more than 55 percent of Brazil’s total greenhouse gas emissions, making Brazil the fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.


Palm oil company destroys 7,000 ha of Amazon rainforest in Peru

(03/04/2013) A palm oil producer has leveled some 7,000 hectares of rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon, highlighting the risks of oil palm expansion in the world's largest tropical forest, reports El Comercio.


New illegal logging ban in EU could sever all ties with companies working in DRC

(03/04/2013) Yesterday, the EU joined the U.S. and Australia in banning all timber that was illegally harvested abroad. The new regulation could have a major impact on where the EU sources its timber, and no where more so than the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to a new report by Greenpeace, the DRC's current moratorium on industrial logging is being systematically circumvented making all timber from the country suspect.


Extinction warning: racing to save the little dodo from its cousin's fate

(03/04/2013) Sometime in the late 1600s the world's last dodo perished on the island of Mauritius. No one knows how it spent its final moments—rather in the grip of some invasive predator or simply fading away from loneliness—but with its passing came an icon of extinction, that final breath passed by the last of its kind. The dodo, a giant flightless pigeon, was a marvel of the animal world: now another island ground pigeon, known as the little dodo, is facing its namesake's fate. Found only in Samoa, composed of ten islands, the bird has many names: the tooth-billed pigeon, the Manumea (local name), and Didunculus ("little dodo") strigirostris, which lead one scientist to Christen it the Dodlet. But according to recent surveys without rapid action the Dodlet may soon be as extinct as the dodo.


Saving forests by stemming agricultural sprawl

(03/01/2013) I’m fortunate to travel the world helping conserve habitats for some of the world’s most iconic species. When I visit places like the Amazon and Sumatra, I’m still awestruck by their diversity and pristine beauty. I’m also reminded how threatened they are. Our growing demand for food and fiber is fueling deforestation in resource-rich regions of the world. As environmentalists, if we don’t change where and how we produce food and fiber, we can turn off the lights and go home. There won’t be any biodiversity left to protect.


Malaysian NGOs boldly demand forest conservation action in Borneo

(02/28/2013) In an unusually bold statement catalyzed by the deaths of 14 rare elephants, six Malaysian NGOs today called on the Sabah state government to pursue 'a more conservation focused agenda' in managing the state's forests. The demand comes shortly after the death of 14 endangered pygmy elephants — thought poisoned by an oil palm plantation developer — thrust Sabah's environmental problems into the international spotlight.


Guide for filing complaints on rule-breaking by palm oil companies published

(02/28/2013) Over the past 25 years palm oil production has emerged as one of the biggest drivers of deforestation and peatlands degradation in Southeast Asia. And there are fears that expansion in West and Central Africa could soon make palm oil a major cause of forest conversion on that continent.


Warlords, sorcery, and wildlife: an environmental artist ventures into the Congo

(02/25/2013) Last year, Roger Peet, an American artist, traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to visit one of the world's most remote and wild forests. Peet spent three months in a region that is largely unknown to the outside world, but where a group of conservationists, headed by Terese and John Hart, are working diligently to create a new national park, known as Lomami. Here, the printmaker met a local warlord, discovered a downed plane, and designed a tomb for a wildlife ranger killed by disease, in addition to seeing some of the region's astounding wildlife. Notably, the burgeoning Lomami National Park is home to the world's newest monkey species, only announced by scientists last September.


Indonesia's East Kalimantan loses forest area to new province in Borneo

(02/24/2013) The creation of a new province, North Kalimantan, on Indonesian Borneo, has dramatically reduced the primary forest area in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province. The new province, located along the border of Malaysia’s Sarawak, includes the densely-forested Malinau district. With the loss of Malinau and other forested areas, East Kalimantan’s intact primary forest area has dropped to just 15 percent of the total area of the province.


Deforestation, wetlands loss in Brazil and Indonesia generated 45b tons of CO2 in 20 years

(02/22/2013) The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched a global set of statistics on carbon emissions from deforestation, agriculture and other forms of land use for the 1990-2010 period.


Activists warn of industrial palm oil expansion in Congo rainforest

(02/21/2013) Industrial oil palm plantations are spreading from Malaysia and Indonesia to the Congo raising fears about deforestation and social conflict. A new report by The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), dramatically entitled The Seeds of Destruction, announces that new palm oil plantations in the Congo rainforest will soon increase fivefold to half a million hectares, an area nearly the size of Delaware. But conservationists warn that by ignoring the lessons of palm oil in Southeast Asia, this trend could be disastrous for the region's forests, wildlife, and people.


Controversial palm oil project concession in Cameroon is 89 percent 'dense natural forest'

(02/21/2013) Satellite mapping and aerial surveys have revealed that a controversial palm oil concession in Cameroon is almost entirely covered by "dense natural forest," according to a new report by Greenpeace. The activist group alleges that the concession, owned by Herakles Farms, is under 89 percent forest cover. The U.S.-based corporation intends to build a 70,000 hectare palm oil plantation in a region surrounded by four protected areas, including Korup National Park, but has faced stiff criticism from numerous environmental groups as well as conflict with locals.


