FAO reports 1.56 billion hectares of forest are degraded

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that approximately 1.56 billion hectares of forest worldwide are currently degraded. According to the ‘State of the World’s Forests 2026’ report, between 1990 and 2025, deforestation resulted in the loss of 489 million hectares of forest, while over 460 million hectares have undergone degradation.

Key drivers of this degradation include population growth, land-use changes, and increasing demand for natural resources. Additionally, wildfires affect an average of 127 million hectares annually. The FAO estimates that failing to restore these degraded forest ecosystems could cost the global economy between $878 billion and $6.3 trillion, representing 2% to 8.3% of annual global GDP.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized that forest and landscape restoration is a strategic investment for resilient agrifood systems and rural development. The report suggests that restoring over one billion hectares of degraded forest land could generate $1.8 trillion in annual benefits through improved biodiversity, water regulation, and soil health. Furthermore, a 15-year investment of $2.6 trillion in mitigating land degradation and drought could yield a social return of eight to one, with potential gains of up to $30 for every dollar invested.