UN said the deforestation rate slowed

Deforestation rates are showing slowing indicators because of the impact of afforestation as well as the development of natural forests according to the latest statistics.

But the forests in the world are still being destroyed with alarming speed according to a new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

These are the total losses, previously taking into account the growth of forest areas from the inviting and growing of natural forests.

In the last five years, an average of 7.3 million hectares of forest has been lost every year. This is lower than 8.9 million hectares a year for the 1990 and 2000 periods.

Mette Loyche Wilkie, coordinator of the Liang Nong committee's 2005 Global Forest Verification program said:

"The continued destruction of forests continues with alarming levels but thanks to efforts in afforestation and restoration of cultivated land and the development of natural forests in some areas, the total damage has decreased. a little bit. "

Wilkie said deforestation, primarily to convert forest land to agricultural land, continues to take place at about 13 million hectares a year.