First strike: nearly 200 illegal loggers arrested in massive sting across 12 countries

(02/20/2013) One-hundred-and-ninety-seven illegal loggers across a dozen Central and South American countries have been arrested during INTERPOL's first strike against widespread forestry crime. INTERPOL, or The International Criminal Police Organization, worked with local police forces to take a first crack at illegal logging. In all the effort, known as Operation Lead, resulted in the seizure of 50,000 cubic meters of wood worth around $8 million.


Biofuel company caught clearing elephant habitat in Sri Lanka

(02/20/2013) A biofuel plantation near Yala National Park has landed Lanka Orex Leasing Company PLC (LOLC) in Sri Lanka's highest court. Environmentalists say the company is illegally bulldozing Asian elephant habitat, including scrubland and tree stands, near the buffer zone of Yala National Park for gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) biofuel plantation.


Is APP deal a sign of a changing forestry sector?

(02/15/2013) Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), one of the world’s largest paper companies, announced earlier this month that it will no longer cut down natural forests in Indonesia and will demand similar commitments from its suppliers. The announcement was received with guarded optimism by Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, World Wildlife Fund, and other NGOs who have waged a persistent campaign to change APP’s forest policies.


Brazilian agency rejects Canadian company's bid to mine controversial Amazon dam site for gold

(02/13/2013) Brazil's Federal Public Ministry rejected a proposed gold mining project adjacent to a controversial dam site in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, reports Amazon Watch, an environmental activist group that is campaigning against both the mine and the dam.


After Indonesian paper giant commits to no deforestation, pressure mounts on its biggest competitor

(02/12/2013) After Indonesian paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper's announcement last week that it will no longer source fiber produced from destruction of tropical rainforests, environmental groups are now urging Indonesia's other major paper company to make a similar commitment. On Tuesday, WWF echoed Greenpeace's call for Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain. Like APP, APRIL has been linked to large-scale conversion of Sumatra's endangered rainforests for industrial tree plantations to produce pulp and paper.


Activists blast World Bank on continued support of industrial rainforest logging

(02/11/2013) Two environmental activist groups blasted the World Bank over its reported decision to block a probe into its support of industrial-scale rainforest logging.


Amazon river ecosystems being rapidly degraded, but remain neglected by conservation efforts

(02/08/2013) The world's largest river system is being rapidly degraded and imperiled by dams, mining, overfishing, and deforestation, warns a study published last week by an international team of scientists.


China's forest privatization move threatens pandas

(02/08/2013) China's decision to open up collective forest for sale by individuals to outside interests will put 345,700 hectares or 15 percent of the giant panda’s remaining habitat at risk, warns a letter published in the journal Science.


Report: nearly half the timber from Mozambique to China is illegal

(02/07/2013) Forty-eight percent of the timber making its way from Mozambique's forests to Chinese companies was harvested illegally, according to a new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), which blames the problem on widespread corruption and poor governance. The illegal logging cost Mozambique, the world's fourth least-developed country in the world according to the UN, $29 million in tax revenue, says the report.


The beginning of the end of deforestation in Indonesia?

(02/05/2013) Asia Pulp & Paper, a forestry giant that has been widely criticized for its role in driving deforestation and contributing to social conflict in Indonesia, today announced a zero deforestation policy that could have a dramatic impact on efforts to slow the Southeast Asian nation's high rate of deforestation. The policy, which went into effect February 1, is ambitious enough that one of APP's most vocal critics and agitators, Greenpeace, will suspend its highly-damaging campaign against the paper giant. The campaign against APP has cost the paper giant tens of millions of dollars in lost business since 2009. The new policy targets several of the major criticisms against APP, including deforestation, degradation of high carbon peatlands, conservation of critical wildlife habitat, and social conflict with local communities.


Palm oil, paper, biofuels production on peatlands drive large GHG emissions

(01/31/2013) Degradation of peat swamps for oil palm and timber plantations is a substantially larger source of greenhouse gas emissions than previously believed, finds a new study published in the journal Nature.


Controversial research outlines physics behind how forests may bring rain

(01/30/2013) It took over two-and-a-half-years for the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics to finally accept a paper outlining a new meteorological hypothesis in which condensation, not temperature, drives winds. If proven correct, the hypothesis could have massive ramifications on global policy—not to mention meteorology—as essentially the hypothesis means that the world's forest play a major role in driving precipitation from the coast into a continent's interior. The theory, known as the biotic pump, was first developed in 2006 by two Russian scientists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva of the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics, but the two have faced major pushback and delays in their attempt to put the theory before the greater scientific community.


Loans tied to environmental compliance reduced Amazon deforestation by 15%

(01/30/2013) A rural credit law that ties loans to environmental compliance made a significant contribution to reducing deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2008 and 2011, argues a study published by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI).


World Bank's forestry investments failing to meet conservation, rights, and anti-poverty goals, finds internal audit

(01/30/2013) The World Bank's investments in forestry over the past decade have failed to meet key objectives of reducing poverty, preserving forests, slowing climate change, or benefitting local communities, according to a report developed by its internal auditing body.


100 companies disclose their forest impact

(01/30/2013) 100 companies have reported on the impact of their operations on the world's forests.


