The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) made an urgent call to protect the tropical forests.
The UN entity called for tripling the annual investments aimed at their protection.
These ecosystems are essential because they regulate the climate and ensure global food security.
However, today they are disappearing at an alarming rate due to human activity.
Tropical forests: vital infrastructure at risk
“Forests are not just carbon reservoirs or wildlife habitats,” stated Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
She added: “They constitute the infrastructure of our global systems of food, water, and economy.”
The official warned that not investing in forest protection is equivalent to underestimating their true value.
This is especially true in countries facing dilemmas between development and conservation.
391 million hectares at risk in tropical forests
The report Forests at High Risk, Benefits of High Value quantifies the advantages of protecting 391 million hectares of threatened tropical forests.
This area, equivalent to the European Union, significantly contributes to key functions:
- water regulation;
- food security;
- energy; and;
- resilience to disasters.
Additionally, these forest ecosystems support pollinators such as bees, birds, and seed dispersers.
These animals are key because they ensure agricultural yields to meet the nutritional needs of ten million people each year.
Moreover, they help avoid up to $81 billion in annual economic losses caused by natural disasters.
The report emphasizes the need to reconcile conservation efforts with equitable development, considering the socioeconomic impacts on local communities.
The critical financial deficit affecting tropical forests
The second report, The State of Forest Finance, identifies for the first time the magnitude of the financial deficit preventing the sustainable management of forests.
To protect these ecosystems, the annual expenditure must increase from $84 billion (in 2023) to $300 billion by 2030.
By 2050, the figure should reach $498 billion, which is between three and six times more than the current investments.
Agricultural subsidies, a counterproductive “aid”
UNEP points out that expenses for sustainable forest use are not only insufficient but also misdirected.
Potentially harmful agricultural subsidies for the environment exceed $400 billion annually.
These aids contribute to the loss of 2.2 million hectares of forest each year, an area more than 30 times larger than the city of Nairobi, home to UNEP.
The urgency of realigning incentives to protect tropical forests
The report emphasizes the urgency of reconciling economic development with forest protection.
To achieve this, it is necessary to redirect financial flows away from activities related to deforestation.
It is also required to realign fiscal and policy incentives with the objectives of food security and environmental sustainability.
The commitments made in international agreements such as the Rio Conventions, the Paris Agreement, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework demand this immediate financial transformation.
