Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA)
Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2020 was recently released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
About FRA:
- FAO has brought out this comprehensive assessment every five years since 1990.
- This report assesses the state of forests, their conditions and management for all member countries.
According to FRA 2020, top 10 countries that have recorded the maximum average annual net gains in forest area during 2010-2020 are:
- China
- Australia
- India
- Chile
- Vietnam
- Turkey
- United States
- France
- Italy
- Romania
The Asian continent reported the highest net gain in forest area in 2010-2020. It recorded 1.17 million hectares (ha) per year net increase in forests in the last decade.
South Asia sub-region reported net forest losses during 1990-2020.
India-related findings:
During the decade under assessment, India reported 0.38 per cent annual gain in forest, or 266,000 ha of forest increase every year at an average.
- The FRA 2020 has credited the government’s Joint Forest Management programme for the significant increase in community-managed forest areas in the Asian continent.
- The forest area managed by local, tribal and indigenous communities in India increased from zero in 1990 to about 25 million ha in 2015.
- However, the naturally regenerating forest rate is disappointing, according to the assessment. During 2010-20, the rate of increase in naturally regenerating forest was just 0.38 per cent.
- India reported the maximum employment in the forestry sector in the world. Globa