New palm oil concession imperils orangutan population in Borneo

(01/28/2013) Three conservation groups warn that a proposed palm oil plantation puts a significant Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) population at risk in the Malaysian state of Sabah. The plantation, which would cover 400 hectares of private forest land, lies adjacent to Kulamba Wildlife Reserve, home to 480 orangutans.


Helping Borneo's indigenous people fight for their forests

(01/28/2013) In the 1980's and 1990's more timber was removed from the rainforests Borneo than from all of Africa and South America combined. This tragic loss of habitat, with its attendant loss of wildlife and indigenous cultures, has gone largely unrecognized in the United States. Joe Lamb, a Berkeley-based writer, activist, and arborist, has worked to change that.


Bolivia takes step to boost agriculture and curb surging deforestation

(01/28/2013) Bolivia has passed a land use law that aims to boost food security and slow deforestation in a region that is wracked by illegal forest clearing. Approved earlier this month, Ley 337 seeks to regulate land use in the Bolivian Amazon where deforestation for industrial agricultural production is surging. The law requires landowners who illegally deforested land prior to 2011 to either reforest or establish 'productive agriculture' on the land and pay reduced fines for past transgressions.


Large blocks of Sumatra's endangered rainforest may be put up for mining, logging

(01/28/2013) The Indonesian province of Aceh on the western tip of the island of Sumatra may be preparing to lift the protected status of key areas of lowland rainforest potentially ending its bid to earn carbon credits from forest conservation and putting several endangered species at increased risk, according to reports.


Illegally logged trees to start calling for help

(01/24/2013) Illegal loggers beware: trees will soon be calling—literally—for backup. The Brazilian government has begun fixing trees with a wireless device, known as Invisible Tracck, which will allow trees to contact authorities after being felled and moved.


Scientists point to research flaw that has likely exaggerated the impact of logging in tropical forests

(01/23/2013) The impact of logging on tropical forest species has likely been exaggerated by statistical problems, according to a new study in Conservation Biology. Reviewing 77 studies on how logging affects tropical biodiversity, scientists found that 67 percent were flawed by a technical problem known as 'pseudoreplication.' The debate over logging in tropical forests has garnered significant attention recently as some scientists argue that well-managed logging areas can actually retain impressive numbers of species, while others say logging does irreparable harm to the ecosystem's ecology.


Amazon deforestation rate pacing ahead of last year

(01/18/2013) Data released by Imazon, a Brazil-based NGO, shows that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continues to pace well ahead of last year's record low rate.


Palm oil sustainability initiative must rule out deforestation, says group

(01/18/2013) The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) must implement standards that protect forests and account for greenhouse gas emissions to remain credible, said an environmental group ahead of a that will determine the body's 'Principles and Criteria' for the next five years.


Bureaucratic reform plays a part in reducing deforestation in Indonesia

(01/17/2013) Reforming Indonesia's bloated and underperforming bureaucracy will play an important part in reducing the country's high rate of deforestation and forest degradation, the head of the country's Ministry of Administrative Reform told mongabay.com in an exclusive interview. Administrative Reform Minister Azwar Abubakar said that a smaller and more meritocratic bureaucracy will help cut corruption while more effectively governing the sprawling archipelago.


World Bank REDD+ forest carbon fund gets $180m injection

(01/11/2013) The World Bank's forest carbon fund got a $180 million injection from Finland, Germany and Norway, reports Point Carbon.


Dead tigers, dead people: logging by paper industry worsens human-tiger conflict in Sumatra, alleges report

(01/10/2013) Destruction of rainforests and peatlands on the Indonesian island of Sumatra by the pulp and paper industry is worsening conflict between tigers and humans, including fatal encounters, alleges a new report published by a coalition of environmental groups in Riau, Sumatra. The report looks specifically at five concessions operated by companies that supply wood to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and its corporate parent, the Sinar Mas Group (SMG). The report says that the majority of human-tiger conflict incidents in Riau between 1997 and 2009 occurred within these concessions.


Paradigm shift needed to avert global environmental collapse, according to author of new book The Blueprint: Averting Global Collapse

(01/10/2013) Global strategist, trained educator, and international lecturer Daniel Rirdan set out to create a plan addressing the future of our planet. His book The Blueprint: Averting Global Collapse, published this year, does just that. "It has been a sixty hour a week routine," Rirdan told mongabay.com in a recent interview. "Basically, I would wake up with the burden of the world on my shoulders and go to sleep with it. It went on like this for eighteen months." It becomes apparent when reading The Blueprint that it was indeed a monumental undertaking.


The year in rainforests

(12/31/2012) 2012 was another year of mixed news for the world's tropical forests. This is a look at some of the most significant tropical rainforest-related news stories for 2012. There were many other important stories in 2012 and some were undoubtedly overlooked in this review. If you feel there's something we missed, please feel free to highlight it in the comments section. Also please note that this post focuses only on tropical forests.


Paper giant breaks pledge to end rainforest logging in Sumatra, says group

(12/26/2012) Pulp and paper giant Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) continues to destroy large areas of rainforests and peatlands despite a commitment to end natural forest logging by 2009, says a new report issued by a coalition of Indonesian environmental groups. The Eyes on the Forest report finds that APRIL and its suppliers cleared at least 140,000 hectares (346,000 acres) of natural forest between 2008 and 2011 in Riau, accounting for 27 percent of all forest loss in the province during the period. Some of the area cleared by APRIL and its subsidiaries consisted of deep peat swamp forest, which stores massive amount of carbon.


