NAIROBI, Kenya—Two reports published last week by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) found that the tropical forests most at risk from loss are also the most vital to people.
Annual investment in forests will need to triple by 2030, grow sixfold by 2050, and shift towards protecting high-risk forests.
“Forests are not just carbon stores or wildlife habitats—they are the infrastructure of our global food, water, and economic systems,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP.
“Failing to invest in tropical forest protection undermines their true value, especially in countries that are navigating extraordinarily complex trade-offs between development and conservation every day,” she said.
The report, “High-risk forests, high-value returns: A co-benefits assessment for decision-makers,” quantifies the wide-ranging benefits of protecting 391 million hectares of high-risk tropical forests. It finds that these forests, covering roughly the size of European Union, deliver outsized returns for society.
They prevent 2.3 million tons of nitrogen pollutants and 527 million tons of sediment out of rivers every year, protecting drinking water, safeguarding reservoirs and hydropower, and sustaining irrigation systems.
By recycling 10–14 percent of regional rainfall, these forests also help maintain rainfall patterns and river flows, ensuring reliable water supplies.
Forests support the nutritional needs of 10 million people annually by sustaining crop pollinators such as bees, birds, and seed-spreaders.
They provide products that 25 million low-income people depend on for cooking, heating, and supplemental income.
Acting as natural buffers against extreme weather, these forests prevent some US$81 billion in disaster-related losses annually.
The report also emphasizes the need to balance conservation efforts with equitable development, recognizing socio-economic impacts on local communities, while urging governments and investors to direct finance toward the most threatened forests.
Another new UNEP report, “2025 State of Finance for Forests: Unlock. Unleash. Realizing forest potential requires tripling investment in forests by 2030,” identifies for the first time the scale of the financial gap hindering sustainable forest management, despite commitments made under international agreements like the Rio Conventions, the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. UNEP News
