LMU study identifies social risks in global reforestation efforts

A new study led by LMU geographer Wenkai Bao, published in the journal One Earth, reveals that approximately three-quarters of the estimated global potential for carbon sequestration through afforestation and reforestation could be limited by significant social and institutional hurdles.

While global efforts have expanded forest areas by over 300 million hectares—sequestering roughly 2.2 billion tonnes of CO2 annually over the last decade—large-scale reforestation often competes with food production and local livelihoods. The research, which utilized machine learning to analyze global datasets, highlights that poverty, food insecurity, and uncertain land-use rights act as major constraints on the success of climate mitigation through tree planting.