Amazon rainforest failing to recover after droughts

(12/24/2012) The impact of a major drought in the Amazon rainforest in 2005 persisted far longer than previously believed, raising questions about the world's largest tropical forest to cope with the expected impacts of climate change, reports a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


Amazon deforestation obliterates soil biodiversity, with wider ecological implications

(12/24/2012) Deforestation in the Amazon leads to a substantial loss in microbial biodiversity potentially reducing the ecological resilience of affected areas, report researchers writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


RSPO rules against palm oil company in controversial deforestation case

(12/20/2012) The body that sets social and environmental criteria for greener palm oil production has taken action against a palm oil accused of clearing community forest in Indonesian Borneo, reports the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).


Brazil launches forest trading system

(12/19/2012) Brazil has launched a new platform that enables farmers and ranchers who have cleared forest beyond the legal minimum to come into compliance by purchasing forest 'quotas' from landowners who have more than the mandated level of forest cover, reports the Associated Press. The system could spur increased compliance with the country's Forest Code, according to some experts.


Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2012

(12/18/2012) Below is a quick review of some of the biggest environmental stories of 2012. The 'top stories' are listed in no particular order. Climate change, overpopulation, consumption, and ecological destruction is pushing planet Earth toward a tipping point according to a major study in Nature released over the summer. This could result in a new 'planetary state' that would be far harsher and bleaker than the current one (beginning around 12,000 years ago), which saw the rise and success of human society.


Indonesia's big REDD+ project announcement "premature", but moving forward

(12/18/2012) The Indonesian government's announcement at climate talks in Doha that it had approved the country's forest conservation project under its Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) program was premature, argues a new report from an Indonesian environmental group.


