The tropical forests, considered pillars of ecological balance and global food security, are disappearing at an alarming rate due to the pressure of human activities.
In response to this critical situation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) of the UN issued an urgent call to triple the annual investments aimed at their conservation before 2030.
“Forests are not just carbon sinks or biodiversity refuges: they are the natural infrastructure that supports our water, food, and economic systems,” stated Inger Andersen, UNEP’s executive director.
Invisible benefits, incalculable losses
The report titled “Forests at High Risk, High-Value Benefits” evaluates the co-benefits of conserving 391 million hectares of threatened tropical forests, an area equivalent to the European Union. Among its most notable findings:
- Support pollinators that ensure the nutrition of 10 million people each year
- Regulate the water cycle, recharge aquifers, and generate rainfall
- Prevent natural disasters, avoiding up to 81 billion dollars in annual losses
Furthermore, the report emphasizes the need to reconcile conservation and equitable development, especially in countries facing dilemmas between economic growth and environmental protection.
Forest financing: the structural deficit
The second report, “The State of Forest Financing”, reveals that to achieve sustainable management, countries must increase annual spending from:
- 84 billion (2023) → 300 billion (2030) → 498 billion (2050)
However, harmful agricultural subsidies exceed 400 billion dollars a year, contributing to the loss of 2.2 million hectares of forest, an area 30 times larger than the city of Nairobi, home to UNEP.
Vital ecosystem services
- Climate regulation: absorb CO₂ and cool the air through evapotranspiration
- Water cycle: generate moisture, rain, and recharge aquifers
- Oxygen production: contribute to breathable air
- Soil conservation: prevent erosion and landslides
Biodiversity, culture, and subsistence
- Habitat for more than 50% of the planet’s species
- Provision of food, medicines, and water for local communities
- Indigenous ancestral knowledge on sustainable use and ecological management
Reorienting policies and financial flows
UNEP proposes:
- Redirect investments away from activities that promote deforestation
- Realign fiscal incentives with food security and sustainability goals
- Strengthen environmental governance with a territorial focus and community participation
Investing in tropical forests is not an expense: it is a global resilience strategy against climate change, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss. The time to act is now.
