4PLANET IMPACT / ISSUE

Forest degradation

Forests can lose ecological quality through logging, fire, simplification and other pressures even where tree cover remains.

Why it matters

Forest extent alone does not describe forest condition; structure, composition and disturbance also matter.

What the sources establish

FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment distinguishes forest area from forest condition and tracks multiple dimensions of forest change and management.
Source: https://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/past-assessments/fra-2025/en

Projects working on it

Acción Andina — Acción Andina, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Borneo Nature Foundation Peat-Swamp Restoration — Borneo Nature Foundation, Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
Ecosystem Restoration and Management in Sri Lanka — IUCN × INSEE Sri Lanka restoration partnership, Koggala, Serakkuliya, Unawatuna and Aruwakkalu, Sri Lanka
Ferncliffe Forest Wilding — Ferncliffe Forest Wilding, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Good Forest Indonesia — Good Forest Indonesia, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
Good Forests Foundation Uganda — Good Forests Foundation Uganda, Uganda
Large-Scale Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Gambia — Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources of the Gambia, The Gambia
Model Forests Accelerating Forest Landscape Restoration — IUCN × International Model Forest Network restoration partnership, Model Forest landscapes in Latin America, West Africa and Southeast Asia
Mulanje Landscape Restoration Project — Greenpop Foundation × Mulanje Mission Hospital restoration partnership, Mulanje District, Malawi
Project GREENLIGHT — ChildFund Philippines, Infanta, Quezon Province, Philippines
ReforestArg — ReforestArg, Argentine Patagonia
Restoring Mediterranean Forests — FAO Silva Mediterranea, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye
Revitalizing Korea’s Forests From Fire — Korea Forest Service, Republic of Korea
Transforming Eastern Province Through Adaptation (TREPA) — TREPA implementation partnership, Eastern Province, Rwanda

Organisations

Known and not established

Fire alerts or tree-cover signals are not, by themselves, proof of ecological degradation at a specific site.
This issue record is source-grounded context, not proof that any particular project, action or intervention is effective.

Sources

fao.org

Truth boundary. Listing does not imply 4PLANET partnership or endorsement. Source-reported figures are not independently verified by 4PLANET. Delivery, outcome and verification remain separate states.

Approaches associated with this problem

Community-led Andean forest restoration — Community-led protection, reforestation and restoration of high-altitude native forests.
Peatland rewetting and native-tree restoration — Rewet drained peat by blocking drainage channels while restoring native vegetation and strengthening fire prevention.
Connected seascape restoration — Integrated restoration and management across connected marine, coastal and terrestrial systems.
Invasive-plant removal and native-forest rewilding — Remove invasive vegetation, establish locally sourced native trees and monitor recovery in degraded forest remnants.
Farmer-managed regreening — Locally adapted tree-based restoration, natural regeneration and soil and water conservation with farmers.
Ecosystem-based adaptation through landscape restoration — Restore forests, mangroves and productive landscapes as part of climate adaptation and livelihood resilience.
Gender-responsive forest landscape restoration — Design forest landscape restoration with explicit attention to gender equity, community governance, livelihoods and place-specific restoration needs.
Assisted natural regeneration and enrichment planting — Support natural forest recovery while adding locally appropriate native species and restoring catchment function.
Community-led watershed and native-forest restoration — Restore degraded watersheds through indigenous plant propagation, nurseries, native tree growing and community stewardship.
Post-fire native forest restoration — Restore fire-damaged forest with priority on native biodiversity and resilience rather than only economically valuable tree species.
Fire-resilient forest restoration — Forest restoration and management that shifts attention from post-fire response toward prevention and long-term resilience.
Climate-resilient agroforestry landscape restoration — Restore whole dryland landscapes using agroforestry, silvopastoral systems and climate-resilient farming practices.

Published by 4PLANET · Source-aware public record · How records are reviewed