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Country / AreaLand areaForest
ForestOther wooded landTotal areaAreaAnnual change rateArea of primary forestAnnual change rateArea of forest plantations
2005199020001990-20002000-2005PrimaryModified naturalSemi-naturalProduction plantationProtection plantation1990200020051990-20002000-2005199020002005
Country / Area1000 ha% of land area1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha/yr%1000 ha/yr%1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha1000 haha/yrha/yr1000 ha1000 ha1000 ha
Angola59,10447.4-124,67060,97659,728-125-0.2-125-0.2058,9730131000000140134131
Botswana11,94321.134,79158,17313,71812,535-118-0.9-118-1-------------
British Indian
Ocean Territory
332.508330000-------------
Comoros52.9-186128n.s.-4-1-7.40401-00000221
Kenya3,5226.234,92058,0373,7083,582-13-0.3-12-0.37042,616-202-742716704-2,520-2,400238212202
Lesotho80.3313,03557n.s.3.4n.s.2.71--7-11100467
Madagascar12,83822.117,05458,70413,69213,023-67-0.5-37-0.310,3472,198-2345910,50310,38110,347-12,200-6,800293293293
Malawi3,40236.2-11,8483,8963,567-33-0.9-33-0.91,1322,067-204-1,7271,3301,132-39,700-39,600132180204
Mauritius3718.2152043938n.s.-0.3n.s.-0.5022n.s.11400000161515
Mayotte514.7-3766n.s.-0.4n.s.-0.4-5-n.s.------n.s.n.s.n.s.
Mozambique19,26224.640,91980,15920,01219,512-50-0.3-50-0.3-19,224-38------383838
Namibia7,6619.38,47382,4298,7628,033-73-0.9-74-0.9-7,661-----------
RÈunion8433.6552518787n.s.-0.1-1-0.75561822555555-30-20555
Seychelles4088.9-4540400000233-5-22200555
South Africa9,2037.621,409121,9099,2039,2030000-7,777-1,426------1,2041,3521,426
Swaziland54131.52891,73647251850.950.9-39531114------135121114
Uganda3,62718.41,15024,1044,9244,059-86-1.9-86-2.2-3,591-36------333536
UR Tanzania35,25739.94,75694,50941,44137,318-412-1-412-1.1-35,107-150------150150150
Zambia42,45257.13,16175,26149,12444,676-445-0.9-445-1-42,377-75------607575
Zimbabwe17,54045.3-39,07522,23419,105-313-1.5-313-1.7-17,385-154------154154154
Total Eastern and
Southern Africa
226,53427.8167,023834,380252,354235,047-1,731-0.7-1,702-0.8
Algeria2,27711,595238,1741,7902,144351.8271.2-1,20631612742-----620652754
Burkina Faso6,794297,42727,4007,1546,914-24-0.3-24-0.305,91880071500000336376
Chad11,9219.59,152128,40013,11012,317-79-0.6-79-0.719011,716--15209196190-1,300-1,200111415
Djibouti60.22202,320660000-------------
Egypt670.120100,14544592322.6---166-----445967
Eritrea1,55415.47,25711,7601,6211,576-4-0.3-4-0.3-1,526-1414-----102228
Ethiopia13,00011.944,650110,43015,11413,705-141-1-141-1.1-12,509-491------491491491
Libya2170.1330175,9542172170000----217-----217217217
Mali12,57210.316,532124,01914,07213,072-100-0.7-100-0.8------13,012----60-
Mauritania2670.33,110102,552415317-10-2.7-10-3.4-----------10-
Morocco4,3649.840644,6554,2894,32840.170.2-3,75447563------478523563
Niger1,26613,740126,7001,9451,328-62-3.7-12-1220936--11022022022000-72110
Somalia7,13111.4-63,7668,2827,515-77-1-77-1-7,128-3------333
Sudan67,54628.4-250,58176,38170,491-589-0.8-589-0.813,50947,2821,3514,72867515,27614,09813,509-117,807-117,8076,1115,6395,404
Tunisia1,0566.817016,361643959324.1191.9-320238150348-----226423498
Western Sahara1,0113.8-26,6001,0111,0110000-------------
Total Northern Africa131,0488.694,6091,549,817146,093135,958-1,013-0.7-982-0.7
Benin2,35121.33,95911,2623,3222,675-65-2.1-65-2.5-2,237-114------98109114
Burundi1525.97222,783289198-9-3.7-9-5.20670860-00-0-8686
Cameroon21,24545.614,75847,54424,54522,345-220-0.9-220-1-------------
Cape Verde8420.7-403588223.6n.s.0.4---6717-----588284
Central African Republic22,75536.510,12262,29823,20322,903-30-0.1-30-0.1-22,750-5------245
Congo22,47165.810,54734,20022,72622,556-17-0.1-17-0.17,46414,957-51-7,5487,4927,464-5,647-5,647515151
CÙte d'Ivoire10,40532.72,62632,24610,22210,328110.1150.16259,4430337062562562500154261337
DR Congo133,61058.983,277234,486140,531135,207-532-0.4-319-0.2-------------
Equatorial Guinea1,63258.2312,8051,8601,708-15-0.8-15-0.9-------------
Gabon21,77584.5-26,76721,92721,826-10n.s.-10n.s.---36------363636
Gambia47141.71251,13044246120.420.4-471-n.s.------n.s.n.s.n.s.
Ghana5,51724.2023,8547,4486,094-135-2-115-23535,004-160-353353353005060160
Guinea6,72427.45,85024,5867,4086,904-50-0.7-36-0.5636,5686030363636300172233
Guinea-Bissau2,07273.72363,6122,2162,120-10-0.4-10-0.59401,132-0n.s.94094094000n.s.n.s.1
Liberia3,15432.7011,1374,0583,455-60-1.6-60-1.81293,017-8-12912912900888
Nigeria11,08912.25,49592,37717,23413,137-410-2.7-410-3.332610,414034901,556736326-82,000-82,000251316349
Rwanda48019.5612,63431834430.8276.9062-3675200000248282419
Saint Helena26.5031220000-------------
Sao Tome and Principe2728.42996272700001216---12121200---
Senegal8,673455,00119,6729,3488,898-45-0.5-45-0.51,5986,710-332331,7591,6531,598-10,600-11,000205306365
Sierra Leone2,75438.53847,1743,0442,851-19-0.7-19-0.7-2,751-3------233
Togo3867.11,2465,679685486-20-3.4-20-4.50348-30800000243438
Total Western and
Central Africa
277,82944.1144,468646,776300,914284,608-1,631-0.6-1,356-0.5
Total Africa635,41221.4406,1003,030,974699,361655,613-4,375-0.7-4,040-0.6
China197,29021.287,615959,805157,141177,0011,9861.24,0582.211,632114,33239,95728,5302,83911,63211,63211,6320018,46623,92431,369
DPR Korea6,18751.4-12,0548,2016,821-138-1.8-127-1.9852-5,335--1,129939852-19,000-17,400---
Japan24,86868.2-37,78024,95024,876-7n.s.-2n.s.4,5919,955--10,3213,7644,0544,59129,000107,40010,28710,33110,321
Mongolia10,2526.52,388156,65011,49210,665-83-0.7-83-0.84,7335,407-112-5,5404,9234,733-61,700-38,0003075112
Republic of Korea6,26563.5-9,9266,3716,300-7-0.1-7-0.1-4,901-1,364------7481,1881,364
Total East Asia244,86221.390,0031,176,215208,155225,6631,7510.83,8401.6
Bangladesh8716.75814,400882884n.s.n.s.-2-0.3-592-19584-----239276279
Bhutan3,195686114,7003,0353,141110.3110.34132,5292512041341341300112
Brunei Darussalam27852.8160577313288-2-0.8-2-0.7278----313288278-2,500-2,000---
Cambodia10,44759.227018,10412,94611,541-140-1.1-219-212210,266059-766456122-31,000-66,800677259
India67,70122.84,110328,72663,93967,5543620.629n.s.-32,94331,5321,0532,173-----1,9542,8053,226
Indonesia88,49548.8-190,457116,56797,852-1,872-1.7-1,871-248,702-36,3943,399-70,41955,94148,702-1,447,800-1,447,8002,2093,0023,399
Lao PDR16,14269.94,64323,68017,31416,532-78-0.5-78-0.51,49014,428-22311,4901,4901,49000499224
Malaysia20,89063.6-32,97522,37621,591-78-0.4-140-0.73,820-15,4971,573-3,8203,8203,820001,9561,6591,573
Maldives13030110000-------------
Myanmar32,2224910,83467,65839,21934,554-466-1.3-466-1.4031,373069615300000394696849
Nepal3,63625.41,89714,7184,8173,900-92-2.1-53-1.43493842,8504310391384349-700-7,000495253
Pakistan1,9022.51,38979,6102,5272,116-41-1.8-43-2.1-1,584-318------234296318
Philippines7,162243,61130,00010,5747,949-262-2.8-157-2.18295,713-304316829829829001,780852620
Singapore23.40682200002000022200000
Sri Lanka1,93329.906,5612,3502,082-27-1.2-30-1.51671,571-17124257197167-6,000-6,000242221195
Thailand14,52028.4-51,31215,96514,814-115-0.7-59-0.46,4514,970-1,9971,1026,4516,4516,451002,6403,0773,099
Timor-Leste79853.7-1,487966854-11-1.2-11-1.3-755--43-----294343
Viet Nam12,93139.72,25933,1699,36311,7252362.324128510,151-1,79290338418785-19,700-20,4009672,0502,695
Total South and
South-east Asia
283,12733.429,842898,232323,156297,380-2,578-0.9-2,851-1
Afghanistan8671.3-65,2091,3091,015-29-2.5-30-3.1-867-----------
Armenia32111.4442,98033634410.2-5-1.416295001017171640-280141110
Azerbaijan93611.3548,6609369360000400516--2040040040000202020
Bahrainn.s.0.6071n.s.n.s.n.s.5.6n.s.3.8----n.s.-----n.s.n.s.n.s.
Cyprus17418.921492516117310.7n.s.0.222111360522222200335
Georgia2,76039.7506,9702,7602,760n.s.n.s.n.s.n.s.5002,200006050050050000546060
Iran11,0756.85,340164,82011,07511,075000020010,031228616-20020020000616616616
Iraq8221.992743,83280481810.210.10809001300000151513
Israel1718.3852,10615416410.610.8-70--101-----8494101
Jordan830.9528,92183830000037604000000404040
Kazakhstan3,3371.215,622272,4903,4223,365-6-0.2-6-0.202,42800909000001,0341,056909
Kuwait60.301,78235n.s.3.5n.s.2.7----6-----356
Kyrgyzstan8694.531319,99083685820.320.3241562-2442237240241250260465966
Lebanon13613.31061,04012113110.810.80129080--0----8
Oman2n.s.1,30321,246220000----2-----222
Palestine91.5-621990000-------------
Qatarn.s.n.s.n.s.1,100n.s.n.s.0000-------------
Saudi Arabia2,7281.334,155214,9692,7282,7280000-2,728-----------
Syria4612.53518,51837243261.561.3-198--264-----175234264
Tajikistan4102.914214,255408410n.s.n.s.002971235224429729729700766666
Turkey10,17513.210,68977,4829,68010,052370.4250.29755,9257381,91662173989797515,80015,6001,8392,3042,537
Turkmenistan4,1278.8048,8104,1274,12700001044,023-0-10410410400000
United Arab Emirates3123.748,36024531062.4n.s.0.1000031200000245310312
Uzbekistan3,295890444,7403,0453,212170.5170.5572,64353455657575700305161
Yemen54911,40652,7975495490000-161388----------
Total Western and
Central Asia
43,626471,4461,102,69543,16643,558390.114n.s.
Total Asia571,61518.5191,2913,177,142574,477566,601-788-0.11,0030.2
Albania794292612,875789769-2-0.350.6856210386858585001039688
Andorra1635.6-4516160000-------------
Austria3,86246.71188,3863,7763,83860.250.1-----117119-200-9881,003-
Belarus7,8943891420,7607,3767,848470.690.14005,7121,7802-40040040000222
Belgium66722273,053677667-1-0.10000392275000000303284275
Bosnia and Herzegovina2,18543.15495,1202,2102,185-2-0.10021,184857142--22-0-142142
Bulgaria3,62532.82711,0993,3273,37550.1501.4-----267396-12,900-4048-
Channel Islands14.1019110000-------------
Croatia2,13538.23465,6542,1162,12910.110.1102,063061010101000566061
Czech Republic2,64834.307,8872,6302,6371n.s.20.10142,6340000000000
Denmark50011.81364,30944548640.930.6061792813400000291305315
Estonia2,28453.9824,5232,1632,24380.480.41421,39075110-137142-1,000-11
Faeroe Islandsn.s.0.1-140n.s.n.s.0000-------------
Finland22,50073.980233,81422,19422,475280.15n.s.1,419021,081001,4911,4181,419-7,300200000
France15,55428.31,70855,15014,53815,351810.5410.330-13,5561,968-303030001,8421,9361,968
Germany11,07631.7-35,70310,74111,076340.3000011,0760000000000
Gibraltar0001000-0--------------
Greece3,75229.12,78013,1963,2993,601300.9300.803,6180013400000118129134
Holy See000n.s.000-0--------------
Hungary1,97621.509,3031,8011,907110.6140.704151,0164549100000431528545
Iceland460.510410,300253814.323.9017017120000082129
Ireland6699.7417,027441609173.3121.900905790100-1000350519579
Isle of Man36.1057330000-------------
Italy9,97933.91,04730,1348,3839,4471061.21061.1---146-160160-0-289144146
Latvia2,94147.41156,4602,7752,885110.4110.4142,28264410-1514--280-n.s.1
Liechtenstein743.101667n.s.0.60025-n.s.-22200n.s.n.s.n.s.
Lithuania2,09933.5776,5301,9452,02080.4160.8261,548384100412021261001,000124137141
Luxembourg8733.512598687n.s.0.100--5828------282828
Macedonia90635.8822,57190690600000876-30-00000303030
Maltan.s.1.1032n.s.n.s.00000000n.s.00000n.s.n.s.n.s.
Monaco000n.s.000-0--------------
Netherlands36510.804,15334536020.410.3003614000000444
Norway9,38730.72,61332,3769,1309,301170.2170.2250-8,875262-25025025000222255262
Poland9,19230-31,2698,8819,059180.2270.353-9,10732-3051532,100400323232
Portugal3,78341.3849,1983,0993,583481.5401.155-2,4941,067167555555005501,0341,234
Republic of Moldova32910313,38431932610.210.2032801000000111
Romania6,37027.725823,8396,3716,3660n.s.1n.s.2336515,339925723323323300149149149
Russian Federation808,79047.974,1851,707,540808,950809,26832n.s.-96n.s.255,470536,358-11,8885,075241,726258,131255,4701,640,510-532,20012,65115,36016,962
San Marinon.s.1.606n.s.n.s.0000-------------
Serbia and Montenegro2,69426.480810,2172,5592,64990.390.341152,53639044400393939
Slovakia1,92940.1-4,9011,9221,921n.s.n.s.20.12494694017224242400232019
Slovenia1,26462.8442,0271,1881,23950.450.41191,107380063951193,2004,800000
Spain17,91535.910,29950,59913,47916,43629622961.781211,5824,0501,471062174881212,70012,8001,1261,3561,471
Sweden27,52866.93,25744,99627,36727,47411n.s.11n.s.4,726-22,13566704,3484,6004,72625,20025,200523619667
Switzerland1,22130.9674,1291,1551,19940.440.414151,1884036143001,600344
Ukraine9,57516.54160,3709,2749,510240.3130.1594,7294,3998130759595900325367388
United Kingdom2,84511.82024,2912,6112,793180.7100.406462751,90222000001,8771,9341,924
Total Europe1,001,39444.3100,9252,297,719989,320998,0918770.16610.1
Anguilla671.4-8660000-------------
Antigua and Barbuda921.41644990000-------------
Aruban.s.2.2019n.s.n.s.0000-------------
Bahamas51551.5361,3885155150000-515-00-----000
Barbados24-43220000-2-----------
Bermuda12005110000-------------
British Virgin Islands424.421544n.s.-0.1n.s.-0.1-------------
Cayman Islands1248.442612120000-------------
Cuba2,71324.726011,0862,0582,435381.7562.2-2,319-230164-----347342394
Dominica4661.3n.s.755047n.s.-0.5n.s.-0.627190n.s.-282827-86-84-n.s.n.s.
Dominican Republic1,37628.46784,8731,3761,3760000-------------
Grenada412.253444n.s.n.s.0013-n.s.-111-22-23n.s.n.s.n.s.
Guadeloupe8047.221718481n.s.-0.3n.s.-0.3195821019191900311
Haiti1053.8-2,775116109-1-0.6-1-0.7-81-24------122024
Jamaica33931.31881,099345341n.s.-0.1n.s.-0.1-325-86-----151414
Martinique4643.9-11046460000-45-1------111
Montserrat435-10440000-4-----------
Netherlands Antilles11.53380110000-------------
Puerto Rico40846-895404407n.s.0.1n.s.n.s.-------------
Saint Kitts and Nevis514.7636550000-------------
Saint Lucia1727.956217170000-------------
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines
1127.4239910n.s.0.8n.s.0.8-10-n.s.------n.s.n.s.n.s.
Trinidad and Tobago22644.174513235228-1-0.3n.s.-0.214197015014141400151515
Turks and
Caicos Islands
3480-4334340000-------------
United States
Virgin Islands
1027.9-341210n.s.-1.3n.s.-1.8-------------
Total Caribbean5,97426.11,31023,4825,3505,706360.6540.9
Belize1,65372.51152,2961,6531,65300006121,041---61261261200---
Costa Rica2,39146.8105,1102,5642,376-19-0.830.11801,31988813255180180-7,5000-34
El Salvador29814.42012,104375324-5-1.5-5-1.76286-6-66600666
Guatemala3,93836.31,67210,8894,7484,208-54-1.2-54-1.31,9571,859-122-2,3592,0911,957-26,789-26,8343288122
Honduras4,64841.571011,2097,3855,430-196-3-156-3.11,5122,261845-301,5121,5121,51200312630
Nicaragua5,18942.71,02213,0006,5385,539-100-1.6-70-1.31,8493,289-51-1,8491,8491,8490044651
Panama4,29457.71,2887,5524,3764,307-7-0.2-3-0.13,0231,21006013,7063,2393,023-46,700-43,200104261
Total Central America22,41143.95,01852,16027,63923,837-380-1.6-285-1.3
Canada310,13433.691,951997,061310,134310,1340000165,424144,710---165,424165,424165,42400---
Greenlandn.s.n.s.841,045n.s.n.s.0000-------------
Mexico64,23833.719,908195,82069,01665,540-348-0.5-260-0.432,85030,330-7298638,77534,82532,850-395,000-395,000-1,0581,058
Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
313-24330000-3-----------
United States of America303,08933.1-962,909298,648302,2943650.11590.1104,182175,5236,32317,061-105,268105,258104,182-1,000-215,20010,30516,27417,061
Total North America677,46432.7111,8662,196,859677,801677,97117n.s.-101n.s.
Total North and
Central America
705,84932.9118,1942,272,501710,790707,514-328n.s.-333n.s.
American Samoa1889.4-201818n.s.-0.2n.s.-0.2-------------
Australia163,67821.3421,590774,122167,904164,645-326-0.2-193-0.15,233156,679-1,766--5,2335,233-01,0231,4851,766
Cook Islands1666.5-231516n.s.0.400-14--1-----011
Fiji1,00054.7-1,8279791,00020.2008945-101-895894894-100080101101
French Polynesia10528.7-4001051050000-95-10------101010
Guam2647.10552626n.s.n.s.00-------------
Kiribati23-73220000-------------
Marshall Islands---18-------------------
Micronesia6390.6-7063630000-------------
Nauru0002000-0--------------
New Caledonia71739.27871,8587177170000431277-10-43143143100101010
New Zealand8,309312,55727,0537,7208,226510.6170.23,5062,951-1,832203,5063,5063,506001,2611,7691,852
Niue1454.2-261715n.s.-1.3n.s.-1.4-14-n.s.------n.s.n.s.n.s.
Northern Mariana Islands3372.4-463534n.s.-0.3n.s.-0.3-------------
Palau4087.6-463840n.s.0.4n.s.0.4-------------
Papua New Guinea29,437654,47446,28431,52330,132-139-0.5-139-0.525,2114,134-92-29,21026,46225,211-274,800-250,200638292
Pitcairn483.304440000-------------
Samoa17160.42228413017142.800n.s.110292111-n.s.n.s.-0-3232
Solomon Islands2,17277.6-2,8902,7682,371-40-1.5-40-1.7-------------
Tokelau0001000-0--------------
Tonga45175440000-4-n.s.------n.s.n.s.n.s.
Tuvalu133.303110000-------------
Vanuatu44036.14761,2194404400000-------------
Wallis and Futuna Islands535.311465n.s.-0.8n.s.-2n.s.40100n.s.n.s.-2-6n.s.01
Total Oceania206,25424.3429,908856,414212,514208,034-448-0.2-356-0.2
Argentina33,02112.160,961278,04035,26233,770-149-0.4-150-0.4-31,792-1,229------7691,0781,229
Bolivia58,74054.22,473109,85862,79560,091-270-0.4-270-0.529,36029,360-20-31,38830,03629,360-135,200-135,200202020
Brazil477,69857.2-851,488520,027493,213-2,681-0.5-3,103-0.6415,89056,424-5,384-460,513433,220415,890-2,729,300-3,466,0005,0705,2795,384
Chile16,12121.513,24175,66315,26315,834570.4570.44,1429,292262,66104,1524,1454,142-700-6001,7412,3542,661
Colombia60,72858.518,202113,89161,43960,963-48-0.1-47-0.153,0627,337-3121653,85453,34353,062-51,050-56,160136254328
Ecuador10,85339.21,44828,35613,81711,841-198-1.5-198-1.74,7945,895-164-4,7944,7944,79420-40-162164
Falkland Islands0001,217000-0--------------
French Guiana8,06391.809,0008,0918,063-3n.s.007,7013610107,9097,7617,701-14,800-12,000111
Guyana15,10476.73,58021,49715,10415,104n.s.n.s.009,3145,789----9,3149,314-0---
Paraguay18,47546.5-40,67521,15719,368-179-0.9-179-0.91,85016,582-43-1,8501,8501,85000233643
Peru68,74253.722,132128,52270,15669,213-94-0.1-94-0.161,0656,9230754-62,91062,18861,065-72,200-224,600263715754
South Georgia and
the South Sandwich Islands
000409000-0--------------
Suriname14,77694.7-16,32714,77614,776000014,21455057014,21414,21414,21400777
Uruguay1,5068.6417,6221,1231,409292.3191.3296444-751152392962965,7000419669766
Venezuela47,71354.17,36991,20552,02649,151-288-0.6-288-0.6-------------
Total South America831,54047.7129,4091,783,770891,036852,796-3,824-0.4-4,251-0.5
Total World3,952,06330.31,375,82813,418,5184,077,4983,988,649-8,885-0.2-7,317-0.2



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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2005

"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site.
Same for "rainforests" and "rain forests". "Jungle" is generally not used.